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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...

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...

NZ methane emission trials have shown heritability ranging from 10 - 13%. Changes occurring in low methane lines involve changes in grazing habits, rumen action and rumen gut flora. This results in faster growth rates, muscle composition and milk production. Greatest benefit will be in reducing...

If numbers are high enough, any inferior traits from any breed component in a composite can be eliminated. Selection differential (say retaining 30 - 40% of those weaned) and having defined minimum standards for measured productive traits and type will do the job. Breeders just have to get over...

ladycrofter, you have identified a major cause of xy : xx sperm number discrepancy being mucus pH. However slight this pH shift is, the consequences in foetal gender can be great. Mucus thickness varies with pH and naturally between individuals and timing in the oestrus cycle. There is probably...

The environmental influence having the most affect on reproductive rate is body weight. The largest factor confusing this is trace element deficiency, especially Selenium. Superimposed upon this can be disease incidence which can vary depending upon flock immunity by natural exposure...

There is very little to be gained by recording traits in a commercial flock if culling of unproductive breeding ewes is a routine practice. The traits which give the most bang for buck are; reproductive rate (twinning), lamb survival, growth to six weeks, growth to 14 weeks, then conformation...

An accurate memory. Never add Ca to a pregnant ruminant diet. This will turn off the mechanism to induce the dam to release Ca. In nature, the winter feed pinch induces the dam to be more efficient in releasing Ca. Only add Mg if you want blood Ca levels increased, as Mg enables Ca to be...

Blood vessels. These develop in the first trimester as they need to carry relatively large amount of blood in the third trimester when the foetus requires lots for very rapid foetal growth. Worms cannot cross the divide as adults or larvae between dam and foetus, but viruses can, e.g. Border...

Just remember that a Cobalt drench is a very short term fix as most of the trace element is not stored by the rumen flora and therefore excreted as dung. Once the rumen contents are turned over its gone. Animals have no storage mechanism for cobalt. An expensive way to increase cobalt levels in...

Vit B12 has a large control on appetite. If the growing ruminant is low in Vit B12 it suppresses appetite. Rumen flora use Cobalt to produce VitB12 (cattle can use 2nd grade Vit B12 based around an Arsenic molecule rather than a Cobalt molecule, but sheep cannot), so dribbling a trace amount...

If grass had a predetermined annual yield there would be little sales of nitrogenous fertilisers to boost growth rates and yields. Grass vegetative growth is governed by the nutrients available in the soil moisture. If the soil chemistry limits growth a "rest period" after flowering will...

No it won't. Once grasses go into flowering and then seeding stages, energy is diverted from vegetative growth to reproduction. All that over mature vegetation then becomes dense cover that prevents new better digestible regrowth (new tillers or new seedlings) from either getting their share of...

A general rule of thumb; ram lambs have lower sperm numbers per ejaculate (about 40 - 60% depending on body weight) than mature rams, therefore are best run with half the number of ewes. If the ram breed is not athletic that may mean many fewer ewes than an athletic breed/strain. Ram lambs once...

With EBVs based on ancestry performance, I think "Smiley Barrett", a Taranaki dairy farmer takes first place in sire ranking having 3 sons in the All Black's starting line-up for the NZ vs Ireland semi final.

Pregnancy duration varies quite widely between breeds and within breeds selected on opposing traits: In the majority of sheep breeds 145 - 147 would cover 66% of the flock. There will always be outliers due to other reasons such as one foetus snuffing out early leaving the survivor with...

There are far more financially impacting traits to select for than trying to condense the 1st mating cycle of a flock via genetics. There are many management decisions that influence how many ewes cycle in their first opportunity when entire rams are present. To circumvent any possible...

Cavalier Bremworth, NZ's largest carpet manufacturer that takes 3% of the national clip, has just announced their long term programme to assist the strong wool industry to maintain inter-generational production of high quality strong wools. Bremworth 100% wool carpet 10 year supply contracts...

Testes size (measured by weight) positively affects sperm production (85% correlated). Therefore has a positive affect on fertility (getting ewes pregnant) especially where there is a low ram to ewe ratio (shown in over 150 ewes per ram in NZ and Australian trials). Testes size has no affect on...

Agreed. The "expert panel" summarising their performance said the Greens co-leader won on the night because "she had the most body language and expressive eye brows". Only one leader, Seymour (ACT), tried valiantly to explain policy, but the rest were intent on personal attack and accused him of...