| EBLEX Progressive Flock Award 2010 |
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Gloucestershire sheep flock wins top award Organised through the Sheep Better Returns Programme, this award is presented to the performance recorded flock that has shown the most impressive improvement in genetic merit over a 12-month period, within the breed.  Mike Adams with Court Contender “My aim is to produce animals that perform efficiently – growing fast and laying down lean meat rather than fat,” Mr Adams explains. “This reduces their carbon footprint - which is vital in modern day sheep breeding, to combat the bad publicity grazing animals attract in the media for being environmentally damaging.” The ewes are tupped in July for December lambing. Lambs are weaned at ten to 12 weeks of age and graze grass with access to ad-lib creep feed. Most of the stock is either retained for replacements or sold as breeding stock. A replacement rate of 20% speeds the genetic progress of the flock, with the best ewe lambs being kept. Very few lambs are sold for slaughter even the males; only those well below par for breed points. Most of the progeny are kept on until they are shearlings before being sold to pedigree breeders and the export trade. Always recorded Mr Adams has always recorded the performance of individual animals to help make decisions on selection and breeding. The traits he particularly selects for are prolificacy and easy lambing, quick growth, low fat content and good muscling. He uses CT scanning to provide additional information on carcase characteristics, which he finds a useful marketing tool. “The scans give me even greater confidence when speaking to potential customers. Being able to give the facts about an animal without ‘its clothes on’, means you can talk with much more authority.” Mr Adams attends the Royal Cornwall and Royal Welsh Shows to showcase the flock. When buying in rams to mate with the ewes, Mr Adams has focused on finding animals that will improve muscle production, particularly in the backend and gigot. The flock index increases each year: in 2008 the index average was 206; in 2009 this rose to 317. Commenting on winning the award, Mr Adams admitted it was very pleasing that hard work over the past few years has been recognised. He puts this success down to the fact that he dropped a few lower performing animals, and that the main stock ram used had an exceptional index of 408 (breed average 147). Recording is key to progress “Buying rams with known, superior EBVs, allows pedigree producers to improve any weak areas and produce animals that customers are looking for, and willing to pay more for, over a relatively short period of time,” says EBLEX sheep breeding specialist Samuel Boon. “I congratulate Mike for the valuable work he is doing with this breed. By focusing on, and recording production traits that really matter, he is not only improving his own flock, but also making it easier for other producers to find rams they know will have a positive impact on their enterprise.” Photo Caption: [Mike Adams with his Hampshire Down ram Contender (index of 408) which contributed to the flock’s success in the EBLEX Progressive Flock Awards.]
For more information contact Samuel Boon, tel: 07887 650355 or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it |
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