THE BENEFITS OF BETTER BREEDING IN THE SCOTTISH SHEEP SECTOR

Transcription

1 THE BENEFITS OF BETTER BREEDING IN THE SCOTTISH SHEEP SECTOR Sheep Focus Farm Project - Phase Two Results from the First Year Telephone:

2 Andy The McKie, Benefits shepherd, of Better Breeding Dumfries in House the Scottish Sheep Sector 2

3 Foreword It only seems like a few months since the last Scotsheep but here we are again, this time at Dumfries House Home Farm. Last year, Morrisons (Supermarkets) kindly agreed to let the Scottish Sheep Strategy work with the Dumfries House Mule flock in a two-year project focusing on the fast growth and early finishing traits of the Suffolk breed. Thanks must go to Morrisons (Supermarkets) and the Home Farm staff for their co-operation, and also the other Focus Farm hosts Messrs HR & C Dalrymple, King s Arms, Ballantrae and Mr & Mrs J Gordon, Wellheads, Huntly. With the uncertainties surrounding the Euro zone, and indeed the Euro, and with CAP reform, the biggest concern for all sheep producers has to be future profitability in the context of a shrinking SFP. It is with an eye to the future that some breed societies are now actively promoting performance recording to their members. Two of the biggest, the Texel and Bluefaced Leicester societies have a huge influence on UK lowground prime lamb production and it is significant that both societies now recognise the value of performance recording and are including it in their plans to protect and grow their market share. Since Scotsheep 2010, the Texel Society has actively promoted performance recording to members and has seen uptake rise by 43% to just under 200 flocks. On the maternal side of prime lamb production, the Bluefaced Leicester Society has embarked on an ambitious performance recording project, with the aim of strengthening the position of the Mule ewe as the No 1 choice for lowground prime lamb production. Both societies recognise that performance recording is essential to protect and enhance their future market share. Can any breed society afford to be any different? Maimie Maimie Paterson SSS Chairman 3

4 The Project The purpose of this Focus Farm initiative is to encourage the use of performance information when selecting breeding stock to: Improve the quality of lamb from the Scottish sheep industry and Increase producers returns by improving the production genetics within their flocks The approach taken to achieve this builds on the outcomes of Phase 1 of the trial and focuses on two main areas: The dissemination of results from on-farm breeding trials, and The sharing of knowledge and skills amongst producers via farm meetings Wellheads Huntly, Aberdeenshire The Morrisons Farm Dumfries House Estate, Cumnock, Ayrshire Kings Arms Ballantrae, Ayrshire 4

5 The dissemination of results from on-farm breeding trials Over two seasons, 2011 and 2012, the financial performance of lambs sired by High Performance Suffolk tups is being compared to that of lambs sired by Suffolk tups of unknown genetic merit in three commercial flocks in Scotland. This report refers to the latter as Farm Choice tups which were largely selected by eye. The following diagram illustrates how this has been structured on each farm: Two High Index Tups. Two Farm Choice Tups. Mated to randomly selected mule ewes (though similar in age profile). Birth date, sire identities and birth type are recorded at lambing time. The physical and financial differences between the sire groups are examined and reported. Lambs are drawn for slaughter per normal farm practice. Lambs are weighed live and individual slaughter results are recorded. Ewes and lambs are managed from birth to slaughter as a single group on each farm, as far as possible. The comparison aims to draw out the role that genetics has to play in finished lamb production and identify opportunities for cost saving and increasing returns through selection of breeding stock. The sharing of knowledge and skills amongst producers via farm meetings Regular farm meetings are held on each farm throughout the year. A fixed group of local producers and industry representatives examine and discuss a wide range of management and husbandry issues relating to the trial. Student groups from the agricultural colleges, local to each farm, are also involved. 5

6 The Farms The Scottish Sheep Strategy is indebted to the three farms hosting this trial: Hugh Murray, Andrew McLean, Fiona McLean and James Frame at Kings Arms Messrs H R & C Dalrymple, Kings Arms, Ballantrae, Ayrshire. Farm Manager, Andrew McLean Extending to 840 acres, this farm runs a total ewe flock of 1400 mules along with 200 suckler cows; all calves sold finished. On early, light west coast ground, ewes are lambed in February with the aim of hitting the early prime lamb market towards the end of May through to the early part of July. All lambs in the trial are born to similar-aged mule ewes and reared on creep until slaughter. Andrew McLean, Farm Manager: when you are selling big numbers of lambs, two or three pounds extra means a lot at the end of the day We bought a High Index tup last Autumn, not for the trial, but for our normal sheep production 6

7 Ewen and John Gordon, Wellheads Mr & Mrs John Gordon, Wellheads, Huntly, Aberdeenshire Wellheads is an upland unit, running to 1250 feet above sea level and extending to 1250 acres. The main enterprises are its 860 head ewe flock (plus 280 hoggs) and a suckler unit of 220 cows. Lambs are born in April and finished mainly off grass from July throughout the main season to October. All lambs in the trial are born to similar-aged mule ewes. The majority are slaughtered off grass. Any remaining for slaughter in September onwards are creep-fed in the latter stages of finishing. John Gordon, Wellheads: We got involved in the trial for various reasons. The main one was to see if we were missing out on a potential three to four thousand pound bonus for producing better lambs, faster. It is most likely that we will use one of the High Index tups on our own pure Suffolk ewes this year, going on what we are seeing so far this Spring. The impression we got in the 2011 lambing was that the lambs sired by the High Index tups were quicker to get to their feet and to suck. 7

8 Claire and Andrew Robinson (Farm Manager) The Morrisons Farm, Dumfries House Estate, Cumnock, Ayrshire. Farm Manager, Andrew Robinson and shepherd, Andy Mckie This farming unit is a relatively new enterprise for Morrisons, the supermarket chain. It extends to 900 acres and runs a total flock of 730 mule ewes, 20 pedigree Suffolk ewes as well as 95 pure and cross-bred Aberdeen Angus cows and 114 Beef Shorthorn cows. The trial lambs are born in April and, owing to the later nature of this farm, are finished from August through to November/ December. All are born to similar-aged mule ewes (gimmers in 2011) and finished off grass with supplementary creep feeding in the latter part of the season. Andrew Robinson, Farm Manager: Last year the lambs from the High Index tups did not look so well as those from the Farm Choice tups, but they still outperformed them financially. This year they look the best bunch so we are really excited to see what happens when we get the results. 8

9 The Tups The performance recorded tups were purchased in They were all shearlings bought at Kelso Ram Sales or, in one instance, directly off farm. They were bought from different consignors at an average price of 800 guineas. Their Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) at the time of purchase are shown below. These are the indicators of their genetic merit relative to all other performance recorded Suffolks and help predict the performance that can be expected from their lambs. Kings Arms Trait L57 L84 8 Week Weight EBV Top 10% Top 10% Scan Weight EBV Top 5% Top 10% Muscle Depth EBV Top 10% Top 5% Backfat Depth EBV Bottom 25% Average Index Top 5% Top 5% 9

10 Wellheads Trait L52 L56 8 Week Weight EBV Top 5% Top 1% Scan Weight EBV Top 1% Top 1% Muscle Depth EBV Top 10% Top 10% Backfat Depth EBV Bottom 25% Bottom 25% Index Top 5% Top 5% Morrisons Farm Trait L60 L97 8 Week Weight EBV Top 10% Top 5% Scan Weight EBV Top 5% Top 5% Muscle Depth EBV Top 1% Top 5% Backfat Depth EBV Bottom 25% Bottom 25% Index Top 5% Top 5% 10

11 Example EBV chart for Suffolk Tup L60 at the Morrisons Farm EBV Acc Below average Above average Litter Size Maternal Ability Week Weight Scan Weight Muscle Depth Fat Depth T. Sire Index The centre line on the chart represents breed average for each trait. Bars lying to the right of the line indicate the animal is above breed average for the trait, and the further to the right it is, the higher above average it is. Equally, bars to the left indicate the animal is below breed average, and the further to the left it is, the further below breed average it is. With the exception of one animal (L56 at Wellheads), all tups completed tupping successfully in L56 was replaced by a new shearling with similar breeding values. For more information on Estimated Breeding Values visit or telephone

12 The Results - Year 1 (2011 lambing) Kings Arms: All Lambs Finished Off Creep Lamb Group Farm Choice High Index Singles Twins Overall No. Lambs /Lamb No. Lambs /Lamb No. Lambs /Lamb High Index lambs worth 3.91/lamb more than Farm Choice lambs Assuming 70 ewes mated per tup = 125 lambs At an additional 3.91/lamb, the High Index tups are worth an estimated 488/tup/year Over a 4-year working life, this is worth approximately 1,952/tup. Smaller groups of lambs were finished under different systems, but group numbers are small for the purposes of comparison. Wellheads: All Lambs Lamb Group Farm Choice High Index Singles Twins Overall No. Lambs /Lamb No. Lambs /Lamb No. Lambs /Lamb High Index lambs worth 3.13/lamb more than Farm Choice lambs Assuming 70 ewes mated per tup = 125 lambs At an additional 3.13/lamb, the High Index tups are worth an estimated 391/tup/year Over a 4-year working life, this is worth approximately 1,565/tup. 12

13 Dumfries House: All Lambs Lamb Group Farm Choice High Index Singles Twins Overall No. Lambs /Lamb No. Lambs /Lamb No. Lambs /Lamb High Index lambs worth 1.19/lamb more than Farm Choice lambs Assuming 70 ewes mated per tup = 125 lambs At an additional 1.19/lamb, the High Index tups are worth an estimated 148/tup/year Over a 4-year working life, this is worth approximately 592/tup. For each farm, the returns per lamb have been adjusted to reflect lamb age and increased/decreased costs of keep. Conclusions from Year 1 Although the way in which each farm s results were achieved differed slightly, the main reasons for the differences between the groups on each farm were: the faster finishing time of the lambs sired by the High Index tups, and under all three systems, the lambs sold early were those that made the better margins, even though the gross return/lamb for later lambs was compellingly greater. Across all farms, the results from the lambs by the High Index tups were more consistent than those of the lambs by the Farm Choice tups. Summary of Results The value of High Index sires compared to Farm Choice sires (where genetic merit not known) Dumfries House 1.19/lamb Wellheads 3.13/lamb Kings Arms 3.91/lamb 13

14 What Next? The Full Year 1 results for all farms are available on the Scottish Sheep Strategy web site at Full trial results (Years 1 & 2) will be published over the 2012/13 autumn/winter period and farm meetings will be arranged where they will be reviewed. If you would like to be included, contact the Scottish Sheep Strategy: Telephone A series of EBV Workshops will be held in the run-up to tup sale time in August and September. These are designed to help tup buyers use EBVs when making their purchasing decisions. Dates will be published on the QMS page of The Scottish Farmer or contact Scottish Sheep Strategy for details: Telephone or check out the website www. scottishsheepstrategy.org.uk 14

15 Contact Details: Scottish Sheep Strategy Rod McKenzie Telephone: / rod.mckenzie@sheepstrategy.org.uk Quality Meat Scotland Kathy Peebles Telephone: kpeebles@qmscotland.co.uk Signet Breeding Services Alison Glasgow: Telephone: / alison.glasgow@eblex.ahdb.org.uk This leaflet was prepared by Signet on behalf of SSS For other technical information visit The tables and contents of this publication may not be reproduced without express permission from Signet or SSS. SSS, QMS, Signet or the authors shall not in any event be liable for any loss, damage or injury suffered directly or indirectly in relation to this publication or the information on which it is based. 15

16 Telephone: