EWE flock profiling is like starting the next cropping program, a soil test is taken first to identify what additional nutrients are required.
That’s how Sheep CRC’s industry engagement and training co-ordinator, Lu Hogan, explained the genotyping tests the flocks entered in the 2018 Parkes Doug Bicket Memorial Maiden Ewe Competition had undergone in what she claimed was a visionary and very brave start to something new.
As for soil testing, Ms Hogan told a group of 40 sheep breeders attending a sheep genomics workshop at Parkes a day prior to the annual competition, they should think of flock profiling exactly the same way.
Last year Parkes Show Society took up Sheep CRC’s offer to invite ewe competition entrant flock owners to allow DNA testing of their ewes, and according to show president, Gary O’Brien, all participants accepted.
Ms Hogan said owners can’t understand the genetic basis of a flock until a test of 20 ewes from within the flock on a random basis is done.
“Until we know the DNA data, how do we know what improvements we need to make or we should be aiming for on a genetic basis,” she said.
“Our sheep are the combination of the genes they carry and the way we manage them.
“Flock profiling takes away the management and feed so we can understand just the genetic base and how we use that data to gain better value, especially when buying rams in the future.”
Ms Hogan said through the use of Australian sheep breeding values and a new RamSelect app, users have a permanent place to store all their flock’s data.
“At any time you can go in and benchmark your genetics against industry.”
Parkes competition co-judge, Craig Wilson, said the flock profiles were not a format for judging the flocks entered, however he talked about the information of each flock during visits.
“Having run wether trials for 15 years, I understand the difference between trying to separate the genetics from the management and feeding is always the most difficult thing to do,” he said.
“But if you have an appreciation of what that genetic baseline is, it really helps you understand the other aspects.”
Mr Wilson said after gaining an insight to their flock and finding out what areas are positive and negative, breeders would benefit from spending a little extra on buying better quality rams.
“This would not equate to a huge cost per lamb in the marking cradle over the course of the ram’s working life.”
