Genetics of reproduction and lamb survival
| Project start date: | 23 May 2020 |
| Project end date: | 15 August 2025 |
| Project status: | In progress |
| Livestock species: | Sheep, Lamb |
| Relevant regions: | Southern Australia |
| Site location: | Western VIC:Dunkeld & Cavendish / WA: Newdegate |
Summary
The aim of this project is to demonstrate the role that genetics can play in improving ewe reproduction and lamb survival and develop the knowledge, awareness, skills and attitudes of producers involved to enable them to more confidently select rams that will improve the reproductive performance and lamb survival of their flock.
Objectives
By the 30-June 2025 we will:
1. Across 5 host farms, across two drops, demonstrate the impact of selecting a team of sires for improved reproduction traits using ASBVs of 5% in F1 lamb survival and 5% more lambs weaned in subsequent reproductive performance. This will include demonstrating the role of wetting and drying, pregnancy scanning for multiples and the use of EID to capture and utilise information for ewe culling.
2. Develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills of ‘core’ producers as well as ‘observers’ to enable them to more confidently select rams based on their genes for reproduction (ASBVs).
3. Extend outcomes, learnings and experiences relating genetics of reproduction to the wider neXtgen producer network using the neXtgen Agri members site, the neXtgen Agri Facebook group and Zoom (Group Video conferencing) calls throughout the project resulting in:
• 100% of core producers and 50% of observer producers adopting or intending to adopt selection of rams using ASBV’s; and
• 100% of core producers and 80% of observer producers with increased knowledge, skills and confidence in relation to selection of rams using ASBV’s.
4. Host a field day at each host farm on at least two occasions during the project
5. Present findings to the wider community both from the public neXtgen website and at sheep industry forums and extend results through other grower group networks and consultants.
Progress
The project aimed to demonstrate the opportunity to improve reproduction and lamb survival by using the appropriate genetics.
It proved difficult to set up demonstration sites on this subject despite there being strong producer support for the project area. Potential participants that were interested in the area were keen to move to the superior genetics that can be identified using ASBVs and not to continue to run the control group. The lag time between the start of a trial and the results caused issues on many farms.
Over the period of the project, the ASBVs become considerably more sophisticated, and the project proved to be a very good conduit to educate producers on these new ASBVs.
The project resulted in a lift in the confidence of producers to source rams with improved reproductive outcomes. Across the online events, social media and interactions on the hub and other social media platforms, we experienced very strong producer interaction and observed a significant shift towards more informed decision-making around selecting rams that would deliver better reproductive outcomes.
The new ASBVs released by Sheep Genetics have been demonstrated to be highly reliable and powerful at improving the reproductive potential of sheep.
