MLA introduces Combined LAMBPLAN: A unified multibreed genetic evaluation for sheep

Sheep Genetics, operated by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) is releasing the new combined LAMBPLAN research analysis available from August 27. 

This world-first, landmark advancement further reinforces Australia’s status as a world leader in livestock genetic evaluation by significantly expanding and enhancing the multibreed capabilities of Sheep Genetics.

For the first time, producers will be able to directly compare the genetic merit of all maternal and terminal breeds (excluding Merinos and Dohnes) within a single, unified evaluation. Merino types will continue to be assessed through the MERINOSELECT analysis.

MLA’s Sheep Genetics Manager, Peta Bradley, said the new evaluation reflects both industry progress in improving genetics of the flock and producer demand for greater clarity and consistency in genetic benchmarking.

“This is about delivering value to producers,” Ms Bradley said.

“Combined LAMBPLAN is a game-changer for sheep producers. It simplifies genetic evaluation and gives breeders and commercial producers the ability to make more informed decisions across a wider range of production systems.

What makes this truly significant is that it enables producers to benchmark animals across breeds with greater accuracy and confidence, helping them select genetics that best suit their business goals, regardless of breed type.

The improved multibreed evaluation will support better benchmarking and selection, ultimately driving productivity and profitability on-farm and strengthening the competitiveness of the Australian sheep industry as a whole.”

The ability to have direct comparison of all terminal and maternal breeds, will pave the way for future commercial tools such as flock profile for more breeds following its success for Merinos to date.

Each animal will receive one set of Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs), fully comparable across breeds, simplifying selection decisions and improving benchmarking accuracy.

“This new analysis and the subsequent tools that the enhancements provide are a prime example of our investment towards delivering on MLA’s bold ambition to establish world leading multibreed evaluations that enable livestock to be described throughout the supply chain,” Ms Bradley said.

The combined LAMBPLAN analysis was developed by the University of New England’s Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU) and will be released initially as a research analysis for carcase, growth and eating quality traits from August 27.

Over the next 12 months additional trait groups will be added these include reproduction, worm egg count and lambing ease. 

“Once all trait groups have been released the old terminal and maternal analyses will be decommissioned and be fully replaced by the combined LAMBPLAN analysis,” Ms Bradley said.

“It will be the one-stop shop for genetic benchmarking and evaluation of terminal and maternal breeds.”
“To prepare for the release of Combined LAMBPLAN, producers are encouraged to set clear breeding objectives and identify traits that are most important to their business,” Ms Bradley said.

Benchmarking current flock performance is critical, and re-benchmarking with the new percentile bands will ensure alignment with the updated evaluation.”

To assist producers with the transition to the analysis Sheep Genetics has prepared a comprehensive package of videos and resources available on the Sheep Genetics website. For more information on Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs) producers can register for a BredWell FedWell workshop in their area.

“The ability to combine Maternal and Terminal breeds into a single evaluation has been made possible through a series of strategic investments over the past decade,” Ms Bradley said. 

“These include the foundational work of the Information Nucleus Flock under the Sheep CRC, the development and expansion of the MLA Resource Flock, the redevelopment of the Sheep Genetics Database, and MLA’s continued long-term investment into the Sheep Genetics evaluations.”

These initiatives have laid the groundwork for a more robust, inclusive, and commercially relevant genetic evaluation system.
 
For more information and to access the resources, visit Sheep Genetics