EBLEX award for Meatlinc breeder
News from the EBLEX Sheep Better Returns Programme
Herefordshire sheep producer wins top award
Arable and livestock producer Edward Vines, who farms 184ha near Ross on Wye, Herefordshire, has won the EBLEX Most Progressive Flock Award for his Meatlinc sheep.
Organised through the Sheep Better Returns Programme, this award is presented to the producer whose performance recorded flock has shown the most impressive improvement in genetic merit, over a twelve month period, within the breed.
Mr Vines has been involved with the Meatlinc breed for nearly 40 years – using rams on his commercial ewe flock in the 1970’s, and breeding pure bred stock since1980. He now runs 300 Meatlinc ewes alongside a commercial flock of 400, which produce lambs for Sainsbury, marketed through the May Hill Lamb Producer Group.
“I am driven by the desire to improve the growth rate and muscle of the lambs our animals produce,” says Mr Vines. “To a commercial sheep producer, weight is money in the bank – and if his stock reach the finished weight two weeks earlier than usual, then that is money in the bank sooner.
“Of course we are also looking at other traits too – such as leanness of carcase, longevity and good legs – but finished weight and muscle depth are the most important.”
Top ram
Mr Vines owns the current top rated ram for the Meatlinc breed. Figures for this animal’s Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) show just how much better he is from the best of the rest.
As a lamb he achieved a 21 week weight EBV, without creep feeding, of 9.96kg, 0.73kg more than the average for the top 10% of the breed. His muscle depth EBV of 5.54mm was 0.11mm greater than the other top animals.
Now his outstanding genetics are being passed on to the next generation. A ram he sired last year has attained a 21 week weight EBV of 12.31kg, with a muscle depth EBV of 7.6mm.
“EBVs are incredibly useful because they clearly show the merits of using one ram over another – and how much extra farmers can potentially earn by using a proven sire over one whose background is unknown,” Mr Vines explains.
“We have very strict selection criteria – half the purebreed ram lambs born will be disposed of, because they do not achieve the level of performance we require. Only 130 will make it through the selection process in their first autumn – by the time we get to selling them the following year, this figure is nearer 100.”
The Meatlinc breed thrives with minimal intervention – and Mr Vine’s pure breds are cared for as those in the commercial enterprise. When customers come to view his rams, they see them in their ‘working clothes’ he says.
“Some farmers have been buying from us for over 20 years and we put a lot of effort into customer service. They can come and choose their rams from the lamb crop in May. We will then deliver them exactly when they want them, fully MOT’d and ready to go in the autumn.”
Benefits too big to ignore
“Buying rams with known, superior EBVs, allow commercial producers to correct any weak areas and significantly enhance the performance of their own flocks, over a short period of time,” says EBLEX sheep breeding specialist Samuel Boon. “Quite frankly, the benefits of using better genetics are just too big to ignore.”
“I congratulate Edward for the valuable work he is doing with the Meatlinc breed. By focussing on traits that really matter, and collecting useful information about his animals, he is making it easier for his commercial customers to find a ram they know will have a positive impact on their enterprise.”
Visit www.eblex.org.uk for more information
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