Breed Enhancement

The Council is constantly considering measures to enhance the performance of the Breed. Recent MLC recorded figures are:-

• Adult Ram Weight - average 126kg
• Adult Ewe Weight - average 72kg
• Average Lambing Percentage - 185%
• Average Birth Weight - 5.1kg
• Average 56 Day Weight - 22.5kg (no concentrates)
• Average Daily LW Gain - 0.32kg
• Average Slaughter Age off grass - 16.5 weeks
• Average Carcass Weight - 19.5kg
• Average Killing out percentage - 50%

Performance Recording

The main objective when purchasing a new Wiltshire Horn stock ram is to find an individual whose breeding potential meets the requirements of your flock - whether you are producing breeding stock or slaughter lambs.

Mature size and body condition score are of limited use when assessing the breeding potential of a ram. Many essential traits cannot be seen by eye with feeding and management, having a far greater effect on a ram's appearance than it's breeding potential. Yet, the only influence a ram has over his progeny's performance is through his breeding - so it is vital this is accurately assessed.

The Sheepbreeder Evaluation Service, run by MLC's Signet Breeding Services predicts the breeding potential of recorded rams (and ewes) by analyzing performance information, such as lamb weights, muscle and fat depths, and taking into account pedigree relationships between individuals.

These calculations produce a set of Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) for a range of traits. They provide a measure of the breeding merit of the animal and can even enable breeders to compare rams reared in different flocks. To assist breeders to meet a specific breeding objective, EBVs are weighted according to their relative economic value and converted into an index.

Important EBVs for Wiltshire Horn breeders will include...

• The Eight Week Weight and Scan Weight EBVs (kg), which identifies breeding lines whose progeny will have fast growth rates to 8 weeks of age.
• The Muscle and Fat Depth EBVs (mm), identify breeding stock with superior carcase quality.
• The Litter Size EBV (lambs/100 ewes), which identifies rams that will sire prolific females.
• The Maternal Ability EBV (kg), which identifies rams whose grand progeny will have superior growth rates due to the maternal characteristics of their mothers (i.e. their milk production and maternal care).

High rates of breeding improvement have been made using this globally recognised system of evaluating breeding potential.

Investing in Breeding Improvement

Sheepbreeder recording represents a real investment in your flock, enabling you to make better selection decisions and to promote the quality of your animals.

It is important that any breed can respond to the demands of the industry and these services are available at a time when the industry's understanding of EBVs is increasing through the activities of the EBLEX Better Returns Project and increasing economic pressures to produce lamb in a cost effective manner.

If you would be interested in receiving further details about performance recording or knowing more about its benefits then please contact one of the following:

Samuel Boon Manager of MLC's Signet Breeding Services
Tel: 01908 844195, e-mail: samuel_boon@mlc.org.uk

Tim White, Wiltshire Horn Breeder who has used Signet for 11 years
Tel: 01747 820499, e-mail: livestock@pertwood.co.uk