Sheep Industry News August 2021

Sheep Genetics USA TOM BOYER Sheep Genetics USA

The Power of Genetics

I have long been fascinated by the power of genetics. Early on, I was fascinated by the foundational genetic grid involving red, white and roan Shorthorn cattle, which later would be built upon by paradigm shifts in plant breeding and quantum productivity leaps in poultry, swine and cattle. Sheep Genetics USA is all about real science, real data, leading edge technology and genetic insights that can help make it easier for you to take actions that will lead to easier and more efficient man agement, increased production, reduced costs and overall greater productivity for your flock, thereby advancing the American sheep industry. There is great power in "what if" and "why not" questions. There are answers that currently exist to a number of genetically related production dilemmas that will be organized and made available, however, there are a plethora of questions that do not have answers – or only have partial answers – that demand research. Our goal is to reach a little higher, dig a little deeper and find the answers that will make our industry better and more competitive on the world stage. Agriculture – in particular the animal protein industry – faces many questions when it comes to societal concerns. How are we creating the right environment for the animals in our care? What are we doing to minimize the amount of waste in the system? These are all valid concerns and areas where we need to be as transparent as possible in our efforts to create a sustainable food system. How can high-quality genetics make a difference now and in the future? What can we do so lambs are produced in the right environ ments that maximize animal welfare and are raised in the most ef fective and efficient way possible? By fully understanding consumer concerns, we can contribute to a more transparent, responsible food system with high quality animal genetics. The sheep industry is currently blessed with a host of young geneticists, scientists, exten sion specialists and educators which – when coupled with the large number of entrepreneurial-minded producers – holds tremendous promise for the future of the industry. Socially and economically sustainable pathways for the sheep industry are not as far away as they might seem. A broad array of concerns will be addressed as part of our focus on sustainable sheep breeding. All sheep behavior serves an evolutionary pur pose. Through millions of years, they developed certain protective behaviors in order to survive. As new, innovative production systems

become the norm, it is important that we lead forward by examining how animals behave in and adapt to a variety of systems, includ ing the extensive systems of the West where ewes are both shed and range lambed and spend all – or nearly all – of their lives on open range lands. On the other hand, a growing sector of the industry includes a wide variety of intensive systems including farm flocks and confine ment systems. As we encounter increasing differentiated and seg mented lamb markets and production systems, additional questions and research opportunities arise. Consumers have the power to steer our entire industry toward what they see as responsible food production. For us – as industry players – we can monitor sentiment with social media, be transpar ent and educate others on best practices and industry standards. Sheep Genetics USA is designed to engage all stakeholders in the conversation to understand and assist in creating genetic research projects that will align American lamb with consumer desires. To create our future, we must understand and address stakeholder concerns throughout the value chain. We believe that breeding and selecting healthy, easy to manage animals will translate to better welfare, less waste and minimized labor. As we come together to find solutions and create opportunities in our industry, we will ensure continual increasing quality lamb from the genetic level to the con sumer's plate, thereby steering us all toward a brighter life tomorrow. Humans have long been shepherds of genetic selection through the domestication of livestock. But traditional methods of selection are inexact and time consuming. The development of technology that started with estimated breeding values has moved on to genom ic-enhanced breeding values, genomics and now we are on the cusp of other quantum leaps forward with the intrinsic power of other new genetic technologies that can accelerate genetic improvement in livestock 10 or 20 times faster than what is possible today. Our promise of tomorrow requires that we continue to build on the foundation of estimated breeding values as we select traits for different environments and production systems resulting in the right sheep for the right environment and end with finished products that create unsatiable consumer demand. This will be a real game-chang er for the sheep industry. Indeed, the field of research opportunities is ready for harvest and Sheep Genetics USA is poised to provide leading edge industry leadership. To learn more, visit SheepGeneticsUSA.org.

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