Thanks Mark you have given me something to work towards.
Mike On 1/10/2014 8:37 PM, Mark Wintermute wrote:
Hi Mike, We use separate breeding pens for each grouping of ewes and corresponding ram. My wife has created a massive program (not a PC platform) that seeks out the ewes that are the most unrelated to each ram used. This also leads to the lowest Wright's Coefficient of inbreeding for the resulting lambs. The program also promotes scrapies resistance by aiming for "QR", "KR" or "RR" outcomes and avoiding "QQ" outcomes. When this program has a difficult time finding ewes for a ram it is time for the ram to move on. Currently the OPP TMEM154 results are not factored in since it is so new to our farm. I have 11 foundation bloodlines that are completely distinct from each other. The most dominate bloodlines are from Carol Elkins' "Zane" and "St. Michael" along with my original "Dodge" Barbados Blackbelly ram line from 2001. Every year my Coefficient of inbreeding creeps a little higher as the 11 bloodlines meld together. At some point I will have to stop using so many rams due to all my help leaving for college and careers. So far I have used 104 rams to get to where I am today. Mark Wintermute
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