Data Logger for Genetic Gain

Genetic Gains was established in 1995 to contribute to the genetic improvement of the New Zealand sheep industry by helping to identify animals with the best genes, distributing quality genetic material from proven superior animals, promoting the benefits of the use of elite genes and encouraging their use through the provision of quality animal breeding services which meet the needs of New Zealand sheep breeders. The business became a registered company in 1999, and now has five part time seasonal staff. It is owned and operated by Julia Aspinall.

Julia grew up on Mount Aspiring Station. In 1979 she graduated from the University of Otago with a BHSc and worked as a breeding technician at MAF, based in Mosgiel.

She moved to Canada in 1982 and studied and worked at the University of Guelph, completing a Masters Degree in Science.

Back home in New Zealand Julia applied and developed her knowledge and skill as a breeding technician working with many businesses – including Aspiring Animal Services, Agrienix, MAF and Ag Research.

She was actively involved in implementing embryo transfer programmes for sheep and also developed commercial sheep artificial insemination and embryo transfer services. She then became a breeding consultant.

In 1995 Julia established Genetic Gains and began independently contracting her services and expertise to organisations and clients both in New Zealand and overseas, while also managing the Woodlands Artificial Breeding Centre for Ag Research.

In 1999 Genetic Gains acquired the Woodlands Animal Breeding Centre and became incorporated as Genetic Gains Limited. The land, buildings and some of the equipment is leased from AgResearch. In 2001 the business also became responsible for the Invercargill Sheep Improvement Limited Bureau, one of eight bureaux in New Zealand.

Services offered by Genetic Gains Limited currently include the operation of a Sheep Improvement Limited (SIL) performance recording bureau, the Woodlands Artificial Breeding (AB) Centre and the provision of artificial insemination (AI) and embryo transfer (MOET) services.

At the Woodlands AB Centre, semen from elite rams is collected, processed, stored or marketed and distributed. Some of the rams visiting the Centre are chosen by breeder groups such as the APEX Coopworth sire referencing group, who nominate 2 to 3 of their top sires as semen donors each year. This enables Coopworth breeders nation- wide to make use of some of the best genetics in New Zealand, and to establish a LINK for sire referencing. Individual breeders also use the services, as semen collection and storage is the ultimate insurance policy for ram breeders.

If the ram dies, they still have access to the genes from their top ram through AI. Some individuals choose to store semen for their own use, others benefit from sales to other breeders within New Zealand or internationally. Sometimes the company sees an opportunity for the sale of semen from a particular breed, or receives orders for semen from overseas so go in search of a breeder who has animals with the required traits.

All animals coming to the Woodlands AB Centre must be thoroughly checked by a vet to ensure they are in perfect health. Blood tests and faecal samples are also taken and sent to an animal health lab for testing. Only animals which pass all the required tests are admitted to the AB Centre. This precaution not only ensures that the breeder’s valuable rams are not exposed to health problems carried by other animals they may be in contact with, but also allows the centre to keep its MAF certification. Without this certification, semen collected in the centre would not be eligible for export. During their stay at the centre, rams are frequently monitored for live weight and health to ensure they receive the best of care.

Rams need to be trained for semen collection, as not all are used to the intensive handling and initially can be very shy. Once trained, collection and processing can begin. Many quality control checks are carried out at various stages of the processing. Semen which passes all the quality control checks can then be stored, marketed and distributed to domestic or foreign sheep breeders.

Of course, semen is no use to breeders unless they also have access to a trained experienced technician who can inseminate the ewe for them. Frozen/thawed semen must be inseminated using a laparoscopic technique, which allows the semen to be deposited directly into the uterus. The provision of AI and MOET services by Genetic Gains Ltd working in association with Premier Genetics NZ Ltd allow sheep breeders to organise all their artificial breeding needs through the one company, which simplifies the procedure and saves costs. Although the company distributes ram semen to destinations throughout New Zealand and world wide, due to geographical restrictions most of their AI and MOET is done in the lower half of the South Island of New Zealand.

A small amount of international work is done, and for the last three Septembers Julia has travelled to Oregon, USA to inseminate sheep. Most of the semen used there has been exported from New Zealand by Genetic Gains, and American breeders are thrilled to have the opportunity to use these genes. The resulting progeny thrive exceptionally well compared to home bred animals, at least in some flocks.

It is mostly stud breeders who use AI but it is not extensively used, even though breeders from some breeding groups have noted that group members who have used AI have achieved the highest rate of genetic gain in their flocks. This results in a higher level of production from those flocks, the obvious outcome being higher profitability as well. The benefits are often even greater for the ram clients of breeders using AI, especially if they have larger flocks, as the quality genes are passed on from the rams to the next generation. This results in faster growing and better quality lambs for slaughter, and higher producing breeding ewes retained in the flock. Combined with good farm management, these factors help the balance sheet to look healthier at the end of the year!

Genetic Gains Ltd sees marketing of ram semen as a key to the uptake of the technology, as breeders need to know what genes are available. The company therefore produces a ram semen catalogue annually. This is posted to about 200 breeders who have previously shown interest in ram semen or AI, and another several hundred breeders receive a letter each year informing them that a catalogue featuring sires of the breed relevant to them is available.

Only quality sires are included in the catalogue. They must have either been proven to produce quality progeny through a sire referencing scheme, progeny test or within flock recording, be from a breed new to New Zealand, or if it is a young unproven sire it must be predicted to be top quality through SIL breeding values.

So that the catalogue includes a reasonable range of breeds, Genetic Gains Ltd will sometimes approach breeding groups or individual breeders to encourage them to put elite sires forward as semen donors so that they can be included in the catalogue. Semen processed at other reputable AB Centres can also be included in the catalogue, which means that rams from other areas can also be advertised. The owner of the ram benefits from the free advertising, and also benefits financially from semen sales.

MOET results in an even faster rate of genetic gain, as progeny resulting from this technology have the benefit of elite genes from their mother’s side as well as from their sire.

Currently it is mainly stud breeders who use the AI and MOET technology, but only a very small percentage. Those who do can benefit from an increased rate of genetic gain, which possibly has an even bigger advantage for their ram clients who have good farm management skills.

Sheep breeders who still use notebooks in the lambing paddock are to be offered a hand-held “computer” for collecting their data.

Julia Aspinall, of Southland animal breeding and data processing company Genetic Gains, says records of lambs born to specific sheep had to be transferred manually to recording sheets, then sent to a bureau where the information was downloaded to a computer and analysed.

Ms Aspinall says her company, which is part of the Sheep Improvement (SIL) group, plans to launch a hand-held data logger for farmers to use in the coming lambing season.

Hand-held data loggers became available about 10 years ago, but few breeders had adopted the technology, she said, but Dunedin computer programmer Craig McKenzie has developed an improved device which will be released to breeders on July 26.

“I’m confident it will be accepted,” said Ms Aspinall. “It will save breeders hours of time and improve accuracy.”

Once entered on the data logger, which has been designed specifically for SIL users, breeding and performance records can be forwarded by e-mail or put on a computer disk and posted. “It will save us a lot of processing time, which will help reduce our service cost to clients,” said Ms Aspinall. Stud breeders with large flocks of recorded ewes would find the technology especially useful.

SIL is a joint venture between Woolpro and Meat New Zealand which has created a sheep genetics database to take the guesswork out of sheep breeding. It brings together 25 years of data on over 2000 flocks, with an average of 20 items recorded on each of millions of animals.

Analysis of the data allows comparison of genetic trends between years, between sheep age groups and across flocks and breeds.