COVID-19 has dominated the headlines in 2020, but the sheep industry has fared reasonably well despite the pandemic. Sheep breed improvement in Ireland continues to progress on all fronts which bodes well for the future of the industry.
The benefits accrued by using high-index rams year after year are now considerable and can’t be ignored. Now we need more farmers to request €uro-Stars from breeders before considering their rams. It is only with entire industry buy-in that can we maximise the genetic gains that we know are out there.
In Figure 1, the genetic trends for the larger breeds recording with Sheep Ireland are shown. The euro figure on the Y-axis represents how much more or less profitable a breed was as a whole compared to where they were in 2009. For example, the average Belclare/Vendéen replacement ewe lamb born in 2020 will produce an extra €1.20 profit thanks to a genetic gain in the last 10 years.
Ireland’s sheep genetic evaluation system
The Sheep Ireland genetic evaluation funded by the Irish Department of Agriculture and Irish sheep farmers is among the best in the world. Ireland now boasts an across-breed genomic evaluation system for sheep – the only country in the northern hemisphere to offer such an evaluation.
Across-breed indexes now available
Up to 2019, the €uro-Star indexes were “within-breed” evaluations, which ranked animals within their respective breed only. Irish sheep farmers couldn’t compare animals across breeds using the €uro-Star index values. Since 2019, this is now possible, thanks in large part to the high proportion of data collected on commercial flocks and submitted to Sheep Ireland.
Breeders can now select the best ram for a particular trait (for example, days to slaughter or lamb survivability), regardless of breed. The result of this is a more finetuned ram choice being made by the farmer, resulting in them getting the type of ram they originally wanted.
Genomic evaluations
Pedigree ram breeders around Ireland are now availing of genomic technology to help improve the accuracy of the €uroStar evaluations they can offer to their customers. Genomics offers a multitude of benefits to the sheep industry. It can verify that a ram’s parentage is correct, which is a critical step in providing accurate genetic evaluations. If parentage is incorrect, so too is the genetic evaluation for that animal. Currently, approximately 7% of pedigree animals have an incorrect sire recorded, and 4.5% have the incorrect dam recorded.
When genomics identifies parentage errors, in 42% of cases it is possible to identify the correct parent by searching through all other animal genotypes on the Irish database.
On top of parentage, genomics also improves the accuracy attached to each €uro-Star index.
By analysing the DNA of an animal and identifying the exact genetic makeup of that sheep, a much more accurate prediction of that animal’s future performance is undertaken.
For ram lambs, it is typical to see their accuracy increase by ~17%.
Are high €uro-Star index rams delivering on the ground?
In projects currently under way in Ireland, high €uro-Star index ram teams consistently outperform their low-index counterparts. This trend has also been identified in the INZAC project based in Teagasc Athenry. In the INZAC flock, high replacement index sheep have significantly outperformed their low replacement index counterparts across key farm traits.
On lamb weight gain, Table 1 illustrates what has been identified across three years of data in CPT and OviData (commercial grass-based performance-recording flocks). In these flocks, rams are mated to ewes at random, so the data presented is a fair reflection of the benefit of using five-star terminal rams versus one-star rams.
Sourcing high €uro-Star rams
Sheep Ireland is continually improving the avenues to help farmers locate high-€uro-Star rams and performance-recording ram breeders. 
This year, we launched a new online ram and breeder search which are available on www.sheep.ie. We have just posted our 2020 Sheep Ireland Guide and Directory of Breeders to 12,000 Irish sheep farmers. This booklet contains everything a farmer needs to know about the €uroStar indexes and how to use them along with a full list of performance-recording ram breeders.
To receive a copy of this publication, simply agree to share your contact details with Sheep Ireland via the annual Department of Agriculture sheep census form. An electronic copy of this publication is also available on the Sheep Ireland website. Scan the QR code with your smartphone camera to go directly to the publication.
The continued growth in pedigree ram breeders engaging in performance-recording and producing high-index €uro-Star rams is hugely encouraging for all involved in sheep farming.
The speed of sheep genetic improvement (where ram lambs can be mated with ewes in the same year they were born) can be rapid. Similarly, our industry can rapidly go in the wrong direction. The €uro-Star indexes are consistently showing that high-index sheep are growing faster, producing more lambs with less intervention at lambing time and with lower lamb mortality. If Irish sheep farmers use €uro-Stars as an additional selection tool to compliment the physical assessment of rams, the industry will continually make progress.
For more information on Sheep Ireland’s work, visit www.sheep.ie, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, call our office on 023-882 0451, or email us at query@sheep.ie. If you are interested in performance-recording your flock, the Sheep Ireland app is available to download now for free. Contact our office for a demo or to set up your flock for the 2020 breeding season.
Sheep Ireland’s elite multibreed ram sale – Cillin Hill, Kilkenny
Due to COVID-19 restrictions in Co Offaly, the annual Sheep Ireland ram sale has moved from Tullamore to Kilkenny Mart in Co Kilkenny (Eircode R95 A4VP). The sale takes place on Saturday 22 August and commences at 11.30am.
Public viewing of rams commences from 9.30am. Strict social distancing measures will be enforced in all areas of the mart and all those in attendance on the day will be required to wear a face mask without exception.
An online bidding facility is available via the martbids app. Potential buyers must preregister with Kilkenny Mart by calling 056-772 1407 or via the Martbids app by Friday 21 August at 4pm to avoid disappointment. We encourage buyers to come alone where possible to minimise the number of people in the mart. Ram transport after the sale will be available. Farmers interested in availing of this facility are encouraged to call Sheep Ireland before Friday 21 August on 023-88 20451.
COVID-19 has dominated the headlines in 2020, but the sheep industry has fared reasonably well despite the pandemic. Sheep breed improvement in Ireland continues to progress on all fronts which bodes well for the future of the industry.
The benefits accrued by using high-index rams year after year are now considerable and can’t be ignored. Now we need more farmers to request €uro-Stars from breeders before considering their rams. It is only with entire industry buy-in that can we maximise the genetic gains that we know are out there.
In Figure 1, the genetic trends for the larger breeds recording with Sheep Ireland are shown. The euro figure on the Y-axis represents how much more or less profitable a breed was as a whole compared to where they were in 2009. For example, the average Belclare/Vendéen replacement ewe lamb born in 2020 will produce an extra €1.20 profit thanks to a genetic gain in the last 10 years.
Ireland’s sheep genetic evaluation system
The Sheep Ireland genetic evaluation funded by the Irish Department of Agriculture and Irish sheep farmers is among the best in the world. Ireland now boasts an across-breed genomic evaluation system for sheep – the only country in the northern hemisphere to offer such an evaluation.
Across-breed indexes now available
Up to 2019, the €uro-Star indexes were “within-breed” evaluations, which ranked animals within their respective breed only. Irish sheep farmers couldn’t compare animals across breeds using the €uro-Star index values. Since 2019, this is now possible, thanks in large part to the high proportion of data collected on commercial flocks and submitted to Sheep Ireland.
Breeders can now select the best ram for a particular trait (for example, days to slaughter or lamb survivability), regardless of breed. The result of this is a more finetuned ram choice being made by the farmer, resulting in them getting the type of ram they originally wanted.
Genomic evaluations
Pedigree ram breeders around Ireland are now availing of genomic technology to help improve the accuracy of the €uroStar evaluations they can offer to their customers. Genomics offers a multitude of benefits to the sheep industry. It can verify that a ram’s parentage is correct, which is a critical step in providing accurate genetic evaluations. If parentage is incorrect, so too is the genetic evaluation for that animal. Currently, approximately 7% of pedigree animals have an incorrect sire recorded, and 4.5% have the incorrect dam recorded.
When genomics identifies parentage errors, in 42% of cases it is possible to identify the correct parent by searching through all other animal genotypes on the Irish database.
On top of parentage, genomics also improves the accuracy attached to each €uro-Star index.
By analysing the DNA of an animal and identifying the exact genetic makeup of that sheep, a much more accurate prediction of that animal’s future performance is undertaken.
For ram lambs, it is typical to see their accuracy increase by ~17%.
Are high €uro-Star index rams delivering on the ground?
In projects currently under way in Ireland, high €uro-Star index ram teams consistently outperform their low-index counterparts. This trend has also been identified in the INZAC project based in Teagasc Athenry. In the INZAC flock, high replacement index sheep have significantly outperformed their low replacement index counterparts across key farm traits.
On lamb weight gain, Table 1 illustrates what has been identified across three years of data in CPT and OviData (commercial grass-based performance-recording flocks). In these flocks, rams are mated to ewes at random, so the data presented is a fair reflection of the benefit of using five-star terminal rams versus one-star rams.
Sourcing high €uro-Star rams
Sheep Ireland is continually improving the avenues to help farmers locate high-€uro-Star rams and performance-recording ram breeders.
This year, we launched a new online ram and breeder search which are available on www.sheep.ie. We have just posted our 2020 Sheep Ireland Guide and Directory of Breeders to 12,000 Irish sheep farmers. This booklet contains everything a farmer needs to know about the €uroStar indexes and how to use them along with a full list of performance-recording ram breeders.
To receive a copy of this publication, simply agree to share your contact details with Sheep Ireland via the annual Department of Agriculture sheep census form. An electronic copy of this publication is also available on the Sheep Ireland website. Scan the QR code with your smartphone camera to go directly to the publication.
The continued growth in pedigree ram breeders engaging in performance-recording and producing high-index €uro-Star rams is hugely encouraging for all involved in sheep farming.
The speed of sheep genetic improvement (where ram lambs can be mated with ewes in the same year they were born) can be rapid. Similarly, our industry can rapidly go in the wrong direction. The €uro-Star indexes are consistently showing that high-index sheep are growing faster, producing more lambs with less intervention at lambing time and with lower lamb mortality. If Irish sheep farmers use €uro-Stars as an additional selection tool to compliment the physical assessment of rams, the industry will continually make progress.
For more information on Sheep Ireland’s work, visit www.sheep.ie, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, call our office on 023-882 0451, or email us at query@sheep.ie. If you are interested in performance-recording your flock, the Sheep Ireland app is available to download now for free. Contact our office for a demo or to set up your flock for the 2020 breeding season.
Sheep Ireland’s elite multibreed ram sale – Cillin Hill, Kilkenny
Due to COVID-19 restrictions in Co Offaly, the annual Sheep Ireland ram sale has moved from Tullamore to Kilkenny Mart in Co Kilkenny (Eircode R95 A4VP). The sale takes place on Saturday 22 August and commences at 11.30am.
Public viewing of rams commences from 9.30am. Strict social distancing measures will be enforced in all areas of the mart and all those in attendance on the day will be required to wear a face mask without exception.
An online bidding facility is available via the martbids app. Potential buyers must preregister with Kilkenny Mart by calling 056-772 1407 or via the Martbids app by Friday 21 August at 4pm to avoid disappointment. We encourage buyers to come alone where possible to minimise the number of people in the mart. Ram transport after the sale will be available. Farmers interested in availing of this facility are encouraged to call Sheep Ireland before Friday 21 August on 023-88 20451.
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: