Sheep performance records ‘to become standard’

PERFORMANCE RECORDING will become standard in the sheep industry, just like farm assurance, according to Vicki Fletcher of Meadow Quality.

Speaking at the Texel Sheep Society”s Members Conference in Penrith, Miss Fletcher said that flocks which didn”t performance record would lack access to markets.

“Producers who aren”t farm assured lack access to some markets, non-performance recorded flocks will face the same situation.”

EXTENDED EBVS

Steven Johnston from Greenmount College, Northern Ireland believes EBVs should also be developed for lambing ease and fertility. “The use of existing EBVs must be promoted. But work must also be done on new ones, including lamb birth weight and lamb viability.”

History, however, suggests the breed may be reaching the peak of its popularity, he said. “History shows it takes a breed 30 years to get to the top and the following 30 years to go down again.”