Establishing Breeding Goals
When establishing breeding goals, identify traits that could be changed to increase profitability.
Compare these two lowland flocks who are keeping their own replacements and selling lambs deadweight.
| Farm A | Farm B | |
| Number of lambs sold per ewe | 1.15 | 1.72 |
| Av. carcase weight per lamb | 19.2kg | 17.1kg |
| Proportion meeting abattoir weight specification | 89% | 68% |
| Proportion overfat | 14% | 5% |
| Proportion poor conformation | 0% | 18% |
Each farm will require a different type of ram.
Farm A needs a ram with superior maternal attributes to increase the number of lambs born and reared per ewe. A ram with negative fat EBV should be considered to avoid over fat lambs.
Farm B requires a ram with superior genetics for growth and muscling, with acceptable maternal attributes to maintain current levels of prolificacy.
Assess flock strengths and weaknesses by:-
- Comparing flock performance (rearing percentages and weights) against similar enterprises
- Comparing costs of production against industry benchmarks
- Calculating how profitability would change with changes in productivity
Select breeding stock with the right genetics for the system.
