Sheep Industry News August 2023

Seedstock Producers Adopt Emerging Technologies

SHEEP GENETICS USA R ambouillet breeder Beau Chapman of South Dakota and Hampshire breeder Mark Roembke of Wiscon sin have both implemented the use of genetic and genomic technologies to improve their flocks. They visited with Sheep Genetics USA to discuss their use of these im portant tools in their breeding programs. SGUSA: Could you briefly describe the markets that you have developed for your breeding stock? What are your buyers looking for in breeding stock? Chapman: The markets developed for our breeding stock began in 1967 with my grandparents, Lenard and Margaret Chapman. They built a reputation for producing high quality, registered Rambouillets that excel out on the range and in the show ring. Today, we raise polled and horned genetics and offer registered stud rams, range rams, ewes and ewe lambs, as well as commercial ewes, ewe lambs and feeder lambs. We consign stock to several sales throughout the year, such as the American Rambouillet Sheep Breeders Association Online & National Sale, Wyoming State Ram Sale, Newell Ram Sale, National Ram Sale, North Star Bred Ewe Sale and privately off the place. Buyers are looking for various traits, but most of our cus tomers choose Rambouillets for their superior wool quality, longevity, fertility, flocking instinct and mothering ability. A growing number of buyers are asking about the raw data we collect as well as National Sheep Improvement Program Estimated Breeding Values, which allow our customers to know more details about the traits they find important. Roembke: Our primary focus is producing moderate frame, terminal sire rams for commercial producers that excel in gain and carcass traits. Rams are primarily sold in the NSIP Online Sale, NSIP Center of the Nation Sale, and privately off the farm using NSIP EBV data. Sound rams with high Carcass Plus EBVs have been the main driver of purchases. Producers indicate that they want post-weaning weight gain over carcass traits (post-weaning eye muscle depth) or vice versa. Those raising lambs for ethnic markets want rams with

higher weaning weights, but that is the novelty of NSIP data, it is all there. Producers state that lambs grow so fast they have to market them a month earlier than they have in the past and if they are on a grid system they have higher dressing percentage. I believe that is a testament to NSIP data working and doing what it is intended to do. SGUSA: You both have been heavily involved with data collection and NSIP in the past several years. What have been the challenges you have faced and what are the largest benefits that you have experienced? Chapman: Prior to NSIP, genetic improvement was accom plished by the use of data from the American Rambouillet Association Ram Test and visual appraisal in the show ring, both of which we continue to this day. Recently, NSIP data collection and evaluation have become a major part of our

18 • Sheep Industry News • sheepusa.org