Genetic traits that get lambs 'out the gate' top Felix Rams sale

A phenotypically-correct Poll Dorset ram with balanced sheep breeding values and outcross bloodlines topped the Felix Rams sale on Thursday, September 3.

A full clearance of the 217 lots realised an average of $4085 for the 145 Poll Dorsets and $3437 for the 63 White Suffolk rams.

Selling to a top price of $16,000 was 12-month-old Poll Dorset Felix 250487, by outcross Hovell 230087, which presented phenotypically correct.

In balance were top Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs), which included top 5 per cent for post weaning weight (PWT) for all terminal rams, top 10pc for post eye muscle depth (PEMD), and top 30% for intra muscular fat (IMF).

His carcase weight (CWT) is in the top five per cent of the breed and his dressing percentage presented in the top 1pc, while his meat tenderness figure, or shear force (SHEARF5) was in the top 10pc.

Winning buyers Matt and Tanya Tonissen, Chrome Sheep Stud at Yulecart, via Hamilton, Vic, fended off a determined bevy of underbidders to secure their new stud ram.

Mr Tonissen described his top purchase, registered with the Poll Dorset association, as appealing to commercial breeders by offering a good balance of data while presenting as phenotypically sound.

"His structure is very good," he said. "And he is an outcross sire for us."

Mr Tonissen said the evolution of rams expressing positive fat values was a good thing for the breed. Felix 250487 is +0.5 for PFAT.

"As an industry I think we have chased leanness too hard," he said.

"If an animal grows and has muscle, then we go with those that also have good fats."

Chrome Sheep Stud returned home with three Poll Dorset rams to average $7933, including the ram that enticed them to this sale in the first place, Felix 250592 by 240842, with top 20pc PWT and IMF, and top 5pc birthweight (BWT), which was bought for $4600.

The highest-priced White Suffolk ram for $10,000 was Felix 251149, 14 months old, by Gemini Prime Lambs G230287 with top 5pc figures for PWT, IMF and EMD along with CWT and dressing percentage, selling to a syndicate of Bundarra Downs stud, Bordertown, South Australia, Booloola stud Maryborough, Victoria and CWS Prime Lamb Sires, St Arnaud, Victoria.

Volume buyer and commercial lamb producer Hugh Wills, Wills Pastoral, Greenthorpe, took home 22 Poll Dorset rams to average $4450.

A client of Felix Rams for 12 years, Mr Wills said his lambs, from first-cross ewes, were quicker "out the gate" as a direct result of ram genetics.

"They grow quick with suitable fat and they're off the ewes quick and out the gate quick. It's simple," he said.

"This system allows us to run more ewes."

Mr Wills said 40 to 45pc of his lambs for the past three years were consigned at the first draft, dressing at 24 to 28 kilograms, aged four months.

Low birth weight was the first ASBV Mr Wills inspects, followed by growth, EMA and eating quality, with Felix Rams delivering that balance.

"We give our lambs the best chance, with good feed and good supplements," he said.

"But our focus and our criteria is to chase something that grows quick."

Felix Rams enterprise spokesman Rodney Watt, who breeds with his wife Liz and son Isaac, said this year's sale reflected the year-on-year growth in performance genetics.

"Collecting accurate data and used properly should give you better results every year," he said.

"With our rams we know we are getting great results because clients keep coming back.

Mr Watt said clients clearly wanted rams with growth and good muscling and the industry needs reasonable eating quality. We provide that information based on ASBVs with years of data behind them.

"But we don't chase eating quality at the expense of growth," Mr Watt said.

"We take all the traits together and provide a balance."

Mr Watt said his stud flocks were at the stage of development where they could push IMF and shear force figures higher, provided more processors offered producers premiums for their eating quality.

The Felix Rams breeding journey evolved quickly about 2010 after rams participated in a resource flock, with progeny DNA tested and assessed on all traits.

"At the time, early days for us, we were fantastic for muscle, but well down on IMF," said Mr Watt.

"We had to decide how much pressure to put on improving eating quality, and it wasn't that hard to adjust our program to make steady improvements in eating quality while controlling birthweight and at the same time improving growth and muscle.

"Now we make sure that our eating quality figures are better than the terminal average, and they easily are."

Mr Watt said the importance of first focus on moderate birth weight and fast growth meant that producers could reinvest in their enterprise.

"When profits are realised producers can make changes quickly, but you have got to have an animal with kilograms of growth to achieve that. There's not a lot of efficiency in slow growing lamb." he said.

The sale was led by Cowra agents Allan Gray & Co with AuctionsPlus following online.