Sheep Industry News February 2024

Realizing a Return on Genetic Selection CAT URBIGKIT F our sheep producers with different operating systems en gaged in a panel discussion at the Genetics Forum session, outlining productivity challenges and how they were using Vance Broadbent operates a primarily Rambouillet ewe-based range sheep outfit in Wyoming and Utah, and his concern is maximizing the return on investment on rams. Longevity in rams is an issue for range producers who need rams that will hold up under tough conditions, and he now conducts breeding sound ness exams twice a year. Broadbent uses NSIP data to select both black-faced and

genetic information to initiate improvements to their flocks. Brian Bitner runs seven bands of sheep in Utah with breed ing occurring on the desert, and was frustrated by the high rate in which he was having to replace black-faced bucks. He started purchasing quality bucks and ewes using National Sheep Im provement Program data, leading him to begin raising his own replacement bucks while increasing lamb weaning weights 8 to 10 pounds. His top priorities for trait selection include longevity, growth rates and foot issues. Brad Carothers raises Katahdin sheep in central Ohio and uses NSIP to select for balanced estimated breeding values for fast growing lambs without growing the body size of his mature ewes. In discussing the potential pitfalls of placing too much emphasis on one trait, Carothers said that when focused on parasite resis tance, he noticed a decrease in some of his other desired traits. At that point, he realized his flock had strong parasite resis tance so he didn’t need to continue that selection pressure, which has led to production of balanced sheep that work well for his operation. Lynn Fahrmeier raises Katahdins in Missouri and has been involved with NSIP for more than 20 years, using technology to increase efficiency, productivity and profits, even as he has shifted markets from ethnic buyers to farmer’s markets and back again. Fahrmeier said he uses NSIP data to reduce the number of sheep he has to look at in his flock, with EID eartags and a bluetooth scale making the work more efficient. The data helps him to sort the sheep first, and from these higher performing sheep he can then make selections based on his priority group of traits such as reproduction, parasite resis tance and so on.

white-faced rams that will help him in producing good replace ment ewes while getting finer wool in the process. Traditional ear tags with the year and producer number recorded on the tag provides the information on which rams (and from which breed ers) stand up to the challenges on this operation. On black-faced rams, he’s looking for longevity as well as good lamb weaning weights. ADVANCING RESEARCH The Genetics Forum also heard the results of a meeting held by a group of the industry’s Young Guns. Panelists included Gavin Blonquist of Utah, who raises Suffolk and Rambouil let sheep and is a terminal sire breed representative for NSIP; Isaac Matchett, who runs a flock of 1,600 commercial Polypays in Michigan; Ryan Boner of central Wyoming, who runs a large range sheep operation with a base of two-third Targhees and one third Rambouillet; and Dr. Andrew Weaver of North Carolina State University, who works extensively with Katahdin hair sheep. This group developed a list of ambitious research sugges tions for advancing genetic improvements: including making improvements to the overall NSIP program; collecting 40,000 genomic sequencing panels per year for five years; developing software that works for both seedstock and commercial produc ers; funding the necessary staff to achieve these goals; developing a chute-side test for Ovine Progressive Pneumonia; developing an automated prediction system for which ewes are close to lamb ing; and developing algorithms to predict the optimal finish point for lambs in feedlots.

Sheep Genetics USA Young Guns Gavin Blonquist, Utah Isaac Matchett, Michigan Ryan Boner, Wyoming Dr. Andrew Weaver, North Carolina

24 • Sheep Industry News • sheepusa.org