Selecting rams for this year’s sire teams has been one of the most challenging I have experienced for a number of years. If you’re not sure of your breeding objective, that selection is always more difficult. In 2016 we had Sheep Genetics analysis changes that made quite significant differences to eating quality. What were formerly research breeding values (RBVs) for eating quality and yield became ASBVs for these traits through a process called “single step analysis”, where information on other traits was included, along with correlations.
While there was significant re-ranking of sires for traits, we have to assume that these ASBVs are now more accurate. At the same time, new indexes were released: LEQ (Lamb Eating Quality), along the lines of Lamb2020 plus eating quality, and EQ, which is similar to Carcase Plus + eating quality. Sheep Genetics didn’t explain these as % emphasis on traits, but rather as changes in traits over 10 years.
Interestingly, if you go to ramselect.com.au (from the Sheep CRC) you can see the breakdown of LEQ and EQ in terms of emphasis. The LEQ breakdown is below:
This is not our breeding objective. While I fully appreciate the need for emphasis on eating quality, an index with only 12% on growth and nothing on birthweight bears little resemblance to our clients’ requirements. 42% emphasis on a trait with low accuracy and little if any market reward seems excessive.
Our compromise this year was to use a combination of our own index – that has targets for birthweight and fat, and more emphasis on growth, and is aligned with what our clients want to buy – and LEQ, with its emphasis on eating quality. Because there are relatively few Poll Dorset sire lines with good eating quality, we had to step outside our normal parameters for some ASBVs to be able to incorporate some better eating quality. The challenge isn’t as difficult in the White Suffolks, although finding candidates in this breed with low birthweight and moderate fat is becoming more of a challenge.
For our main summer joining we are using six 2016-drop Poll Dorset ram lambs and three White Suffolk ram lambs.
Our 2017 Poll Dorset sire team
| Animal | BWT | PWT | PFAT | PEMD | PWEC | LE | LMY | IMF | SHRF5 | LEQ | Sire |
| 140247 | 0.20 | 20.2 | -0.7 | 2.5 | -58 | 2.2 | 4.9 | -0.82 | 4.5 | 151.04 | Pollambi 110451 |
| 141005 | 0.14 | 15.2 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 7 | 0.8 | 3.2 | -0.27 | 1.4 | 143.38 | 130141 |
| 150545 | 0.31 | 16.7 | 0.1 | 3.5 | -38 | 0.4 | 3.6 | -0.51 | 2.0 | 149.87 | Pollambi 130052 |
| 160222 | 0.19 | 16.4 | -0.1 | 2.6 | -32 | 0.8 | 3.3 | -0.10 | 1.2 | 149.99 | 141005 |
| 160282 | 0.42 | 18.2 | -0.1 | 3.0 | -20 | -0.9 | 4.1 | -0.40 | 2.8 | 148.37 | 150545 |
| 160384 | 0.34 | 19.0 | -0.9 | 3.0 | -58 | -1.9 | 4.9 | -0.70 | 4.4 | 151.67 | BD 133266 |
| 160494 | 0.39 | 18.1 | -0.1 | 3.5 | -50 | -3.8 | 4.7 | -0.86 | 4.6 | 147.17 | BD 133266 |
| 160800 | 0.29 | 16.2 | -0.5 | 3.2 | -63 | -0.3 | 4.3 | -0.50 | 0.5 | 156.31 | 130653 |
| 160843 | 0.39 | 16.7 | -0.3 | 3.1 | 24 | 0.5 | 4.0 | -0.36 | 2.5 | 145.11 | 150628 |
| Bruan 150002 | 0.33 | 15.4 | -0.8 | 3.3 | 21 | -2.0 | 5.0 | -0.54 | 1.4 | 151.10 | Melton Vale 130384 |
| HF 130156 | 0.42 | 15.6 | 0.0 | 4.3 | 12 | 1.0 | 3.8 | 0.07 | -3.4 | 168.80 | HF 110548 |
| Marocara 150049 | 0.46 | 17.2 | -0.3 | 4.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 4.4 | -0.12 | -2.5 | 168.30 | HF 110548 |
| Average | 0.32 | 17.1 | -0.3 | 3.2 | -21 | -0.3 | 4.2 | -0.43 | 1.6 | 152.59 |
| Animal | BWT | PWT | PFAT | PEMD | PWEC | LE_DIR | LMY | IMF | SHRF5 | LEQ | Sire |
| 150721 | 0.10 | 18.1 | -0.4 | 3.5 | -34 | 3.6 | 3.8 | -0.55 | -0.4 | 157.66 | LH 090160 |
| 151140 | 0.29 | 19.0 | -0.8 | 2.9 | -13 | -2.2 | 3.7 | -0.48 | 1.5 | 148.72 | 140922 |
| 160100 | 0.00 | 16.5 | -0.6 | 3.6 | -38 | 2.3 | 3.8 | -0.29 | -2.2 | 161.85 | 150721 |
| 160614 | 0.13 | 16.9 | 0.0 | 2.8 | -54 | 0.5 | 2.4 | -0.20 | -0.6 | 151.83 | 150860 |
| 160770 | 0.13 | 19.3 | -0.4 | 2.8 | -31 | -1.0 | 3.7 | -0.29 | -0.3 | 158.26 | BundarraDs122261 |
| BundarraDs122261 | 0.33 | 21.4 | 0.1 | 3.3 | -21 | -2.0 | 4.0 | -0.11 | -1.6 | 167.70 | 100650 |
| Ella Matta 150097 | 0.40 | 17.4 | 0.3 | 2.2 | -60 | 0.0 | 2.2 | 0.01 | -0.3 | 152.00 | Ashmore 130269 |
| Farrer 140188 | 0.18 | 18.5 | -0.3 | 2.1 | -22 | -3.0 | 2.8 | -0.32 | -0.3 | 148.75 | Farrer 130254 |
| Farrer 150096 | 0.44 | 19.1 | -0.9 | 2.8 | -67 | -1.0 | 4.3 | -0.23 | 1.4 | 162.00 | Galaxy Park 110210 |
| Waratah 150110 | 0.58 | 17.5 | -0.7 | 1.8 | -23 | -7.0 | 3.5 | 0.09 | -0.1 | 157.60 | Galaxy Park 120367 |
| Average | 0.26 | 18.4 | -0.4 | 2.8 | -36 | -1.0 | 3.4 | -0.24 | -0.3 | 156.64 |