Australian Whites

One could argue for years the details that comprise efficiency and GHG emissions. The science takes in all traits included in a maternal index, not just growth. However that index does not involve grazing habit. This along with rumen flora are two influential factors affecting the measured differences which are very important according to the type of grazing management used.
A hill and upland (high country in NZ) farmer runs sheep more extensively, so sheep which graze on the move picking here and there, but eating constantly can get by with a smaller rumen capacity.
But flocks run intensively on controlled allocations where grazing competition is greater benefit from larger rumen capacity.
In my mind, this whole discussion is a big noise about a small issue. Especially in the face of the biggest threat world wide facing the sheep industry, that of chemical (drench) resistance by internal parasites.
For decades we have all had very cheap worm control options. Every sheep farming nation is seeing these chemicals losing their efficacy. In those countries where chemical combinations have been effective, these are now showing rapid failure with recorded flocks using 3 chemical combination drenches now experiencing 30% failure rates. No new chemicals are on the horizon and no pharmaceutical manufacturer is looking to solve this problem in sheep and goats. Sheep medicines are found from the results of research for human, cattle and pig health. In some cases from insecticidal research, such as Ivomec.

Breeding sheep for resistance to Worms would be a far better option for genetic improvement than against Methane. BUT, future demand of a woke world via large retailers will see otherwise.

Global ovine said:

One could argue for years the details that comprise efficiency and GHG emissions. The science takes in all traits included in a maternal index, not just growth. However that index does not involve grazing habit. This along with rumen flora are two influential factors affecting the measured differences which are very important according to the type of grazing management used.
A hill and upland (high country in NZ) farmer runs sheep more extensively, so sheep which graze on the move picking here and there, but eating constantly can get by with a smaller rumen capacity.
But flocks run intensively on controlled allocations where grazing competition is greater benefit from larger rumen capacity.
In my mind, this whole discussion is a big noise about a small issue. Especially in the face of the biggest threat world wide facing the sheep industry, that of chemical (drench) resistance by internal parasites.
For decades we have all had very cheap worm control options. Every sheep farming nation is seeing these chemicals losing their efficacy. In those countries where chemical combinations have been effective, these are now showing rapid failure with recorded flocks using 3 chemical combination drenches now experiencing 30% failure rates. No new chemicals are on the horizon and no pharmaceutical manufacturer is looking to solve this problem in sheep and goats. Sheep medicines are found from the results of research for human, cattle and pig health. In some cases from insecticidal research, such as Ivomec.

Breeding sheep for resistance to Worms would be a far better option for genetic improvement than against Methane. BUT, future demand of a woke world via large retailers will see otherwise.

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80% of Ram breeding flocks in the NI of NZ have triple drench resitance.

NZDan said:

80% of Ram breeding flocks in the NI of NZ have triple drench resitance.

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UK farmers are headed the same way
Sadly the vast majority of UK ram breeders can't be bothered to do the work/don't have the foresight to select for resistant/tolerant breeding stock

Tim W said:

UK farmers are headed the same way
Sadly the vast majority of UK ram breeders can't be bothered to do the work/don't have the foresight to select for resistant/tolerant breeding stock

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They must not have done that work in NZ though which is surprising.

glensman said:

They must not have done that work in NZ though which is surprising.

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Some have done /are doing the work in NZ---when you have triple anthelmintic resistance you have to look for other solutions ---i've been collecting individual FEC for decades now & we are reaping the benefits
The great thing about genetics is that they are permanent and cumulative , unlike anthelmintics which only last for a short while and increase resistance

Tim W said:

Some have done /are doing the work in NZ---when you have triple anthelmintic resistance you have to look for other solutions ---i've been collecting individual FEC for decades now & we are reaping the benefits
The great thing about genetics is that they are permanent and cumulative , unlike anthelmintics which only last for a short while and increase resistance

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What I meant was that they didn't do the work to have gotten to that stage (drench resistance) in the first place.

glensman said:

What I meant was that they didn't do the work to have gotten to that stage (drench resistance) in the first place.

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You're right, for decades sheep farmers around the globe (with the exception of organic farmers ?) have ignored growing anthelmintic resistance
We just have to find ways of living with it ---including;

• Mixed grazing
• Clean grazing/fitting into arable rotations
• Improved genetics

Tim W said:

Some have done /are doing the work in NZ---when you have triple anthelmintic resistance you have to look for other solutions ---i've been collecting individual FEC for decades now & we are reaping the benefits
The great thing about genetics is that they are permanent and cumulative , unlike anthelmintics which only last for a short while and increase resistance

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I was one of the first two breeders in the world to commence breeding sheep for resistance to worms starting in 1988. Fortunately we in NZ had scientists whom had been working on this for 6 previous years and provided the sampling and FEC protocols.
Sadly over the next 20 years very few other breeders took up the technology and or persisted because they got no interest from their clients (because they didn't communicate the inevitable threat to commercial farmers), drench was cheap and cost effective and vets were making a killing by selling drench options.
Today in NZ there are now more breeders of maternal breeds taking up the technology with a couple of dozen now graded as having FEC Gold flocks (the highest standard measured in SIL which is NZ's sheep recording facility). My old Romney flock now under new ownership, hence flock name, remains a dominant trait leader.
Some historical facts; after 15 years of using low FEC sires the Adult FEC reduced by 66%, FEC in lambs at 16 weeks reduced by 42%. This enabled me to drench only twice per lifetime, both instances to make all the flock a level playing field for the evaluation protocol. The onset of adult immunity rapidly moved to younger animals.
The worm challenge also kick started their immune systems. Several post graduate studies by the medical school of Otago University immunology dept. showed these trends in their dissertations.

Over the whole selection period for this trait to build to the levels quoted above, the genetic trend graphs for all other traits continued or increased on the previous trajectory. Because we had very high lambing % Romneys (previously recording 209% scanning over 5 years), pressure was no longer applied to that trait but held ( a low heritability trait that's consequently slow to gain is therefore hard to lose).
The worm threat now makes such breeding options much more attractive to both breeders and buyers.

Wishanger1 said:

Anyone know if these are available yet in the UK? I heard rumours someone had imported embryos in 2022?
Vowed i would never touch sheep but having seen them delivering superb results in Albury Wodonga when visiting if i can get my hands on some here ill swap some of my cattle for sheep. They beat all the current Uk hair sheep alternatives hands down.

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Some on the ground in Derbyshire unlikely to see stock up for grabs until 25.

Tim W said:

Some have done /are doing the work in NZ---when you have triple anthelmintic resistance you have to look for other solutions ---i've been collecting individual FEC for decades now & we are reaping the benefits
The great thing about genetics is that they are permanent and cumulative , unlike anthelmintics which only last for a short while and increase resistance

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Havent cured it , alongside culling out , looked at forage forage type away from the usual ubiquitous ryegrass and grazing methods. Using medicinals like chicory , birdsfoot and sainfoin in a multi species ley has helped as has not allowing short grazing as such. This seems to take the mouths away from where you would expect transfer with more browsing than grazing. Moreover this type of forage ley helps with the soil fertility that is quite important to a farmer. Pharma is important but not first base , too many rely on keeping those companies sleek and happy either with livestock and crops.