All mating decisions at "Cashmore Park" are made with the use of the computer mating allocation program, Total Genetic Resource Management, TGRM that provides 3 very important outcomes.

1. Maximizes genetic change
2. Minimises Inbreeding < 2%
3. Maximises hybrid vigour by making the animals more composite

Ewes are AI'd or single sire mated and lambs tagged at birth to provide pedigree.  Birth weight, the first of many weights is also taken then.  A number of weights are taken at various stages of lamb growth to reflect the age of commercial lambs.  Fat and eye muscle depth are measured with ultrasound at about 250  to 350 days.  Maternals are also fleece weighed, micron tested and FEC tested.  All ewes have adult weights taken pre joining and have flight distances measured at lambing to assess temperament and mothering ability

This information is then sent to LAMBPLAN for analysis, which on the 15th of each month updates the data and calculates EBVs from which the relevant selection indices are calculated.

The LAMBPLAN database contains large amounts of information on terminal sire breeds where two or more breeds of sire and/or dams have been used in the one flock (as in the "Cashmore Park" Terminal Composite). This information allows for the accurate genetic comparison of all terminal sire breeds in the one large analysis and the direct comparison of the production traits for each breed.  EBVs* can therefore be compared between flocks across all Terminal sire breeds, provided that they are from the same-date data run. At present 641,000 animals make up the terminal list.

Maternal breeds are currently still being analysed as single breeds.  The accuracy of the genetic links between breeds, as above, is still to be verified.  EBVs are therefore only calculated from the data specific to each breed.  This means that you CANNOT currently compare EBVs across maternal breeds.  At present there are 4328 Coopworth, 8600 Border and 30002 East Friesian records in the LAMBPLAN database.  It is anticipated that across breed EBVs will be available in 2002.

* EBVs (estimated breeding values) tell us the difference between an individual animal and the average for the breed or group that it belongs to.  They are expressed in the units of measurement for that trai and range around 0.0.

EBVs Reported in the "CASHMORE PARK" Data

The EBV set available to you for the "Cashmore Park" Terminals is as follows:

• Bwt (birth weight); Wwt (weaning weight - 80 -100 days); Pwwt (post weaning weight - 240 -270 days); and Ywt (weight at 300 - 400 days).
• Pfat (fat depth at 240 -270 days); Pemd (eyemuscle depth at 240 -270 days)
• The weight EBVs are all in kg and the depth EBVs are in mm.

The EBV set available to those of you looking for Maternal Composites or Coopworths has additional information relevant to the maternal traits for mothering ability and fertility as follows:

• Weight EBVs as for the Terminals plus Mwwt (maternal weaning weight - i.e. mothering and milking ability) and Awt (adult weight - pre-joining weight).
• Yfat and Yemd (measured at 300 - 400 days).
• Fleece measurements Ygfw and Yfd (fleece weight and fibre diameter measured at yearling shearing);
• Nlw (fertility as number of lambs weaned) and Yfec (faecal egg count at 12 months)

Lambplan Indices

An index is a combination of the EBVs pertinent to the production system for which an animal is to be used. For the Terminal sire breeds the index is a combination of the growth and carcase trait EBVs whilst for the Maternal breeds as well as these, fertility and fleece weight EBVs are included.  The weighting on the traits in the index is determined in consultation with breeders to arrive at a combination that represents the desired end use for the product of the breed/breed group.  For Terminal sires it is for carcase production and for Maternal breeds for efficient, economical lamb production.Rams with higher indexes will produce lambs that are more suited to that market.  Maternal indexes are usually in $ terms.  All indexes range around 100 as the average value.The following table shows the % emphasis placed on traits in some common indexes.

.	Wwt	Pwwt	Pfat	Pemd	Ywt	Yfat	Yemd	Ygfw	Nlw	Value / index point
Carcase plus	.	60	20	20	.	.	.	.	.	9 cents / lamb
60.20.20	.	.	.	.	60	20	20	.	.	9 cents / lamb
Coopworth	18	.	.	.	25	-1	5	16	34	$1 / ewe mated /year

 

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