Increased Sil-Ace Use Driving Commercial Ram Performance

Increased Sil-Ace Use Driving Commercial Ram Performance

The annual Beef + Lamb New Zealand Central Progeny Test results have been released and they show a significant growth in flocks using the powerful SIL-ACE evaluation.

The Central Progeny Test – now in its 11th year – helps farmers identify rams that are superior for traits important to individual farmer’s operations. It compares rams by running their progeny in identical environments, so differences between progeny performance can only be due to their genetics, not their environment.

B+LNZ Genetics Manager Mark Young says this year’s results are especially noteworthy because of the significant growth in SIL-ACE – Sheep Improvement Limited’s Advanced Central Evaluation.

“Nearly half the active SIL flocks are now using SIL-ACE – up 9 per cent on last year – as ram breeders recognise the power and objectivity of the evaluation. With this level of usage, we estimate that 60-65 per cent of rams used on New Zealand farms come from SIL-ACE flocks. It demonstrates that breeders are continually improving their sheep, and farmers are therefore buying better rams every year.”

Dr Young says more flocks are also becoming connected for more traits. “This is good news if you are interested in specific traits, such as higher health ratings for certain diseases. You simply use the SIL-ACE FlockFinder tool to identify which flocks are recording performance in those traits as part of their genetic improvement programme.”

Full CPT results are available at www.beeflambnz.com/cpt

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