How To Get To Shedding: The Best Strategy
September, 2022
Transitioning to a Primeline shedding flock is a common question for many clients and prospective clients. In our experience, moving to shedding within Primeline Maternal flocks usually takes two or three crosses (though some may do it in a single cross).
The key question is how to make this transition quickly while managing compromises along the way. First, note that current shedding sheep lag behind Primeline Maternal sheep for several production traits (such as fertility and growth). Second, shedding sheep generally have lower marbling, which does not align with our broader LAMBPRO breeding goals.
While these factors may influence short-term decisions, the good news is that we already have fully shedding maternal genetics (with no outside breeds) and access to advanced technology (sexed semen, embryo transfer, and genomics). This will accelerate development, and the principles of population genetics will help us deliver improved shedding sheep for our clients.
For those clients with Primeline Maternal ewe flocks looking to start this process, we recommend beginning with the 20% of ewes in your flock that already show some shedding traits. By focusing on that smaller group first, you can refine the genetics before expanding to the entire flock. While the transition market for these ewes may be limited initially, early adopters will likely see high demand once the process is complete.
Market development for Primeline Shedder lambs will continue under the Primeline Maternal brand, working closely with end users to build demand for Primeline Shedder lambs at slaughter.
Labour: The Achilles Heel for Agriculture
September, 2022
Labour shortages are affecting every sector of the Australian economy. From McDonald’s offering a thousand-dollar sign-on fee, to business leaders pleading with the government for improved work visas and migration policies, it’s clear there aren’t enough workers to go around.
The sheep industry is no exception – every link in its supply chain faces chronic labour shortages, from restaurant staff to truck drivers to abattoir workers and shearers. This could become a serious challenge for agriculture in the short to medium term. Meanwhile, sheep operations continue to grow more intensive, with modern management practices adding even more tasks. It’s worth noting that the average Australian sheep farmer is now 64 years old.
By contrast, cropping operations are trending toward higher efficiency, thanks to rapid technology adoption. This has led to fewer labour requirements per hectare. Beef, another major competitor for land, has also made significant changes to reduce labour, with many businesses now running 1,000 cows per worker.
Sheep production needs to adapt by doing more with less: using less feed (through higher stocking rates) and relying on less labour. Two decades of selecting for lower-labour sheep is paying off, and the rising market share of Primeline Maternal sheep reflects their easier management requirements. The move toward shedding sheep aims to further reduce labour demands.
In my view, the future of the sheep industry will be heavily influenced by labour availability, and we’re already seeing its impact on the flock. Simple, low-cost sheep systems consistently come out on top. We remain focused on decreasing the labour needs of our lamb systems to stay competitive and sustainable in this evolving landscape.
Breeding Insights: Primeline Shedder Background
September, 2022
LAMBPRO has had shedding sheep in our Primeline Maternal program since 2008. This can be traced back to LAMBPRO has had shedding sheep in our Primeline Maternal program since 2008. This can be traced back to two heavily used rams that likely carried a shedding gene from the Dorper breed, which was introduced into White Suffolk sheep in the late 1990s.
The Primeline Shedding program is about more than just labour and shearer shortages. It focuses on reducing long-term labour in sheep production, especially by cutting down on crutching, dagging, and the potential for blowfly issues. It follows a “little cattle” focus by providing sheep that require less labour but still deliver high production of kilograms per hectare.
The path to a Primeline Shedder is to combine our partially shedding sheep with a few strategic infusions to fast-track the process. However, we must address four main challenges to ensure long-term success:
The path to a Primeline Shedder is to combine our partially shedding sheep with a few strategic infusions to fast-track the process. However, we must address four main challenges to ensure long-term success:
- Fertility
- Foot Health
- Worm Resistance
- Marbling
All these traits are generally lacking in most shedding sheep. Our approach to Primeline Shedders is the same as with our other breeding programs: using large contemporary groups, artificial breeding, and collecting accurate data (especially on shedding traits) to drive rapid improvement.
We expect strong demand for these shedding sheep, with a good number of rams likely to be available.