Suffolks genetics heading in the right direction

摘要

Producers invariably question hich breed they should use when camming ways to improve their production system. The usual advice is that scientific data shows that the variation within breeds is greater than the variation between breeds; ie breed is not important. But the question continues to be asked, maybe because producers have certain likings for breeds or turning to breed is a quick fix for a breeding program. Within breed variation is fortunate because it allows producers to express their liking for a particular breed in ram selection and still find the sire to meet their market needs. Suffolk's are widely used as terminal sires and they are crossed with first cross or Merino ewes in a range of Australian environments. The Suffolk is a seasonal breeder with ewes showing peak ovulation and oestrus activity in autumn; rams will join at any time of the year. Suffolk breeders claim the ability to produce fast growing lambs that grow to 22kg to 24kg without getting too fat.