27 July 2018 Rabobank Industry Innovator Presentation Innovating sheep genetics Derek Daniell Masterton
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 Eleven-month-old Wairere ram hoggets Derek Daniell Masterton