397 Field Demonstration Analyzing the Implementation of Individual Animal Electronic Identification and Genetic Testing in Western Range Sheep Flocks

Abstract

Abstract The lack of individual performance records derived from an extensively driven production system coupled with impracticality to utilize reproductive technologies makes commercial genetic improvement challenging in small ruminants. We collaborated with five producers throughout California to assess how Electronic ID (EID) and a genotyping panel can augment the productivity of a flock. We sought to study how the data collected from these technologies can hasten genetic improvement towards desirable operational objectives. Familiarity and use of EID tags on ranches at the start of the research varied; thus, allowing for a qualitative reflection on the perceptions of the participants of the usefulness of this technology. We partnered with Superior Farms, a slaughterhouse, to evaluate their targeted genotyping panel, Flock54. Flock54 is a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panel containing 956 markers for assigning pedigree and includes markers linked to quantitative trait loci and/or known single gene causative markers to aid in disease management and fecundity scoring. Ear notch samples were collected from 2,963 animals for analysis. This included 305 total sires as well as their progeny, 989 female lambs and 1,669 male lambs, which were marketed. Nine lambs were positive at a fecundity marker. No other notable results were found from the Flock54 panel. Genomic data was used to ascertain prolific sires on every ranch; however, ram to ewe ratio altered the influence that a prolific sire had on a lamb crop. The lowest ram to ewe ratio was 1:10. Parentage results from this ranch reports the following progeny metrics: Average: 9.9 males (±12.5); Median: 4 males; Max: 61 males, minimum 1 male. In contrast, the greatest ram to ewe ratio was 1:50. Parentage results from this ranch reports the following progeny metrics: Average: 51.9 (± 41.7); Median: 43.5; Max: 135; Minimum: 4,524 carcass samples from terminal lambs at two ranches were processed at Superior Farms` plant and assessed with a USDA inspected camera grading system. Progeny contemporary group deviations were calculated for hot carcass weight, yield grade, ovine cutability calculation (OCC), and OCC yield. After coupling carcass metrics with USDA reported prices, we identified prolific sires within the flock that garnered significantly higher and lower dollar merit at slaughter. A two-tailed Student`s T-test was used on the dollar deviation of edible product sold to identify if there was a statistically significant difference (P-value < 0.05) between a given ram`s progeny and the rest of the progeny slaughtered. We found that twenty-three out of the forty-three rams with progeny from one ranch had a statistically significant dollar deviation difference with a T-value greater than 2.0167. For the other ranch, we found that nineteen out of the thirty-five rams with progeny had a statistically significant difference with a T-value greater than 2.0301.