Sheep Industry News August 2021

what you were looking for. The same thing happened with feeling the loin area for size. NSIP would not allow information that was not measured, and the early years were a rude awakening as far as micron and rib eye area were concerned. We went from measuring some animals to measuring all of our rams to measuring our ewes, as well. This has made the Targhee breed much more predictable in what their offspring will be. It also puts all consignors on equal footing in that a newer producer with a certain EBV is equal to the old established pro ducer with the same EBV. SGUSA: Lynn and Jack, what do you see as the next genetic step for your breeds moving forward? LYNN: As a maternal breed, we need to evaluate traits like out-of-season lambing and ewe longevity. There is also a lot of interest in feed conversion and working on an index that focuses on productivity for forage-based flocks. To some extent, we also need to focus on education. We have GEBVs, but now we need to help Katahdin breeders understand the power they have and help them use them to meet their flock goals. JACK: Collecting data in conjunction with genomic testing to determine longevity factors. Also, using data collection and genomics to find our most efficient animals in their home envi ronments. Targhees are most often found in large range opera tions with low input, where these traits are seldom measured or analyzed, but have a significant impact on profit.

were already familiar with EPDs and EBVs as a major part of the cattle industry. They just wondered why it took us so long to catch up to cattle. SGUSA: Lynn, Katahdin producers are about to achieve what no other United States breed to date has accomplished and that is to have within the next few months Genomic Enhanced EBVs. How was the breed able to accomplish that milestone? LYNN: Since the first Katahdins left the Piel farm in Maine, the breed has attracted progressive, production-oriented shepherds and animal scientists. Many of the early owners of Katahdins worked with researchers to collect data. That ethic has continued until today. Thanks to forward-thinking researchers, they can leverage the willingness of Katahdin breeders to collect data. While the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture provided a lot of funding for the cur rent grant, more than 20 producers invested thousands of hours collecting blood, feces, weights and FAMACHA scores on more than 6,000 lambs in three years for the researchers to evalu ate. Having progressive producers willing to partner with the research community has proven critical for the development of GEBVs. SGUSA: Jack, the Montana Ram Sale has really embraced and promoted the use of data and EBVs. How has that influenced the Targhee breed? JACK: Many of the larger purebred Targhee operations are in Montana, and most of them are consignors to the Montana Ram Sale. Before EBVs, much of what was known about the rams was subjective and in the eye of the beholder. Most rams had some wool pulled from them by every person who walked by. If you liked the ram, you convinced yourself that the wool grade was Lynn Fahrmeier (above) and Jack McRae (below) are longtime leaders in the Katahdin and Targhee breeds, both of which have embraced technology.

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