UK genetics - what the farmers said

For UK genetics

David Raine, Bluefaced Leicester and Swaledale breeder and commercial lamb producer, Cumbria

• With so many UK breeds ‘to go at’, we should appreciate what we have and do more with it.
• We haven’t even ‘scratched the surface’ of the genetics within hill breeds or behind maternal traits.
• UK breeds are already adapted to the UK environment and climate
• Creating a flock of easier care sheep is 75 per cent management (e.g. strict culling regime) and only 25 per cent genetics.
• Importing a new breed is not an instant solution, as it takes 10-20 years ‘to sort out the dross’.

Derek Hall, Bluefaced Leicester breeder, Midlothian

• The UK stratification system has stood the test time and it is because we are so used to hybrid vigour that we take it for granted.
• Hybrid vigour has three benefits: economical (10-15 per cent better growth rates); environmental (faster finishing lambs mean less methane emissions); and social (more maternal ewes make the shepherd’s life easier).
• Stratification supports upland farms and losing sheep off the hills would mean no more payments to farmers for maintaining rural areas.

Neil McGowan, commercial lamb producer putting Texels on Lleyns, Perthshire

• The right sheep are here - all we need to do is find them. There are some amazing sheep in the UK that will live outside from October to April in a muddy puddle, produce triplets and not get bad feet.
• Selecting performance not looks will drive things forward with existing genetics.

Against UK genetics

Robyn Hulme, Suffolk breeder using New Zealand Suffolk genetics, Shropshire

• Current genetics are not profitable (hence so many people are leaving the industry) and will not help us tackle the big issues of reducing the sector’s carbon footprint and cutting labour and feed costs.
• It will take 10 years to adapt UK genetics so take a shortcut and import genetics that work.
• New Zealand has bred sheep that do not go lame, are resistant to worms, can finish off grass, meaning one man can manage 150.

Carroll Barber, Charollais breeder and breed society secretary

• The two most numerous breeds in the UK are from the continent (Texel and Charollais) so the contribution of imported genetics is evident.
• Imported breeds have driven lamb size, which is vital in an era when food shortages are likely.
• Imported breeds have encouraged native breeds to ‘raise their game’.
• Genetic improvement is quicker if you search the world for the traits you desire
• We have not have all the traits we need to meet future challenges.

Dewi Jones, managing director of Innovis, a breeding company

• UK genetics and stratification system is a start but we need imported genetics to drive improvement fast enough.
• Other countries use breeding companies and we could learn from that, as not enough UK pedigree breeders are culling hard enough and producing what the customer needs.

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