MATERNAL CENTRAL PROGENY TEST

MATERNAL CENTRAL
PROGENY TEST

Lambplan research into the best firstcross maternal breed for the prime lamb industry...

RESULTS: FINNSHEEP ARE THE BEST DAM BREED!

FINNS BEST

The MATERNAL CENTRAL PROGENY TEST has now (June 2000) found Finns and Finn-Friesians to be the BEST DAM BREED in the following categories:

BEST: Base ewes pregnant.
BEST: FirstX ewes pregnant.
BEST: Foetal scanning of base ewes.
BEST: Foetal scanning of FirstX ewes.
BEST: Prejoining liveweight of FirstX ewes.
BEST: Assisted births: base and FirstX ewes.
BEST: Lambs born per base ewe joined.
BEST: Lambs born per FirstX ewe joined.
BEST: Marking percentage of FirstX lambs.
BEST: Lamb survival to marking base and FirstX ewes.
BEST: Weaning weight FirstX lambs.
BEST: Total carcass weight of 2ndX lambs per ewe joined.
BEST: Carcass fat and eye muscle area of 2ndX lambs.
BEST: FirstX wool EBVs.

Please note: MOST OF THE FINNS AND ALL THE FINN-FRIESIANS WERE GIPPFINN RAMS AND/OR UNSW RAMS - THE LINK SIRE (WARRAYURE 93-5010) IS A UNSW RAM.

This study, which is linked to Lambplan http://ansc.une.edu.au/lambplan/ , Australia's leading research tool for improving productivity and profitability in the prime lamb industry, continues to show Finns excelling in practically every category. Finns, and Finn-Friesians are rating either as BEST , in the TOP 10% or in the TOP 25%.

FOR EXAMPLE:

Finns are nearly always better than Border Leicesters in all measured qualities.

Finns and Finn-Friesians nearly always rate BEST in the number of lambs produced from mating with Merinos/Corriedales (by up to 25% more). This means more dollars in the 1stX producers' pockets.

Finn & Finn-Friesian lamb survival at both 1stX and 2ndX is nearly always BEST.

Finns are nearly always BEST in requiring least assistance with lambing = fewer dead ewes and lambs and more dollars.

Finn & Finn-Friesian number of lambs produced, weaned and marketed at both 1st and 2ndX is nearly always BEST. Again more dollars in farmers' pockets.

Finns are nearly always BEST in total weight of lambs/ewe joined, and lambed.

Finn 1stX wool quality is nearly always BEST.

Carcass muscling of 1stX and 2ndX lambs is nearly always in the TOP 10%.

Finn 1stX and 2ndX lambs are either AVERAGE or in the TOP 25%, so there is no disadvantage from having more lambs.

Faecal egg count in 1stX and 2ndX is in the TOP 25%.

STUDY WEAKNESSES

The study was not set up optimally to assess the profitability of increases in either fertility or fecundity in two ways:

1. Because AI matings have always been used it is impossible to assess whether a ram's fertility leads him to produce more 1stX progeny or whether the effects seen are due to using different AI techniques, etc. In the study Finns normally produce up to 25% more lambs and this is echoed by other overeas studies and by farmer experience. More lambs at this stage enormously increases profitability for the 1stX lamb producer.

2. Though both 1stX and 2ndX ewes are scanned during pregnancy, no attempt is made to separate those carrying singles from those carrying twins into different management groups as would be normal farmer practice if s/he is going to optimise productive advantages. This neglect works doubly against FinnX ewes who are normally born twins and who are carrying twins at 12 and 19 months of age. You do have to feed your sheep.

See below for a summary or visit the MCPT site at http://lambplan.une.edu.au/mcpt/index.htm for more details.

RESULTS BY DATE:

10TH APRIL, 2000, DYNAMIC DAMS:

Finns: Top 25% - Adjusted post weaning weight - 1999 1stX ewes and wethers, Cowra, Fig 1, p3.

Finns: BEST - Total Carcasss weight of 2ndX lambs per ewe joined - 1997 drop 1stX ewes joined autumn 1999 Cowra Fig 2, p3.

Finns: Average - Adjusted post weaning weight of 2ndX lambs - 1997 drop 1stX ewes joined autumn 1999 Cowra, Fig 3, p4.

Finns: top 10% - Carcass fat and eye muscle area of 2ndX lambs -1997 drop 1stX ewes joined autumn 1999 Cowra, Fig 4, p4.

Finns Top 25% - Adjusted post-weaning weight of 2ndX lambs - 1998 drop 1stX ewes joined autumn 1999 Cowra, Fig 5, p4.

Finns: BEST - Pregnant: 1997 drop 1stX ewes joined spring 1999 Cowra, Fig 6, p5.

Finns: Top 20% - Foetuses per ewe pregnant: as above.

Finns: BEST - Pregnant: 1998 drop of 1stX ewes joined spring 1999 Cowra, Fig 7, p5.

Finns: Top 10% - Foetuses per ewe pregnant, as above.

Finns: Top 25% - Liveweight: 1999 1stX ewes and wether Struan, Fig 8, p6.

Finns: BEST - Foetal scan - 1998 1stX ewes joined at Rutherglen Nov/Dec 1999 Rutherglen, Table 2, p6, "All three Finn sires have the highest potential lambing percentages of ewes joined ranging from 148%-170%"

Finns: Top 25% - Prejoining liveweight and fat score 1997 & 1998 drop 1stX ewes Hamilton, Table 3, p7.

Finns: BEST - Prejoining liveweight - 1999 drop 1stX ewes Hamilton Table 4, p8.

9TH DECEMBER, 1999: DYNAMIC DAMS

Finns: Top 10% - Lambing results from 1999 AI matings at Cowra, Table 3, p3.

Finns: Top 25% - Weaning weight 1stX lambs Cowra 1999, Fig 1, p3.

Finns: Top 25% - Lamb survival - 1stX lambs Cowra 1999, Fig 2, p3.

Finns: Top 10% - Assisted Births - as above.

Finns: Top 25% - Lambing performance of 1stX ewes joined at 7 months Cowra, Fig 3, p4.

Finns BEST - Lambs born/ewe joined - 1999 lambing performance of 1stX ewes autumn joined at 19 months Cowra, Fig 4, p4.

Finns: Top10% - Lambs weaned/ewe joined, as above.

Finns: Top10% - Ewes lambing/ewe joined - 1999 lambing performance of 1stX ewes autumn joined at 7 months Cowra, Fig 5, p5.

Finns: Top 10% - Lambs weaned/ewe joined, as above.

Finns: Top 10% - Lamb survival - 1stX lambs Hamilton 1999, Fig 6, p7.

Finns: BEST - Weaning weight - 1stX lambs Hamilton 1999, Fig7, p7.

Finns: Top 25% - Milk production - 2ndX lamb growth and milk production from 1997 drop 1stX ewes Hamilton, Fig 8, p8.

Finns: Top 10% - 1999 lambing performance of 1997 drop 1stX ewes joined at 19 months Hamilton, Table 5, p8.

Finns: Top 25% - Weight at 5 months - 1stX lambs Struan 1999, Fig 10, p10.

8TH AUGUST 1999 DYNAMIC DAMS

Finns: BEST - 1STX wool EBVs 1999, Table 3, P3.

Finns:Top 10% Lambing performance of 1stX ewes joined at Cowra at 7 and 14 months: ewes lambed/ewe joined, lambs/ewe joined, lambs weaned/ewe joined, carcass weight/ewe joined, Fig 1, p4.

Finns: Top 10% - Ewes lambed/ ewe joined - Lambing performance of 1stX ewes at Hamilton joined at 7 months, Fig 2, p5.

Finns: BEST< - Lambs/ ewe lambing, as above. >Finns: Top 10% - Lambs weaned/ewe joined, as above.

Finns: Top 10% - Carcass weight/ewe joined, as above.

"The Finn Warrayure 930057 seems to have a very high twinning rate again (in 1997 drop 1stX ewes)...The most fertile sire groups (in 1998 drop 1stX ewes was) Gippfinn 960086.", Hamilton, p4.

Finns: BEST 10% Scanning results for 1997 drop ewes Hamilton, Table 6, p7.

Finn-Friesian (Gippfinn 960085): BEST, Finn: Second BEST - Scanning results for 1998 drop ewes Hamilton, Table 7, p7.

Finn-Friesian (Gippfinn 960132): BEST, Finn: Second BEST - Marking percentage Struan 1999, Table 8, p8.

7TH MARCH 1999 DYNAMIC DAMS

Finns: Top 10% - Total carcass weight/ewe joined @ 7 months - 1stX ewes - 2ndX carcass production, Fig 1, p2.

Finns: Average - Adjusted carcass weight 2ndX lambs spring drop 1998 Cowra, Fig 2, p2.

Finns: Average - Carcass fat @ 21kg, as above.

Finns: Top 10% - Carcass ema @ 21 kg, as above.

Finns: Top 10% - ewes pregnant (scanned) - 1stX ewes sping joined Cowra, Fig 4, p3.

Finns: Top 10% - Foetuses/pregnant ewe, as above.

Finns: Average - Carcasss weight - 1stX wethers 1998 Cowra, Fig 5, p4.

Finns: Top 10% - Fat GR @ 21 kg, as above.

Finns: Top 10% - Eye muscle area @ 21 kg, as above.

Finns: Top 25% - Adjusted live weights - 1stX lambs Struan, 1999, Fig 7, p5.

Finns & Finn-Friesian (Gippfinn 960132): BEST - Foetal Scanning Struan January 1999, Table 2, p5.

5TH SEPTEMBER 1998 DYNAMIC DAMS

FINNS: Top 50% - Adjusted weights - 1stX lambs Struan 1998, Fig 2, p3.

Finns: Top 10%< - Total weight of lambs weaned/ ewe joined @ 7 months, 2ndX lambs Cowra Spring 1998, Fig 3, p4. >Finns: BEST - Lambs weaned/ewe joined @ 7 months - 2ndX lambs Cowra spring 1998, Fig 4, p4.

Finns: BEST - Lamb survival, as above.

Finns: Average - Weight - 1stX lambs Cowra 1998, Fig5, p5.

Finns; Average - Weaning weight - 1stX lambs Hamilton 1998, Fig 6, p6.

Finns: Average - Weaning weight - 2ndX lambs Hamilton 1998, Fig 7, P7.

5TH SEPTEMBER 1998 DYNAMIC DAMS

Finns: Top 25% - Adjusted weaning weight - Average progeny performance for each sire, Struan 1998, Fig 1, p3.

Finns: Top 25% - Lamb survival. as above.

Finns: BEST - Lambing results - Maternal Sire AI Mating - Cowra 1998, Table 2, p4.

Finns: BEST - Lamb Survival to Marking - Average progeny performance of each sire Cowra 1998, Fig 1, p4.

Finns: Top 10% - Assisted births, as above.

Finns: Top 10% - Ewes Lambing @ 12 months - Lambing results 1stX ewes autumn joined Cowra 1998, Fig 4, p5.

Finns: Top 10% - Lambs born/ewe lambing, as above.

Finns: Top 10% - Lambs born/ewe joined, as above.

Finn-Friesian (Gippfinn 960086): BEST, Finns: 2nd BEST - Number of lambs marked - 1stX lambs Hamilton 1998, Table 3, p6.

Finns: Top 10% - Assistance and survival rates 1998 lambing Hamilton, Table 4, p6.

Finns: Average - Lamb birthweights 1998 AI matings Hamilton, Table 5, p6.

Finns: BEST - Sire progeny lamb survival and bithweight from 1stX ewes Hamilton, Table 7, p7.

Finns: Top 10% - Faecal Egg Count results on ewe weaners Hamilton 1998, Table 6, p7.

JULY 1998 DYNAMIC DAMS

Finns: Top 10% Weight - 1stX meat EBVs 1997-8, Table 1, p2 - and this is without undue leanness and with muscling in the top 25%, and always better than Leicesters.

Finns: Top 10% - Dressing percentages - Sire progeny means for meat clour, pH and dressing%, Fig 1, p4. Colour and pH were also good.

Finns: Top 10% - Percentage pregnant at 7 months - 1stX ewe mating performance Cowra 1998, Fig 2, p5.

Finns: BEST -Average foetal number, as above.

Finns: Top 10% - Relationship of pregnancy rate and ewe liveweight, Cowrta 1998, Fig 3, p5.

Finns: BEST - Maternal Sire AI Mating Cowra 1998 - pregnancy scanning results, Table 2, p5.

Finns: BEST - Number of 1stX ewes joined (Plus 17%) - 1stX ewe fertility Hmilton 1998, Table 3, p6.

Finns: Top 10% - Percentage pregnant, as above.

Finns: BEST - pH - 1stX wether carcass data Hamilton 1998, Table 4, p6.

Finns: Top 10% - Wool length, as above.

Finns: Top 25% - Dressing percentage, as above.

Finns: Top25% - Carcass fat, as above.

Finns: Average plus - Carcass weight, as above.

Finns: BEST TWO - percentage pregnant - Maternal sire AI mating Hamilton 1998, Table 5, p7.

Finns: Top 25% - Potential lambs, as above.

Finns: BEST -Ewes pregnant - Maternal Sire AI mating Struan 1998, Table 6, p7.

Finns: BEST - Number of foetuses, as above.

3RD MARCH 1998 DYNAMIC DAMS

Finns: BEST -Assisted births (lowest) - Average performance of progeny of each sire at Cowra, Fig 1, p3.

Finns: Top 10% - Lamb survival to weaning, as above.

Finns: Top 25% - Weaning weight, as above.

Finns: Top25% - Lamb survival Hamilton, Fig 2, p5.

Finns:Top 25% - Weaning weights Hamilton, as above.

COWRA WEANING REPORT: 3/11/97

,B>Finns: BEST TWO Finns: BEST - Assisted births (lowest) - Average performance of progeny of each sire, Fig 1, p2.

Finns: Top 10% - Lamb survival to weaning, as above.

Finns: Top 25% - Weaning weights, as above.

2ND SEPTEMBER 1997 DYNAMIC DAMS

Finns: BEST - Foetal scanning Cowra 1997, p3.

Finns: BEST - Foetal scanning Hamilton, 1997.

CONCLUSION: FINNSHEEP ARE THE BEST DAM BREED

Postal Address:

Steve & Della Jones,
Gippfinn Finnsheep Stud
RMB 4518,
Morwell,
VIC, 3840
Australia

Email:
gippfinn@net-tech.com.au

Telephone:
(From Australia) 0351223328
(Internationally) 613 51223328

Mobile:
(From Australia) 0427041253
(Internationally) 61427041253