LAMBPLAN - SHEEP GENETICS

UTILISING DATA ANALYSIS AND COMPARISON TO INCREASE PERFORMANCE

Visual assessment and judging on phenotype will never give you a complete picture of an animal’s genetic potential for specific traits; or its overall potential to increase production and profit. Visual assessment of structure and soundness is an important part of selecting a ram; but it is only one part.

We collect and record data on various important traits at a number of different points throughout the animal's life - on all of our stud sheep. This enables us to utilize Sheep Genetics 'LAMBPLAN' program and compare the performance of our flock not only to other animals within our business but the entire database of terminal/maternal flocks throughout Australia. This means we can continually assess where we are currently and where we are heading in regards to improving the genetic performance of our flock. It also allows us to select sires for our AI program that are in the top percentiles of performance across Australia and continually drive our genetic gain. The data we submit is analysed and used to generate ASBV's - Australian Sheep Breeding Values.  ASBV's allow you to compare the genetic potential of particular animals independently of their location and environment. 

All of our stud lambs are weighed and tagged at birth, ensuring an accurate pedigree and birth data to ensure accurate birth weight ASBV's on our rams. Lambs are weighed at weaning and post-weaning, which when combined with accurate birth weight data gives us ASBV's on growth. We scan for fat and eye muscle depth on all our young stud sheep which results in accurate ASBV's on fat and eye muscle depth on our rams. 

All of this data, when recorded, analysed and presented as ASBV's, means that clients can be confident of selecting a ram that will suit their particular requirements. Whether it be a maternal, low birth weight/high fat ram to join to Merino ewes to produce first cross ewes and increase fertility; a terminal, moderate birth weight, high growth and high eye muscle ram to join to first cross ewes to produce a prime lamb to suit market requirements; or any particular combination of traits to suit a particular production system - utilizing accurate ASBV's through LAMPLAN allows you to be confident in the suitability of your purchased ram's to do their job; increasing your performance and profit!  

We have:

Data Management Rating – GOLD Standard

Links to the industry nucleus flock

DNA samples to increase accuracy of ram lamb selection to assist in driving genetic gain

Visit our links page, under resources, to visit some pages that explain how to interpret ASBV's and use them to select animals that will suit your own unique requirements.