stock shine at shows

Join

texelplus genetic improvement services provide an objective way for both pedigree and commercial breeders to assess the genetic potential of animals and also provides an important marketing tool for breeders when selling stock.

Due to the breed’s influence in the national flock, performance recording in Texel flocks is currently the backbone of improving genetic progress in the UK sheep industry, with the Texel breed contributing 27% of the sires used across UK flocks and being the sire of 17% of all ewes in the country too. Recording with texelplus is a straightforward and simple process, requiring the recording of birthweight and lambing ease, lamb weights at eight weeks old and between 35-40kg, then ultrasound scan lambs for more accuracy when possible.

With texelplus fees slashed to just £21.50 (+VAT)/flock from spring 2022 there has never been a better time to sign up and ensure your flock is at the forefront of improving genetic performance in both the Texel breed and the UK industry.

For more information and to sign up for texelplus

SCAN HERE

stock take top spots

As well as enjoying success in the sale rings, texelplus stock have also fared well in the show rings this summer, with many of the top prizes at the Society’s feature shows taken by high performance sheep.

The Royal Highland Show saw two top performance sheep take the top spots, with Alan Clark and family’s championship winning Garngour gimmer, CJN2107503, carrying an index in the top 5% of the breed.

Reserve champion, Mellor Vale Deja Vu from John Forsyth and Stuart Barclay ranks highly, being another with a top 5% index.

Meanwhile, at The Royal Three Counties Show, the day’s reserve champion, ram lamb Clanfield Freaky Freaky Fresh had an index in the top 5% of the breed, while all of the first to fifth placed ewe lambs have figures in the top 1% of the breed.

And the Royal Welsh saw Keith, Alan and Roy Campbell’s Cowal gimmer, CKC2113649, take the championship title carrying a top 1% index. This one stood reserve breed champion at Great Yorkshire Show the week before.

The Society’s knowledge transfer executive Katie Thorley said the success by texelplus members and their stock at major shows was added proof of the value the Society’s genetic improvement services can add to flocks. “Careful selection, using both performance data and physical attributes is the key to making progress and these show results demonstrate what can be achieved when phenotype and genotype are given equal importance in breeding programmes.

“Only using either phenotype or genotype as part of the decision-making process can limit the progress a flock makes, losing key attributes as a result. However, marrying performance data, breed characteristics as well as structural correctness can lead to rapid improvements in performance, both on-farm and at shows and sales,” she added.

The Clark family’s Garngour gimmer led the way at the Royal Highland and has a top 5% index.

This year’s Royal Welsh champion from Cowal carries a top 1% index.

at sales stock perform

Alongside strong performances in the show rings, texelplus stock were also among the highlights of the Society’s National Sales once again, with buyers seeking out high performance stock to add to their flocks. At the Society’s headline sale, the Scottish National Sale, Lanark, top 1% ram lambs recorded an average of £7155.75, more than £2320 ahead of the overall sale average, while achieving a sale clearance of 87%.

Both the ram lamb and shearling ram sections at the Welsh National Sale were successful for texelplus stock, with recorded shearling rams levelling at £2257.50, up more than £1108.80 on their non-recorded counterparts and by £980.70 on the overall sale average for shearling rams.

In the ram lambs top 5% texelplus ram lambs were of particular interest to buyers, with the average for these being £410.55 ahead of the non-recorded average on the day. Both top 5% and top 10% ram lambs achieved 100% clearance rates, compared to an 89% clearance of non-recorded ram lambs. And it was a similar story in the gimmers here too, with recorded gimmers averaging £781.40, compared to £624.75 for nonrecorded animals.

texelplus shearling rams were in favour at the English National too, with these achieving an average of £2556.75, up by more than £245 on non-recorded shearling rams.

Both top 5% and top 10% ram lambs were in favour at Worcester where top 5% ram lambs sold to average £1562.4, some £212 ahead of the overall sale average. Top 10% ram lambs, meanwhile, levelled at £1717.80, a £312.90 advantage over nonrecorded lambs.

Across the water in Northern Ireland at Ballymena texelplus ram lambs sold to a ready demand, with an average of £1380.75, up by more than £120 on the non-recorded ram lambs, with top 1% ram lambs levelling at £3543.75.

While only a small offering, Ballymena’s shearling ewe section saw saw texelplus gimmers achieve a 100% clearance, texelplus shearling rams average £245 more

at Worcester

£7155

average

for top 1% ram lambs at Lanark

100%

clearance

for top 5% and top 10% ram lambs at Welshpool

Top 1% ram lambs average £3543.75

at Ballymena

Project paves way for genomic evaluations

The conclusion of the Society’s CIEL seed funded project on the inclusion of genomic data in texelplus genetic evaluations has paved the way for routine inclusion of genomic information in performance evaluations, says the Society’s data and technical services manager Ed Smith.

“The project has enabled the collation of Texel genomic data into a single repository, with knowledge of how to maintain this information in future.

“The inclusion of genomic information in evaluations and routine delivery of genomically-enhanced breeding values to Texel breeders will be a first for the UK sheep industry, improving access to vital genomic information supporting increases in genetic improvement of the Texel breed,” he explained. “Undertaken in collaboration with SRUC EGENES, AbacusBio and Map of Ag Group, the project investigated the effect the inclusion of genomic data may have on the improvement in estimates of genetic merit for both proven and unproven sheep.

“The project also looked at the effects on pedigree, levels of inbreeding and how sheep might be re-ranked for individual breeding values and overall indexes,” added Dr Smith.

Additionally, the project identified a number of critical deliverables (must-win battles) for the Society before genomic evaluations can be adopted.

The Society has been working hard to overcome some of these through the summer. The launch of economic indexes early next year (see p22) was a key task to complete before the adoption of genomics could be completed.

The Society also needs to review the current phenotype farm model to ensure that enough of the right data are collected from the required number of sheep to maintain a genomic reference population that will support and underpin genomic evaluations.

Dr Smith said the project had been designed to develop a road map, reviewing the breed’s current phenotyping resource and strategy, while considering the integration of genomic evaluations into the Texel Society’s genetic improvement programme.

“The aim was to identify the most effective approach and develop data pipelines, to ensure delivery and uptake of genomic information, to support the breed’s progress and continued improvement of cherished commercial production and environmental traits that provide significant value and benefit to the industry. Before a final decision is made on the adoption of genomics, further studies on the impact of genomics on pedigree and performance information will be undertaken by the Society during 2023, continuing this valuable study.