Australian Whites

[Wishanger1]

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.

 

[andybk]

maybe contact farmgene might know more

 

[sheepwise]

There was a great podcast on Toplines and Tales about them.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

And there was me thinking this was a thread about Australian wine my bad

 

[unlacedgecko]

I'd reserve judgement until there's some concrete results from the Low Footprint Lamb trial. But anecdotally, the dorper element gives them shite feet and lots of lameness.

 

[Global ovine]

I'd reserve judgement until there's some concrete results from the Low Footprint Lamb trial. But anecdotally, the dorper element gives them shite feet and lots of lameness.

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 the preciousness of those that fail any criteria.

 

[spin cycle]

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 the preciousness of those that fail any criteria.

that will make it slow and costly.....thus won't be done...thus fail

desert sheep hooves grow to quickly for UK hence the dorper failure

 

[Tim W]

All the commercial breeders I've spoken to that have used them(NZ & Aus) have very little good to say about them
I'm disappointed by the lack of any comparative trials...the USB was eating quality but there is never any comparative data offered
Good marketeers though
@NZDan has 1st hand experience

 

[neilo]

I'd reserve judgement until there's some concrete results from the Low Footprint Lamb trial. But anecdotally, the dorper element gives them shite feet and lots of lameness.

And from a region where they haven't been challenged by footrot iirc.

Certainly look interesting though and wouldn't have to be that good to beat the performance of the current UK shedding offerings.

 

[easyram1]

that will make it slow and costly.....thus won't be done...thus fail

desert sheep hooves grow to quickly for UK hence the dorper failure

LowFootprint certainly have the scale - 4000 ewes in 1 flock and with the 1 partner contributing limitless amounts of AI etc FOC ( they are already tupping low methane ewe lambs with low methane tups and that is with no Gov subsidies) and with a willingness to cull everything that is not up to their high standards I dont think slowness or cost will be an issue. Of course they are also looking at various breeds and specific flocks of woolshedders from UK as well as NZ and Oz so they will soon have lots of selection data.

 

[spin cycle]

'low methane' ....bollox....'emperor's new clothes' more like

 

[easyram1]

'low methane' ....bollox....'emperor's new clothes' more like

You might be right or you might be wrong. However I personally am reluctant to criticize people who are putting a considerable amount of effort time and money (their own) into a project that they believe will bring benefits to the UK sheep industry. I am sure this sounds a bit pompous but at the end of the day if their business is selling breeding stock they will not get their money back let a return on their investment unless they can produce an animal that the UK commercial sheep farmer thinks will benefit his bottom line - whatever clothes it is or isn't wearing..
The sheep world like all agriculture is seeing huge changes and I am sure many of todays breeds will go the same way as your county's Norfolk Horn if current breeders don't embrace change

 

[ringi]

'low methane' ....bollox....'emperor's new clothes' more like

Low methane is likely to be related to better conversion of feed into meat.

 

[JockCroft]

You might be right or you might be wrong. However I personally am reluctant to criticize people who are putting a considerable amount of effort time and money (their own) into a project that they believe will bring benefits to the UK sheep industry. I am sure this sounds a bit pompous but at the end of the day if their business is selling breeding stock they will not get their money back let a return on their investment unless they can produce an animal that the UK commercial sheep farmer thinks will benefit his bottom line - whatever clothes it is or isn't wearing..
The sheep world like all agriculture is seeing huge changes and I am sure many of todays breeds will go the same way as your county's Norfolk Horn if current breeders don't embrace change

In my uneducated opinion, it may be quite possible to select for lower Methane emissions.
Every Belch is Wasted Energy, so wasted inputs.

It is likely that Rumen and Gut flora is the cause of variation of Methane.
A change of diet, and probable that an increase in concentrates mean that the digestive tract has to change microbial balance which takes some time.

How long until somewhere try's Bio Engineering, but adding yeast to the diet will reduce emission's.

 

[Global ovine]

In my uneducated opinion, it may be quite possible to select for lower Methane emissions.
Every Belch is Wasted Energy, so wasted inputs.

It is likely that Rumen and Gut flora is the cause of variation of Methane.
A change of diet, and probable that an increase in concentrates mean that the digestive tract has to change microbial balance which takes some time.

How long until somewhere try's Bio Engineering, but adding yeast to the diet will reduce emission's.

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 GHG emission numbers per farm when total farm emissions will be taxed. That is currently delayed now in NZ with change of Gov't.

Full power to all who have a plan to improve sheep performance by any means. Its up to farmers to change if the world is changing around them, or deserve to drop out.

 

[spin cycle]

perhaps they could breed a sheep that doesn't need it's carcase chilling ....that way it wouldn't need a fridge burning oil for 6 weeks as it's shipped halfway round the world

 

[neilo]

You might be right or you might be wrong. However I personally am reluctant to criticize people who are putting a considerable amount of effort time and money (their own) into a project that they believe will bring benefits to the UK sheep industry. I am sure this sounds a bit pompous but at the end of the day if their business is selling breeding stock they will not get their money back let a return on their investment unless they can produce an animal that the UK commercial sheep farmer thinks will benefit his bottom line - whatever clothes it is or isn't wearing..
The sheep world like all agriculture is seeing huge changes and I am sure many of todays breeds will go the same way as your county's Norfolk Horn if current breeders don't embrace change

With respect, that’s absolute tosh. The whole ruminant methane as a cause of climate change argument is nonsense, and those using the PAC chamber are just pandering to that idea and doing a disservice to the industry IMO. They are purely trying to score a sales point and should hang their heads in shame as far as I’m concerned.

That goes for all the heavily marketed breed/composite organisations that are jumping on board, not just those selling Aussie Whites.

 

[neilo]

Low methane is likely to be related to better conversion of feed into meat.

So breed for production efficiency traits, as has been going on for many decades, rather than jumping on the made up methane bandwagon.

Shameful.

 

[Wishanger1]

Not quite sure what all this is about desert sheep and footrot etc sounds like some stuck up stuck in a rut pommie bollox if you ask me . Im a true pom and i know the saying applies if it aint broke dont fix it but its rather short sighted as what works today wont fix tomorrow.
My brother in law runs 3500 of these in the hills around Albury on the NSW/Victoria border......similar terrain to the Lake District but plus 10-20 degrees, no desert for hundreds of miles, lush grass with 2 good cuts a year, generally more rainfall than we have here. Check out Hillock Australian Whites of Tallangatta facebook.

 

[Wishanger1]

Appreciate the constructive comments though, theres always more to learn from experience and advice. Thanks