AUSTRALIA’s largest Sire Evaluation Trial is holding its annual Field Day next Friday (April 11) and will showcase far more than leading sheep genetics.
Over the past 12 months, the Elders Balmoral Sire Evaluation Trial has also provided a platform for testing state-of-the-art technology, with results and demonstrations available for the public to see at the upcoming Field Day.
WOW is a fitting acronym for Sapien Technology’s ‘Walk Over Weighing’ system that has been in development for
the past 12 months.
The new developments in WOW technology provide the opportunity for real time management of stock health, with the use of weigh bridges and electronic ear tags. Individual animal weights are captured and results are delivered to a home computer.
Sire Evaluation Trial president Tom Silcock said “the potential management benefits from this technology are
exciting".
"This new technology can capture and report on any changes in animal health, long before the human eye
will pick them up," he said.
"This technology should provide producers the information to maximise growth and profit with early intervention made possible.”
A demonstration of this equipment and the newly-developed reporting systems will be on show at the Field Day.
The progeny from the 2013 trial were all mothered using three Dam Identification methods testing affordability,
efficiency and accuracy.
800 lambs were mothered using visual identification at birth, DNA and Pedigree Matchmaker, which utilises electronic ear tags to match the lambs to their mother.
“The results from this trial, success rates and correlations between these methods will be available at the Field Day and will be of interest to any flock animal breeder,” Mr Silcock said.
If “Supercharging the speed of genetic gain with juvenile in vitro embryo transfers” (JIVET) gets your attention, don’t miss guest speaker Andrew Michael, who discussing these ground breaking breeding methods which use DNA to identify superior breeding stock at merely weeks of age.
The JIVET program accelerates breeding programs with a one year old ewe lamb capable of already having produced 50 lambs to multiples sires.
The Field Day program will also feature an expert panel, keen to answer any questions on the various technologies tested through the trial, as well as the Sire Evaluation Trial itself.
Attracting 37 sires from Victoria, NSW, South Australia and Western Australia, the Western Victorian Merino trial continues to grow each year.
“The Field Day is an opportunity to showcase genetics, developments in grazing technology and importantly, to bring together the farming community to share ideas and network,” Mr Silcock said.
