Working together 2 develop our sheep sector
Dr Steven Johnston, Senior Beef and Sheep Technologist, Greenmount Campus, College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise and Edward Adamson, Secretary of the NSA (Northern Ireland Branch)
In Northern Ireland the lines of communication between the pedigree and commercial sheep sector are changing. These are key within the lamb supply chain and must facilitate the two-way flow of information. About two years ago lamb producers, researchers and technologists from the sheep industry in Northern Ireland came together to start a development process. All involved accepted the need for continual change within the industry. This attitude is fundamental as it gives everyone the freedom to shape their own future. It is intended that clear and concise signals will be generated during the development process which will act as sign posts for the wider industry.
First step - 2 Listen
Initially the local NSA branch joined forces with the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), Hillsborough and Teagasc in the Republic of Ireland. Under the chairmanship of Dr Alistair Carson, AFBI, a working group was formed. Following discussions it was agreed to hold a conference entitled “Profit from your labour” at the Greenmount Campus, Antrim in May 2005. This conference was held in association with the British Society of Animal Science, the Irish Grassland Association and the Ulster Grassland Association. The aim was to examine opportunities for the sheep industry to improve current financial returns per labour unit. This was the first of Murray Rohloff’s engagements in the UK and his inspirational vision for the future of the sheep industry made all those who attended stop and think.
Samuel Wharry (NSA N.I. Branch Treasurer) discussing with conference delegates the performance of Signet recorded rams and different crossbred ewe types on his hill farm at Carnlough. Samuel is involved with the AFBI on-farm research programme, which is aimed at maximising lamb production from the hill environment.
Second step – 2 Think
The conference not only raised awareness amongst leading sheep producers, advisers and researchers, it made everyone start to ask questions about their future business direction. In the new era of decoupled payments, livestock enterprises must show a profit without help from subsidies. Farmers, both pedigree and commercial, are now in the driving seat and it is the decisions they make which will determine the profitability of their sheep enterprise.
In the light of this the local NSA committee asked itself the question “What is the most cost effective way to increase profit on our sheep farms?” After some thought the answer was a resounding “Genetic Improvement”. This gave the local NSA committee the impetus to set about embedding performance recording into the N.I. sheep industry.
Third step – 2 Demonstrate
The local NSA committee discussed a programme of activities with technologists at CAFRE, which would demonstrate performance recording in action. The “Profit from Performance” programme was developed. Its aim was to assist the adoption of performance data amongst commercial and pedigree sheep breeders through:
- Explanation of the use of Estimated Breeding Values
- Provision of evidence from research and technology projects on physical and financial efficiency gains to be obtained by selecting high genetic merit breeding stock
- Outline of the benefits of new technologies, including CT scanning and faecal egg counting
- Continued strengthening of industry links.
The programme gained the support of AFBI, Ai Services (N.Ireland), the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC) and the majority of local sheep breed clubs and lamb producer groups.
The programme involved:
- Ai Services (N.Ireland) producing a breeders’ directory. This provided the contact details of all the flock owners of performance recording flocks in N.Ireland. The directory was forwarded to 12,000 N. Ireland beef and lamb producers courtesy of LMC.
- CAFRE provided educational workshops for nine local lamb producer groups and supported eight local breed clubs to stage farm walks to highlight the benefit of performance recording.
Over 600 farmers attended the meetings and farm walks from January to August 2006. Dr Lewis McClinton, CAFRE, managed the events and supported the breeders with their displays. The typical preparation for a farm walk involved Lewis examining the performance information provided through the Signet Sheepbreeder Service and selecting several ewes and rams to demonstrate the use of carcase and maternal EBVs. The Blackface event provides a typical example of the information on display. Lewis selected three ewes of similar age, lambing date and suckling twins based on their Maternal EBV. The McCormick Brothers, Eamon and Phil, who hosted the event on their farm in the Glens of Antrim, then gathered the ewes and their lambs. Table 1 indicates the ewes’ maternal EBV and the weight of lambs reared by the ewe. This information demonstrated in spectacular fashion to those attending the efficiency gains to be obtained by selecting high genetic merit breeding stock.
Table 1. The information provided for three Blackface ewes on the McCormick farm in the Glens’ of Antrim.
| Ewe Identification | Maternal Information |
Total weight of lamb reared by the ewe to 16 weeks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EBV | Breed benchmark | ||
| 0104 | 1.34 | Top 5 % | 47 KG |
| A68 | 0.65 | Average | 37 KG |
| C18 | -0.30 | Bottom 10 % | 30.5 KG |
Fourth step – 2 Support
The local NSA Committee agreed to organise a Multi-Breed Performance Recorded Ram Sale. This new venture provided a different and fresh approach to ram sales and the Ulster Bank agreed to be the main sponsors of the sale. Senior Agricultural Manager with the Ulster Bank, Cormac McKervey stated that ‘Farming as a business is increasingly reliant on good quality information on which to base investment decisions. The Performance Recorded Ram Sale removes much of the uncertainty in selecting a ram for the flock. All other enterprises have successfully adopted this technology and it is good to see the sheep sector become fully engaged in actively seeking to improve the selection process.’ In addition to the generous support from the Ulster Bank, several local meat processors and lamb groups provided financial incentives for lamb group members to purchase rams at the sale.
The Mission Statement for the sale was, “To provide the commercial lamb producer with a choice of physically sound, high genetic merit rams”
To achieve this, rams catalogued for the sale were fully performance recorded, including 8 and 20 week weights and ultrasonically scanned, had a minimum of one EBV in the top 25 percent of the breed and were above breed average for Index. In addition all the rams were inspected by a local private veterinary practitioner for physical soundness.
Following discussions with commercial lamb producers during the lamb producer group workshops it was decided to introduce a simplified approach to understanding the Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) and Index. A star approach was used to indicate the strengths of each trait within the breed. 5 stars = Top 5 percent, 4 stars = Top 10 percent, 3 stars = Top 25 percent, 2 stars = Top 50 percent, 1 star = Bottom 50 percent. Below is an example of the catalogue layout. The animal detailed was the top priced Charollais entry from local NSA branch vice- chairman, David Mawhinney and his wife Liz.
Lot 37 D+L Mawhinney
Ear Number: VV 6001 Breed: Charollais
DOB: 6-12-05
Sire:ZVY 4090 Genotype: ARR/ARR
| Maternal Traits | Growth Traits | Carcase traits | Index | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Litter Size | Maternal Ability | 8 wk weight | 20 wk weight | Mature weight | Muscle depth | Fat depth | |
| 0.21 | 0.44 | 2.60 | 7.19 | -0.74 | 3.88 | 1.16 | 351 |
| *** | ** | ** | *** | * | *** | * | **** |
Trade was brisk at the sale held in Dungannon Farmers Mart. A crowded ringside saw the first ram into the ring make 480 gns and this set the trend for the rest of the sale. It was obvious that buyers had taken the lessons learnt from the ‘Profit from Performance’ programme on board as rams with good EBVs and Indices sold to a top of 880 gns. The highest indexed Charollais, Rouge de L’Ouest, Suffolk and Texel all made the highest price within their respective breeds. The overall clearance rate at the sale was 91 percent.
Survey information was collected from 46 sheep producers who attended the sale. The survey included both pedigree and commercial producers and indicated: -
- 51 percent of those producers interested in purchasing a ram were focussing on terminal sire traits only, 17 percent on maternal traits only and 32 percent on both terminal and maternal traits.
- 63 percent of producers were aware of the “Profit from Performance” programme
- 87 percent of producers considered the catalogue layout to be excellent or good
- 91 percent of producers considered the star system to explain the EBVs as excellent or good
- 94 percent stated they would support a similar sale in the future
Victor Chestnutt, British Texel Sheep Society President and his son David discuss with a potential customer the performance information accompanying their Texel rams at the Ulster Bank/NSA Performance recorded ram sale.
Fifth step – 2 Do it all again “But better”
With the encouragement of a successful sale where sheep sold because of their performance information rather than rosettes and the results of the survey indicating a demand for future similar sales the local NSA committee and CAFRE have decided to continue their efforts to embed performance recording into the N.I. sheep industry. Again this will require the support from many others within the industry and it is intended that pre-Christmas Step 1 will commence as we listen to the thoughts of both the vendors and purchasers at the sale. With 37 percent of those surveyed at the sale unaware of the “Profit from Performance” programme the show must go on.
Dr Steven Johnston and Edward Adamson discuss forthcoming events aimed at embedding performance recording into the N. Ireland sheep industry.
