Central Progeny Test sought from ram breeders

Expressions of interest in Central Progeny Test sought from ram breeders

Beef + Lamb New Zealand wants to hear from ram breeders interested in supplying terminal sire and dual purpose rams to the 2011 Central Progeny Test.

General Manager – Farm, Richard Wakelin says Beef + Lamb New Zealand invests farmer levies in the Central Progeny Test as an ongoing service to New Zealand’s sheep industry.

“The Central Progeny Test helps ram buyers identify sources of rams that are superior for traits important to the buyer, by creating across flock and breed connections.

“It also aims to increase industry awareness of novel traits, and contribute to SIL eBVs for them, and provide a genetic resource that facilitates the discovery and evaluation of new technologies that could benefit sheep farming.”

Having a ram evaluated in the Beef + Lamb New Zealand Central Progeny Test will enable the breeding group and ram buyers to better assess the merit of the ram, and other rams in the group, for the recorded traits.

“The ram’s genetic merit will be evaluated by comparing the performance of their progeny with those of other rams used at three sites over nine years through the use of link sires.”

Mr Wakelin says the Beef + Lamb New Zealand Central Progeny Test creates genetic connections between breeding groups that are not already well connected in privately owned flocks, broadening the comparisons possible to new breeding groups.

“Strong and recent connections, such as those created in the Central Progeny Test, are vital if flocks are to be included in SIL’s Advanced Central Evaluation (SIL ACE) and accessed by SIL’s new RamFinder tool. These two tools direct ram buyers to ram breeding flocks that are improving recorded traits in which the buyer is interested.”

Beef + Lamb New Zealand covers the cost of testing rams chosen, but as expressions of interest are expected to exceed the funds available, additional rams may be included with the cost met by the ram supplier.

Expression of Interest forms can be obtained from Research Project Manager, Andy Bray (email andy.bray@beeflambnz.com or phone 03 357 3090) and must be submitted to Beef + Lamb New Zealand by 29 November 2010.

Copies of the Beef + Lamb New Zealand Central Progeny Test results are available by freephoning 0800 BEEFLAMB (0800 233 352) or emailing thomas.creswell@beeflambnz.com, or can be downloaded from www.beeflambnz.com/centralprogenytest or www.sil.co.nz.

ENDS

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