GENETICS drive business growth • lifting kilograms of lamb multiple and produce multiple SNAPSHOT: produced/hectare from under conceptions each year Philip and Maz Gough, 300 to more than 400 • tagging ewes which need assistance • improving wool cuts from 4kg during lambing, for future culling Hotspur and Branxholme, S to above 5kg/head • pregnancy scanning to measure Victoria • making as much money from as few losses and to segregate ewes animals as possible to achieve labour carrying singles, twins and triplets efficiencies for lambing • producing efficient, environmentally • vaccinating for campylobacter fit animals. • reducing paddock and mob sizes. From this, a crossbreeding program, In the past 10 years, Philip has seen based on Corriedale and Coopworth, his lambing percentage per ewes was born that utilised the LAMBPLAN joined climb from 127 to 154 – the goal Area: database to select high genetic merit was an average of 150. The amount of 1,100ha animals on breeding values that the lamb produced per hectare has also Enterprise: family could manage easily. jumped, from 363 to 440kg. Prime lambs – targeting supermarket “We felt these breeds complemented Since he started selecting on ASBVs trade 18–26kg and fat score 3 each other but differed enough to for high early growth rates, coupled deliver a good dose of hybrid vigour,” Livestock: with better flock management, Philip 5,400 crossbred ewes Philip said. has also achieved higher lamb (self‑replacing flock) Other management strategies Philip weaning weights. ■ put in place to support the genetic Pasture: selection decisions include: Perennial ryegrass, sub‑clover, • using LAMBPLAN data on rams to summer forage brassica aggressively select for high fertility in Soil: maternal ewes Hotspur (light sandy loams) • selecting rams on their breed purity Branxholme (heavy clay loams) for hybrid vigour maximisation • only breeding self‑replacers from Rainfall: ewes that were conceived as a 700–800mm More information sheepgenetics.org.au/ LAMBPLAN Watch Philip tell the story of genetic progress in his flock genetics.mla.com.au/ prime‑lambs 11