Breeding groups begin choosing their rams

01-03-2010 | Not Specified

Spaces in this year's round of the M&WNZ Central Progeny Test have been offered and the selected ram breeding groups are in the process of choosing their rams.

Spread across three sites, rams will be mated in March and April and their progeny evaluated for meat production and meat quality when they are slaughtered between December 2010 and March 2011.

In addition, the lambs will also be measured for a range of traits including growth rate, parasite resistance and resistance to facial eczema.

Ewe progeny from dual purpose rams will be retained and evaluated for their reproductive performance and other maternal traits in due
course.

In the meantime the collection of results from this year's CPT slaughter are nearly complete and they are due for release in June.

Ram breeders interested in strengthening their genetic linkages with the CPT and making better use of SIL ACE are encouraged to contact members of the breeding groups.

All breeders have to do to strengthen their linkages is use 30 to 40 straws from one of the CPT rams or negotiate to mate 30 to 40 of their recorded ewes to another ram used in one of these breeding groups.

Andy Bray of M&WNZ says that ram breeders are showing a high level of interest in getting a space in one of the M&WNZ spaces in the Test and additional spaces can be purchased at a cost of $5000 for a terminal sire and $15,000 for a dual purpose sire.

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