BTB - Issue 19 - Sire evaluation takes out the guesswork
Beyond the Bale - Issue 19
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Sire evaluation takes out the guesswork
NSW ram breeder Jim Darmody believes sire evaluation is playing a key role in adding genetic and financial value to his family's stud and commercial wool growing business.
Mr Darmody, who runs Wantana Merino Stud near Boorowa with his brother Bill and his wife Sheree, became involved in sire evaluation two years ago when the stud entered two rams in the Central Test Sire Evaluation (CTSE) site at ‘Futter Park’ near Harden in NSW.
They entered a third ram this year, whose lambs have recently been born.
Mr Darmody said they became involved in sire evaluation in a bid to lift the profile of their stud and to help advertise its genetics.
"Sire evaluation has become an important benchmarking tool for ram breeders and we decided to get involved so we could use the evaluation information to advertise how good our rams are, so we can improve our operation's profitability," Mr Darmody said.
"The link sires at our site are from Nerstane and Roseville Park, so we are getting to benchmark our rams against two of Australia's leading studs."
The trial has begun to pay off for the Darmodys, with the CTSE performance of their first two rams' progeny, which are now rising two-year-olds, attracting a new ram buying client last year.
Mr Darmody said these rams were also ranked first and second in terms of dollars per head after the first year and as a result were displayed at this year's Southwest Slopes Field Days on 1 September.
"The trial is helping to take the guesswork out of predicting which rams to use and add genetic value to our commercial woolgrowing operation."
The Wantana Stud started in the early 1980s and runs about 500 ewes based on Roseville Park, East Roseville and Yarrawonga bloodlines.
The commercial operation runs between 8,000 to 10,000 sheep, of which 5,000 are adult ewes and the rest are lambs and wethers.
Mr Darmody said they aimed to produce large framed, heavy cutting sheep that grew 19 micron wool and could handle all weather conditions.
He said they read the Merino Superior Sires report to keep track of the top rams in the industry and used this in conjunction with visual assessment and discussion with their classer John Williams to decide which Roseville Park rams they may buy or use in their artificial insemination program to improve the genetic potential of their flock.
For more information, contact Linda Hygate on (03) 9731 2233.
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