Rabobank Industry Innovator Presentation

Innovating sheep genetics

Derek DaniellMasterton

27 July 2018

Strong base

• Family of innovators• Grandfather, 1913–51 survived WW1, slump,

WW2, pushed aerial topdressing in 1926.• Father, 1951 – 83 wool boom → development. Big

inputs of fertiliser and lime flown on.• 1966 – mated all ewe hoggets.• 1967 – started performance recording

commercial ewes on hill country.• 1969 – used DAP, over whole farm from 1974.• 1970 – Wairarapa Romney Improvement Group.

Wairere composite hoggets with lambs

Third generation 1984

• Advertising. Local to national ram breeder.• Nuffield scholarship 1991.• Australia 1991, American Suffolks.

Met innovative Angus breeder• 1990s: Expansion by share farming, three

joint ventures selling rams.• 1993: Moved off farm/job description

change.

Wairere ewes single mated to ram lamb, 1986.

Wairere two-tooth and four-tooth ewes March 2013.

Breeding winners, from 1967

• Replicate commercial conditions as testing ground

• Performance record large numbers• What do farmers want ?

Strong constitution Lots of twins, no triplets

• Good mothering ability/lamb survival Fast growth rate, early maturity

• Minimal work

• New Zealand has self-replacing flock model — pure Romney 48%, part Romney 90%

• Basic testing ground versus fancy technology.• 1996: Breed experimentation.

East Friesian, Finn, Texel, Poll Dorset, composites.

• 30 – 40% NZ ewes are mated to terminal sires. But 80 – 85% lamb genetics are maternal.

• Major land use change to dairy, dairy support, conservation, scrub reversion.

• 1981: 70 million sheep. 2018 – 27 million sheep. ‘Controlled starvation’ → better feeding.

• 2018: New government → plant more trees.

White Rock

Wairere hogget with twins (Note: Manuka next door)

Tightening the screws from 2005

• No drench for ewes past 12 months old.• Keep only hoggets that get in lamb at 7 – 8

months old.• Variation on SIL index: lower REV for

fecundity, but hogget lambing. • More emphasis on growth rate, eye muscle,

fat. 6 – 7000 ram lambs scanned each year.• Increased emphasis on feet, structure

Lincoln DNA test.

New technology

• Scales with five-way draft Ewes LW and BCS at weaning.

• Wairere R&D manager, project with Massey University. Three-year survey of BCS.

• Genomics? Valid for selection, but constitution/structure/feet take precedence.

• IMF? But chilled packaging?

Wairere goes international

• Australia 2005• UK and Europe 2008• Chile 2011• Uruguay, Brazil 2019• Continual learning curve from farmers and

consumers.

Feedback from the market

• New Zealand exports 92% lamb.• Captech chilling creates tenderness and

taste.• Lean Meats – farmer-owned company from

1989– 18 – 24kg lambs– focused on US market.

• Sold processing plant during 2004.• Pet products.

Wairere sheep in Australia

• From 2005, mainly over Border x Merino.• First-cross grow like terminal-sired

progeny.• Wairere cross ewes have better fat cover,

require less supplement in summer or winter.

• More resilient to internal parasites (bar Haemonchus).

Wairere/Border x Merino ewe hoggets with lambs, late September ( Wayne Dodson)

Wairere Merino in NZ

• From 2015, F1 to F1, interbreeding.• 18 micron Merino flock, 90% lambing

25 – 26 micron halfbred flock, hoggets, 21 – 22 micron 135% – 155% lambing

• Minimal feet problems with halfbreds.– Stronger constitution– Faster lamb growth– Much easier to farm than Merinos

What to breed for?

• More from less — efficiency.• Less work, easier to farm.• Higher-value product: meat, wool, pet

products, co-products.• REV relative economic value in index.• Better breeding needs better feeding.

Ian McDougall doing MOET at Wairere New Zealand

Top take home messages

• Genomics will help with selection for some traits.• Most innovation will happen beyond the farm gate.• Never forget the commercial testing ground.• Dare to be different – travel strange places, work

unusual jobs, experiment• Read widely & ask lots of questions

Success breeds success.

Tools, resources and training

• Participate in local discussion groups• Leadership courses• Nuffield Scholarship opportunities

Proven Predictable Profitable

Derek DaniellMasterton

Eleven-month-old Wairere ram hoggets