Proof of concept of Lean Meat Yield and Eating Quality Producer Demonstration Sites

Summary

Seven Producer Demonstration Sites (PDS) were undertaken in Victoria to demonstrate the value of research breeding values (RBVs) for lean meat yield, intramuscular fat and shear force in prime lamb and Merino production systems.  Ewes were artificially inseminated with semen from Poll Dorset, White Suffolk and Merino rams selected to have divergent RBVs for the key traits.  Ewes were managed to Lifetime Ewe Management targets and achieved reasonable lamb survival rates (ranging from 72% to 107% lambs marked to lambs scanned).  Lambs were individually identified with electronic tags and weighed at monthly intervals.  Lambs were finished according to normal on-farm practices and processed at four plants.
Data collected from these PDS will be aggregated with data from other sites and analysed under the national coordination project, B.SCC.0144, to determine the value of RBVs for LMY and eating quality traits to ram breeders, lamb producers and processors.