Courtesy of Gabby Sherring, LAMBPLAN Development Officer
Annually Sheep Genetics implements enhancements to the LAMBPLAN evaluation to provide breeders with the latest tools to make genetic gain. This year the Sheep Genetics analysis will undergo significant enhancements that breeders can expect to see results from in early May. The enhancements that impact the Terminal LAMBPLAN analysis include:
the redevelopment of our Sheep Genetics database systems
improved accuracy calculation logic
refinement and rollout of the Data Quality Score (DQS) and Ramping Up Genetic Gain Reports
Terminal Index update to include Lambing Ease
Enhancements to the Sheep Genetics website including reporting of results
The redevelopment of the Sheep Genetics database systems
The database redevelopment will involve consolidating the LAMBPLAN, MERINOSELECT and Research databases into a single data warehouse. As many of us know, there have been significant advances to technology since LAMBPLAN was created more than 30 years ago, and the volume of LAMBPLAN records, especially since the inclusion of genomic information have become available, has grown extensively. From early May LAMBPLAN runs will be created from the new Sheep Genetics database. This will also put us in a good place to integrate the Sheep Genetics data with data from other parts of the sheep supply chain, such as NLIS and processors, when it becomes available.
What you can expect to see: Breeders can expect to see some movement in their breeding values as a result of enhanced ways of exporting the data to the analysis.
Improved accuracy calculation
The growing number of genotypes in our LAMBPLAN and MERINOSELECT evaluations pose issues with computational time for our runs. There has been extensive development work to improve the logic in the evaluation to make sure we can still provide you with breeding value results within 10 days of a run cut off. One of the developments being implemented this year is the improved accuracy calculation logic. This is the way in which we calculate the accuracy that is published along with all ASBVs and indexes.
What you can expect to see: Breeders can expect to see small movements in the accuracy published alongside their breeding values.
Rollout of the Data Quality Score
We have been road testing the Data Quality Score at multiple Regional Forums and breeder events, gathering your feedback on what you love and would like to improve on. We have developed the Data Quality Score to be included in the Ramping Up Genetic Gain reports, which will be ready for Sheep Genetics clients to access on the search site in early May. If you’d like help to interpret your DQS, please reach out to Sheep Genetics.
What you can expect to see: Breeders and their service providers can routinely access the Data Quality Score and Ramping Up Genetic Gain report via the results section of the Sheep Genetics website. These reports will be refreshed every run.
Inclusion of Lambing Ease in all Terminal Indexes
Sheep Genetics undertook an index review, where we surveyed a range of people from the sheep industry about our indexes in each of the analyses. This review highlighted the industry’s desire to emphasise the importance of improving weaning rates and reducing lambing losses at birth. To incorporate this feedback into our indexes, we have included the Lambing Ease (LE) ASBV into all Terminal indexes (TCP, EQ and LEQ) . Having LE included will allow reduced mortalities of lambs, less labour required for lambing assistance and increased weaning rates.
What you can expect to see: Breeders can expect to see some movements in the TCP, EQ and LEQ indexes as a result of the inclusion of the LE ASBV in the index. These changes are small and generally impact those animals with an unfavourable LE breeding value.
Enhancements to the Sheep Genetics website
Members of Sheep Genetics will access their results reports via the Sheep Genetics search site. When you submit data to Sheep Genetics via email as normal, you will receive an email notification back to notify you that results are ready to view. On the search site, you will be able to view all the results reports you see currently, with the added bonuses of customising traits, exporting to pdf, and additional data break downs. There are also additional new features that are being added to the search site. These include more reportable traits, ways to assign service provider permissions and more.
What can you expect to see: An email when results from a LAMBPLAN run is complete which will direct you to log in into the search site to access your results. Here you will find customisable reports to access your results.
For all of these enhancements, Sheep Genetics will be hosting online webinars over the coming weeks and will also have fact sheets available. To ensure that you are prepared for the changes please register to attend a Sheep Genetics webinar and upcoming Regional Forum to hear more. To sign up for Sheep Genetics communications please head to sheepgeneitcs.org.au/news/
+61 (2) 8055 1830
https://www.sheepgenetics.org.au/
