Texelplus delivers commercially valuable gains
T
exelplus is the Society’s genetic improvement service, providing members with an objective way to assess the genetic potential of animals selected for breeding.
Performance recording in Texel flocks forms the backbone of improving genetic progress in the UK sheep industry, explains Society data and technical services manager, Ed Smith. “With 29% of sires used in the UK being Texels and Texel genetics present within more than 12% of the national maternal flock, the impact of improvements within the breed is vast across the wider industry.” In 2020, 145 flocks recorded performance data on more than 7500 lambs, these were sired by 418 males out of more than 4000 genetic dams. The texelplus flocks bred 782 (30.7%) of the 2548 sires used to produce birthnotified lambs in 2020 and these animals sired 17,651 (33.9%) of the 52,048 lambs, he says “Over the past 10 years, breeding values for early measures of growth: eight-week weights and scan weights have steadily increased in the recorded population. For animals born in 2020 that had data recorded, the average eight-week weight breeding value was 2.45 compared to 0.66 in 2011.
“This means that the average animal weighed 1.8kg more at eight weeks in 2020 compared to 2011 and would pass on half of this potential to its offspring. The figures for scan weights are similarly increased with 2020-born animals predicted to weigh almost 4.5 kg more at scanning compared to those born in 2011 (Fig. 1).” For commercial lamb producers this genetic progress means that lambs by texelplus sires now have the potential to be 2.25kg heavier at 20 weeks old. “This extra gain is commercially valuable in a number of ways. Firstly, lambs are ready for slaughter quicker. This saves costs on-farm and often means lambs are sold when prices are better, meaning they are worth more too. “In addition, lambs which are sold sooner help reduce a farm’s carbon footprint and give farmers the chance to better manage grass for ewes later in the year.”
Technical Corner
30 Spring 2021
texel.uk
