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<blockquote data-quote="LFPL" data-source="post: 9221466" data-attributes="member: 186708"><p>Hi</p><p>I dont go on this forum much and I wont become a regular contributor but in response to the string of postings, I make the following comments.</p><p>When using new genetics imported primarily for use as a dam line sire, the evaluation of these genetics takes time as we need to see how the daughters of the imported genetics and the progeny of these daughters perform. LFPL are lambing the first ewe lambs sired by the imported genetics in April and early May this year so patience is required before judgement can be passed.</p><p></p><p>When embarking on a breeding programme such as that which LFPL have undertaken, it is naive to think that every new sire introduced will be a winner and when introducing sires that are Dam line sires, this evaluation will take time. Over the past 30 years I personally have moved and either farmed or been closely associated with the farming of genetics from;</p><p> Britain to Australia (Charollais), South Africa to Australia (Ile de France) Britain to Canada (Ile de France, East Friesian), Australia to New Zealand (Charollais and Ile de France), Britain to New Zealand (Lacaune, East Friesian, Manech x, Kerry Hill, Easycare, Blue faced Leicester, Charollais, Texel, Beltex, Ouessant, Valais), Portugal to Britain (Assaf). </p><p>My experience is that when a breed is moved into a totally new environment it will often surprise and disappoint in equal measure and often in ways that you did not anticipate. It is therefore important to approach such undertakings with an open mind. What is evident is that many NZ shedding sheep and some Australian shedding sheep are very well recorded and offer new unrelated breeding lines that have evolved in under extensive management systems. Problems will be imported that must be culled but valuable genes may also be imported.</p><p></p><p>To give an example of what can be achieved, the Charollais genetics I imported into Australia in 2005 are now present in NZ, all lamb outdoors, ewe lambs lamb outdoors, DWG off grass alone is very good, (no concentrate ever fed) carcass quality including IMF is outstanding, feet and legs are now OK (no foot trimming and very little lameness) and survivability is commercially acceptable. To get to this stage has involved a lot of cross breeding with Kiwi sheep and much culling. But there are now some extremely good Charollais sheep present in NZ. Any of you who think that these improvements can be made without crossing with other breeds are naive - it is possible but the numbers required (5,000 ewes or more) and time taken (25-30 years at least) make this uneconomic. As we practice trait based selection - these traits are linked to profit drivers, then introgressing desirable genes is the most practical way forward.</p><p></p><p>Back to LFPL. Trait based selection is the policy that LFPL is following. If it doesn't work it will be culled. If it does it will stay. The English (apart from British) sheep industry is changing quickly as BPS is reducing significantly. The future (2030 and beyond) will be very different from the past that we have all become accustomed to. We have a choice to either keep doing the same or to look to the future and have a go at doing things differently. LFPL have chosen to adopt the latter strategy. Yes it is risky, yes it is expensive, yes we will be criticized often by people who for reasons known only to themselves, choose to criticise without full knowledge of the facts. That is life. LFPL will be releasing data as it comes to hand on the progress of the sheep breeding operation.</p><p></p><p>Finally, the methane debate. The consumer is the ultimate arbitrator of the type of product that the sheep industry must produce. If the consumer turns their back on lamb in favour of poultry, pork or beef then we wont be needing sheep farmers. Love or hate supermarkets but they retail most lamb and supermarkets make a profit by retailing a product that consumers want to purchase.</p><p>So if the projected consumer demand 2030 and beyond is for lamb that is produced by farms that are "net zero" according to a carbon calculator that the retailer and their customers have confidence in, those who choose to disregard this approach may have trouble selling their lamb through the usual channels. Lamb is a luxury product, it must eat well and come with the provenance which the consumer finds attractive, high welfare, low carbon foot print, forage/fodder based, low chemical / medicines use. Your call. LFPL have decided to include selection for low methane emissions as an important trait for the future. LFPL to date have invested their own money into this project as they believe that ultimately the consumer will require lamb to have amongst many other attributes, a lower carbon footprint. We may be wrong but selection for low methane also selects of more efficient sheep - a win win.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="LFPL, post: 9221466, member: 186708"] Hi I dont go on this forum much and I wont become a regular contributor but in response to the string of postings, I make the following comments. When using new genetics imported primarily for use as a dam line sire, the evaluation of these genetics takes time as we need to see how the daughters of the imported genetics and the progeny of these daughters perform. LFPL are lambing the first ewe lambs sired by the imported genetics in April and early May this year so patience is required before judgement can be passed. When embarking on a breeding programme such as that which LFPL have undertaken, it is naive to think that every new sire introduced will be a winner and when introducing sires that are Dam line sires, this evaluation will take time. Over the past 30 years I personally have moved and either farmed or been closely associated with the farming of genetics from; Britain to Australia (Charollais), South Africa to Australia (Ile de France) Britain to Canada (Ile de France, East Friesian), Australia to New Zealand (Charollais and Ile de France), Britain to New Zealand (Lacaune, East Friesian, Manech x, Kerry Hill, Easycare, Blue faced Leicester, Charollais, Texel, Beltex, Ouessant, Valais), Portugal to Britain (Assaf). My experience is that when a breed is moved into a totally new environment it will often surprise and disappoint in equal measure and often in ways that you did not anticipate. It is therefore important to approach such undertakings with an open mind. What is evident is that many NZ shedding sheep and some Australian shedding sheep are very well recorded and offer new unrelated breeding lines that have evolved in under extensive management systems. Problems will be imported that must be culled but valuable genes may also be imported. To give an example of what can be achieved, the Charollais genetics I imported into Australia in 2005 are now present in NZ, all lamb outdoors, ewe lambs lamb outdoors, DWG off grass alone is very good, (no concentrate ever fed) carcass quality including IMF is outstanding, feet and legs are now OK (no foot trimming and very little lameness) and survivability is commercially acceptable. To get to this stage has involved a lot of cross breeding with Kiwi sheep and much culling. But there are now some extremely good Charollais sheep present in NZ. Any of you who think that these improvements can be made without crossing with other breeds are naive - it is possible but the numbers required (5,000 ewes or more) and time taken (25-30 years at least) make this uneconomic. As we practice trait based selection - these traits are linked to profit drivers, then introgressing desirable genes is the most practical way forward. Back to LFPL. Trait based selection is the policy that LFPL is following. If it doesn't work it will be culled. If it does it will stay. The English (apart from British) sheep industry is changing quickly as BPS is reducing significantly. The future (2030 and beyond) will be very different from the past that we have all become accustomed to. We have a choice to either keep doing the same or to look to the future and have a go at doing things differently. LFPL have chosen to adopt the latter strategy. Yes it is risky, yes it is expensive, yes we will be criticized often by people who for reasons known only to themselves, choose to criticise without full knowledge of the facts. That is life. LFPL will be releasing data as it comes to hand on the progress of the sheep breeding operation. Finally, the methane debate. The consumer is the ultimate arbitrator of the type of product that the sheep industry must produce. If the consumer turns their back on lamb in favour of poultry, pork or beef then we wont be needing sheep farmers. Love or hate supermarkets but they retail most lamb and supermarkets make a profit by retailing a product that consumers want to purchase. So if the projected consumer demand 2030 and beyond is for lamb that is produced by farms that are "net zero" according to a carbon calculator that the retailer and their customers have confidence in, those who choose to disregard this approach may have trouble selling their lamb through the usual channels. Lamb is a luxury product, it must eat well and come with the provenance which the consumer finds attractive, high welfare, low carbon foot print, forage/fodder based, low chemical / medicines use. Your call. LFPL have decided to include selection for low methane emissions as an important trait for the future. LFPL to date have invested their own money into this project as they believe that ultimately the consumer will require lamb to have amongst many other attributes, a lower carbon footprint. We may be wrong but selection for low methane also selects of more efficient sheep - a win win. [/QUOTE]
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