Page 5 - Midlands Ram Sale Catalogue ebook
P. 5
ANIMAL HEALTH
1. All rams are vet tested and accredited brucellosis free.
EYE MUSCLE
SCANNING DATES
09/06/2020
ESTIMATED
BREEDING VALUES
Estimated Breeding Values (EBV’s) for all rams are presented with each lots data
in the catalogue. For an explanation of how to understand these Breeding Values
please see below.
UNDERSTANDING
SIL INFORMATION
SIL (Sheep Improvement Ltd) is the New Zealand sheep industry’s performance recording and
genetic evaluation database. It is part of B+LNZ Genetics – a division of B+LNZ. It is therefore
owned by New Zealand farmers, being funded by sheep meat levies and fees charged to breeders.
THE NEW ZEALAND GENETIC EVALUATION
The New Zealand Genetic Evaluation (NZGE) is a single weekly evaluation that involves all active
flocks recorded on SIL and non-active flocks that provide useful information on pedigree and
performance. It objectively “compares” the performance of various traits – making it a powerful
source of genetic information for breeders and commercial farmers.
NZGE blends genomic information with the pedigree and phenotype information in a ‘single
step’ analysis. This means, where there is genomic information on an animal or its close
relatives, it is blended into its breeding value and indexes. The breeding value is termed a ‘gBV”
– ie genomically informed breeding value. For simplicity, the breeding value for animals with no
genomic information is still denoted as gBV, as it comes from the same single step analysis.
INTRODUCTION TO MEASURES OF GENETIC MERIT: BREEDING VALUES &
INDEXES
More than 80% of the flock’s genetics are contributed by the ram. That’s an exciting opportunity
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