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Only 5% of sheep farmers in NI are using performance-recorded rams to sire lambs with improved terminal or maternal traits.
This is holding back genetic progress within local sheep flocks and costing the sector around £0.5m annually due to reduced performance, AFBI sheep researcher, Dr Aurelie Aubry told farmers at the Breeding for Performance event held in Draperstown Mart on Tuesday.
During her presentation, Aubry outlined how AFBI has linked up with performance-recording programmes in Britain and Ireland to increase the number of genetic evaluations of NI sheep.
The project – RamCompare NI – measures feed intakes and weight gains in lambs from various rams.
High genetic merit lambs also consumed 20% less feed
The long-term aim is to produce breeding rams with higher feed efficiency potential.
In its first year, lambs born from high genetic merit rams were, on average, slaughtered 12 days earlier than low genetic merit rams.
High genetic merit lambs also consumed 20% less feed.
Across the UK, around 40% of sheep farmers use performance recorded rams.
Lack of awareness, smaller flocks and more part-time farmers are preventing the NI sheep sector reaching similar levels.
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