Texels top list in Ireland/UK breeding values study
AN intensive study to evaluate Irish versus UK sheep flocks by breed is at an advance stage in Phase 1 with a completion target date of 2020. The research is being carried out by Teagasc Research scientist, Shauna Fitzmaurice.
The project will compare Irish and UK breeding values for common animals and compare phenotype data between the two jurisdictions. Once the database is established it will enable comparison to be made on breed performances between flocks in Ireland and the UK on both breeding traits and production.
She told a meeting of Sheep Ireland stakeholders that the accuracy of information previously available is understood to be very low and the initial phase of the project involves identifying UK animals in the national database.
Data to date is showing that the Texels are by far the breed with the largest common factor between the two countries.
Some 8,392 Texels have been identified with a common factor between Ireland and UK compared to 3,312 Suffolk and 1,727 Charolais.
Females common to both countries dominate in each of the breeds, normally accounting for double the number of males with common breeding factor.
Of the 8,392 Texels found to be common in both countries, females represented 5,798 compared to males at 2,594 and there are 2,323 females with progeny in both countries while 1,188 males were found to have progeny in both Ireland and UK.