As bull and ram sales kick off across southern Australia, now's the time to use the tools available to select high-performing sires that will boost productivity.
According to MLA Project Manager – Livestock Genetics, Clara Bradford, using genetic tools to pre-select sires that meet your breeding objectives before the actual sale is key to selecting sires that will perform for your business.
"It's really important to make sure that you've done your homework before you go to a sale," Clara said.
"Using MLA's 'How do I shop for a high performing bull?' and 'How do I shop for a high-performing ram?' tutorials are a great first step to remind yourself of what steps to take and what traits to consider when choosing your sires this season.
"Going through the sale catalogue before sale day and narrowing down a list of just a few sires to look at on the day which really meet your breeding objectives can also help ensure you get an animal that fits your business."
Aligning objectives
Speaking to the seedstock breeder about their breeding objectives and sire performance can also give producers an edge in selecting bulls and rams that will perform.
"Having a conversation with the breeder you're purchasing from will help ensure you're buying animals that fit your production system and the environment you're actually operating in," Clara said.
"Making sure your breeding objectives are aligned with the objectives the breeder was aiming for in those sires is the key to selecting animals that will survive and perform in the challenges of your particular area, from high rainfall to high worm burdens, for example."
Be safe and BULLCHECK™
As well as ensuring a sire meets breeding objectives, Clara said requesting the necessary veterinary assessments have been performed on sires is essential to selecting healthy, high-performing animals on sale day.
The Bull Breed Soundness Evaluation (VBBSE, or BULLCHECK™) is one of these key checks, which provides an indicator of a bull's fertility through extensive tests on mating ability, sperm morphology, and physical deformities that may affect breeding capacity or offspring health.
"Purchasing bulls that have had a BULLCHECK™ completed by a veterinarian or other certified professional prior to sale is strongly recommended," Clara said.
"This is another good way to make sure the bulls you're buying are structurally fit and sound to do the job they're being purchased to do."
Look out for Weaning Rate (WR)
When it comes to purchasing rams this season, Merino and maternal ram breed buyers can look forward to seeing a new breeding value in sale catalogues to help them select top-performing sires with greater certainty.
"The new Weaning Rate (WR) breeding value has replaced the Number of Lambs Weaned (NLW) breeding value for Merino and maternal sheep breeds this year," Clara said.
"WR pulls together its three component traits of ewe rearing ability, conception and litter size into one number, which represents the predicted number of lambs weaned per ewes joined.
"This breeding value will be displayed in sale catalogues for Merino and maternal breeds this ram selling season."
Keep stock safe to see results
At the end of the day, when sales are done and sires have been purchased, Clara said taking steps to ensure the successful introduction of new sires into the herd or flock was a further necessary step to seeing productivity gains through the next season and beyond.
"It's important to have done your homework before the sale to select sires that meet your breeding objective, but it's also crucial to take the necessary post-sale steps too," Clara said.
"This includes safe loading and transport of the animal, as well as making sure that when you get that bull or ram home that it goes through the necessary quarantine period and isn't just put straight in the paddock."
