- Triggs Progeny Trial Advantage
- Progeny Test Format
- Results from 2005/06 Trigg Progeny Trial
- Paper Presented at New Zealand Society of Animal Production on the TRIGG Progeny Test
- Resilience Research
TRIGG Romney Newsletter-oct 2006.pdf (799KB)
TRIGGS PROGENY TRIAL
ADVANTAGE
With an extensive ram hogget proving scheme, TRIGG Romneys are taking the gamble out of breeding for success with its extensive proving programme which gives the TRIGG breeders proven sires each year. It is a huge advantage knowing how your new 2th rams are going to breed where as in the past it was a guess that rams you kept would breed more profitable sheep.
The TRIGG progeny test for 2005/06 has shown Ram 671 delivers on all fronts for weaning weights, carcass weights and carcase values. The trials were conducted in co-operation with Massey University Professor of Animal Science Hugh Blair, Tricia Johnston, Roger Purchas and Clem Barton.
Premium weaning weights
The results showed ram 671 to have the best weaning weight. With a BV of 4.6 he was almost 1kg better than the next best sire.
Greater value added potential
As top ranking sire for Carcass Value BV, ram 671 delivered $11.63 more than the average lamb in the trial, and was almost $7.00 ahead of the next best ram sire.
Adjusting the carcass value to a constant weight allows this trait to be more easily identified. Ram 671 led the pack for adjusted carcass value, by $4.66 ahead of the average ram trialled. He not only delivers fast growing progeny, but also produces offspring with premium cut distribution.
The success of Ram 671 reflects the on-going results TRIGG is enjoying from the progeny programme, now in its sixth year and this ram has been extensively used within the TRIGG flocks.
CPT results reinforce TRIGG goals
The positive results for Ram 671 also tie in with the results TRIGG Romneys enjoyed with the latest Central Progeny Test (CPT). Here recorded performance placed Trigg Romney rams in two of the top four places as dual purpose rams for meat value and growth. The rams also topped the growth and meat value indices respectively.
Trigg Romney 232/01 was top for growth results in the dual purpose ram index with a growth index value of $70.57. The meat value index for Trigg ram 88/02 was valued at $70.90. This all shows that the Massey University designed progeny trial that TRIGG uses very accurately shows up the elite rams for the group to use.
Massey Professor endorses TRIGG success
Hugh Blair of Massey University says TRIGG Romneys is one of the first breeding groups to try and identify the heritability of high value meat yield.
“It is very reassuring to see TRIGG perform well in the CPT results. Without the success here it may well have been that we were doing our best with the worst genetics, but the CPT results show that is not the case.”
He says TRIGG‘s success relies on a group of breeders who have set a path for improved genetics and are determined to stick to it.