Workshops Australia – July 2016 MANAGEMENT

Environment - A Huge Factor in the Dohne Equation The high summer rainfall sour grassland of the Eastern Cape with its acid soils, high fibre and low nutrition, where the Dohne was developed, is the secret of its amazing productivity.

Environment - A Huge Factor in the Dohne Equation Generations of selection over 70 years in this hard environment has resulted in the inherent efficiency and hardiness of the Dohne—now perhaps the most productive sheep in the world!

Stud Management Programme A management and selection regime to improve genetically based commercial productivity     The ongoing improvement of the Dohne will depend on selection within a sensible commercial management regime.

- To ensure performance records are accurate and credible Level of Management Important – - To ensure rams and their progeny will be well-adapted to environments where they are used - To ensure performance records are accurate and credible Environment / Genotype Interaction When we measure production we are measuring the result of the interaction of the genotype with the environment in which the sheep are run.

Environment / Genotype Interaction Only under very good conditions will full genetic potential be expressed – Under harsher conditions the animal’s potential for “resistance to stress” is expressed . Resistance to stress Production potential Degrees of stress

Level of Management Important – Resistance to Stress = “adaptability” or “hardiness” Set Nutrition and Management of studs at a level that equates to conditions under which rams will get lambs This affords the correct balance between selection for high production potential and Potential for resistance to stress (hardiness and adaptability)

EXPOSE YOUNG RAMS TO NATURAL CONDITIONS UP TO TEST AGE AVOID ARTIFICIAL FEEDING AND HOUSING THE IDEAL—PADDOCK REARING IN LARGE MOBS

Hardiness has a high value in harsh environments Level of Management Important – Hardiness has a high value in harsh environments Well adapted animals produce more at lower cost Poorly adapted animals simply fail to produce Viable progress (from whatever source) will only be made through Selection for Improvement within the Constraints of the Environment EXPOSE YOUNG RAMS TO NATURAL CONDITIONS UP TO TEST AGE AVOID ARTIFICIAL FEEDING AND HOUSING THE IDEAL—PADDOCK REARING IN LARGE MOBS

Environment - A Huge Factor in the Dohne Equation An Australian had this to say after South African tour in 2005: “The one thing that really sticks in my mind about the tour is ,the huge factor the environment is in the Dohne Equation”.

Environment - A Huge Factor in the Dohne Equation An Australian had this to say after the.South African tour in 2005: “I know you've said it a million times and so have other people in Australia, but I've experienced it now and I feel the weight of the importance of this one factor.    I have a new and deeper respect for the breed, because I better understand  this important factor.”

Chronological schedule of operations to be performed:   At lambing Mark lambs, record parentage, date of birth, sex and birth status. Record all ewes that skipped. Record all stillborn lambs and lambs that died after birth. At 100 days Record weights, date of weighing and rearing status At 4 months Initial classing – shear all lambs to initiate fleece testing evaluation phase

Chronological schedule of operations to be performed: 12 Months of age – Shear young sheep for performance testing. Take mid-side fleece sample, for analysis Record fleece weight and days of growth Record shorn Body Weight Get the Performance Test Report

EXERCISE YOUR RAMS TO MAKE THEM FIT Chronological schedule of operations to be performed:   At 15-17 months: Final classing and selection . - Flock rams offered for sale in short wool with performance records - Own-use rams prepared for mating - Prepare rams selected for public sales EXERCISE YOUR RAMS TO MAKE THEM FIT  

Stud Management Programme - Amalgam Stud, Graaff Reinet Rainfall 250mm per annum—erratic Boom or Bust of natural food supply - Regular droughts  Breeding Goal: To produce Commercial sheep to convert Farm Resources into Cash Income (Maximum Profit per hectare)  

Stud Management Programme - Amalgam Stud, Graaff Reinet   Maximum return per ewe does NOT = Maximum return per hectare  Maximum Profit per ha. = Stocking density to optimise production per unit of feed  At this stocking density ewes face competition for feed. Ewes must be genetically adapted to these conditions To achieve this ewes are concentrated into large flocks of 1000 to 1500— exposed to this nutritional and environmental stress

Stocking Rate in relation to Production per Animal and Production per Hectare

Stud Management Programme - Amalgam Stud, Graaff Reinet Method:   Stud ewes run with Commercial ewes except for 35 days of joining and ± 42 days of lambing and tagging – then returned to large commercial flock Ewes are lambed on natural (sub-optimum) scrubland . No supplementation except in disaster conditions (where drought is so bad that wholesale deaths and abortion might occur) Top animals selected under these conditions are Guaranteed to perform in any environment

End Presentation or proceed if so desired

Practical pedigree and performance recording according to the South African system Software: South Africa: SHEPHERD – used by breeders to manage the entire recording system. It interfaces with the Dohne Society, the Fleece Testing services and the South African Stud Book Association ( http://gadi.agric.za/software/shepherd/shepherd.php ) Australia: SAPIEN technology. It can interface with all electronic tags and WiFi to your laptop for ease of use in the yards; also offers cloud storage and is very user friendly. .

Management for accurate production recording  Important principle: . Identical treatment of all animals (mating to testing) Groups must remain intact to test age  

Mating – Important principles: Random allocation of ewes to each sire . Individual mating is a requirement Duration of mating (maximum 34 days) To eliminate ewes that don’t conceive in this period To minimise age differences of lambs Mating lists - Record ewes mated to each ram and date ram in and out Scan for pregnancy two months after mating Cull empty ewes and identify twinning ewes

Lambing Record and mark lambs within two days of lambing Record birth dates, sex and birth status Eartags – a double tagging system preferable – one in each ear PR 16 . : 1234 = PR16.1234* *PR = Registered Breeder prefix 13 = Year of birth . or : signifies single or twin (or use “T” after number - 1234T) 1234 = consecutive number Allocate number series to each sire eg. Sire A 1 – 99 Sire B 100– 199 Sire C 200 - 299 etc. Submit Birth Notifications to the Society within 60 days of the birth of the last lamb. Lambs will be recorded on the System

Birth Notification produced by Shepherd software

Labour and time Intensive Prattley 2 way electric  auto drafter: Labour saving and accurate

Keep Group intact until Test Age Weaning weight – 100 days body weight record An essential record used to determine: Lamb’s growth potential to weaning Maternal and direct weaning weight EBV Ewe productivity index Keep Group intact until Test Age .

At 4 months lambs are sheared to initiate the Test Phase Grading of lambs The Dohne system requires that lambs must be assessed at 4 months of age with a lamb grade. aa - Lambs above average for body weight and breed type a - Lambs average or below average body weight and breed type b - Lambs below average weight and deviate from breed type c - Lambs with fault are culled – culling fault recorded aa and a lambs are retained for further evaluation. b and c lambs may be removed from the system At 4 months lambs are sheared to initiate the Test Phase .

Test Phase - Keep Group intact until Test Age (365 days) Shear the rams and ewes at 365 days of age Record Fleece Weight and initial and current shearing dates. Required to adjust to 12 months growth Take a mid-side sample (minimum 60gms) for analysis. Mark carefully with ear tag number of the animal .

Do not delay in sending this information for processing Test Phase - Keep Group intact until Test Age (365 days) Record shorn Body Weight and date Submit fleece samples for analysis and processing with the following information: Animal identity, sex, birth status and sire number Fleece weight with initial and current shearing dates Body weight and date of record Do not delay in sending this information for processing

Final Assessment The Server (database) will process the records and provide a report with the following Information: Weaning and 365 day Body weights with estimated breeding values (EBVs) Clean Fleece weight with estimated breeding values (EBVs) Fibre diameter and CV% with estimated breeding values (EBVs) The overall merit of the animal is based on the applicable Selection Index which combines these records according their relative values - General Merit – (GM) .

Final Assessment The Dohne system requires assessment by an official assessor at between 15 and 17 months of age when a final grade is awarded to each animal The final grade is based on the relative measured performance of the animal and its conformity to Breed Type AA - Animal above average for performance and breed type A - Animal average to below average performance and breed type B - Animal below average performance and deviates from breed type C - Animals with fault are culled – culling fault recorded

Registration – Rams The Assessor submits a Classing List to the Society which will register the AA and A animals on the Database and they become eligible for breeding purposes AA Rams are registered as Sires and may be used in Studs A Rams are approved as commercial flock rams B and C Rams are not acceptable for breeding purposes and should be culled

Registration – Ewes AA and A ewes are registered as Stud Ewes and are eligible for breeding purposes in the Stud B ewes are not registered and are commercial flock ewes C ewes are culled

Australia The Australian system - optional scanning for Muscle and Fat depth These records are taken at between 9 and 10 months of age and can form part of the Australian Selection Index These records enable selection for carcass quality .

Australia In Australia Final Assessment, based on breed type only, is done at 365 days of age before sheep are sheared for performance testing. Sheep retain their grade, irrespective of the performance.(Assessed Grade) After performance testing, sheep are allocated a Measured Grade based on measured standards The lower of Assessed and Measured Grade is registered as the Final Grade

Australia – modification of the grading system The Australian Dohne Breeders Assoc. recently modified their Grading system The “R” grade – Animals that qualify in terms of assessed and measured grades are recorded as “Registered” – the R-grade. Animals that do not qualify are graded “C “- culls Breeders may themselves select any R-grade ram as a sire – thus widening their choice. Breeders who elect to do so may continue to use the classification AA and A for animals offered on their public and private sales, but they remain R-grade animals on the register.

Principles and standards for selection in the next presentation Only after final grading should the group be divided, and animals selected for different purposes may be separated: Flock rams offered for sale in short wool with performance records   - Sires prepared for mating and for sale - Rams selected for public sales Young ewes prepared for mating Principles and standards for selection in the next presentation

Gestión para el registro exacto de la producción. Management for accurate production recording Gestión para el registro exacto de la producción. 1. All ews compared in a single lambing season 1. Todas las ovejas son comparadas en la misma temporada de parición.   2. Size of groups (at least 80% of lambs weaned) 2. Tamaño de los grupos (al menos el 80% de los corderos destetados)   3. Test age (minimum 12 months) 3. Evaluación de edad (mínimo 12 meses) 4.  Wool length (minimum 8 months growth 4. Largo de lana (mínimo 8 meses de crecimiento)