Friday 20th November
12:00 Lunch
12:30 Registrationdeskopensandcheck-inavailable
14:00 Signet Update–SamuelBoon
AnupdateofSignetBreedingServices activityin2014/2015
Maternal Trait Update
ResearchersfromSRUCwillreportonwork relatingtotheanalysisofmaternaltraits: • Maternalabilityandlittersize– KirstyMoore • Ewelongevityandlambsurvival– JoConington
15:00 Combined Breed Analysis
AnupdateontheCombinedBreedAnalysis forTerminalSiresproposedatSBRT13and anopportunityfordiscussion. • Researchfindings–KirstyMoore,SRUC • RamCompare–LizGeneverand SamBoon,AHDBBeefandLamb
16:15 Teaandcoffee
17:00 International sheep session – Focus on Norway
ThorBlichfeldt,HeadofBreedingandAI fortheNorwegianAssociationofSheepand GoatBreeders(NSG) [email protected]
Norwaywasoneofthefirstcountries toengageinco-operativebreeding schemes.Thorwillprovideanoverview oftheNorwegianrecordingsystemandtalk abouttheimportanceofworkingtogether toachieveacommonbreedinggoal, throughco-operationandcentralised decision-making.
20:00 Drinks Reception – sponsored by AHDB Beef and Lamb, HCC and QMS
20:30 Conference Dinner
TheAfterDinnerSpeakerwillbeJohnScott, FarmersWeeklySheepFarmeroftheYear 2014andchairofQMSSheepIndustry Group
SHEEP BREEDERS ROUND TABLE 2015
Get better or get goneBIENNIAL CONFERENCE 20 – 22 NOVEMBER 2015
AtEastwoodHall,MansfieldRoad,Eastwood,NottinghamNG163SS
Chairman–JonathanBarber,Treasurer–ChrisLloyd,Secretary–LizGenever
Committee–SamBoon,JoanneBriggs,LunedEvans,MichaelBlanche
For further information on Sheep Breeders Round Table
Please contact: Karen Morris on 0247 647 8828 or [email protected]
#sbrt15 www.nationalsheep.org.uk/sbrt
Saturday 21 November
8:45 Registration
9:00 Jonathan Barber Chairman’sWelcome
9:10 1: What did the review of genetic improvement tell us? ChairedbyPhilStocker,NSA
9:20 Kim Matthews,HeadofR&D, AHDBBeefandLamb,Stoneleigh [email protected]
WithPaul Westaway,chairofAHDBBeef andLambR&Dcommitteeandbeeffarmer fromGloucestershire [email protected]
Why was the review needed?
AHDBBeefandLambfundedareviewof geneticimprovementforthebeefandsheep industry,withspecialreferencetothe potentialofgenomics.Kimwillprovidea backgroundtowhythereviewwasdoneand highlightthekeymessages.Paulwilldiscuss whatthereviewmeansfortheindustry.
9:55 Eamon Wall,manager,SheepIreland, Bandon,Co.Cork [email protected]
What have been the outcomes in Ireland?
Irelandwentthroughasimilarprocessin 2008andmajorchangeshaveoccurred. Eamonwillbediscussingwhattheydidin thefollowingyearsandwhattheirplansare.
10:25 Discussion
10:45 CoffeeBreak
11:15 2: Making the rumen more efficient ChairedbyKimMatthews,AHDBBeef andLamb
11:20 Jamie Newbold,ProfessorofAnimalScience andDirectorofResearch,IBERS,Aberystwyth, Ceredigion [email protected]
Are we ever going to win the war against the rumen?
Jamiewillbediscussingresearchworkon manipulationoftherumenmicroflorato impactonmethaneemissions.Hewillalso talkabouttheimpactofrearingsystemson therumenpopulation.
11:45 Jimmy Hyslop,Beefandsheepconsultant, SACconsulting,BushEstate,Midlothian [email protected]
What have we learned about measuring Net Feed Efficiency in beef cattle?
JimmyhasbeenworkingwiththeStabiliser CattleCompanyonaTSB-fundedprojecton netfeedefficiency.Hewilldiscusshowwe shouldthinkaboutfeedefficiencyandprovide guidanceforsimilarinitiatives.
12:10 Nicola Lambe,sheepresearcher,SRUC, RoslinInstituteBuilding,Midlothian [email protected]
Can we measure feed efficiency in sheep?
Nicolahasbeeninvestigatingtheoptionsto measurefeedefficiencyinsheepandgoats. Shewilldiscussthechallengesandpossible optionsfortheUK.
12:35 Discussion
12:50 Lunch(andopportunitytolookattheposters)
13:45 3: The debate – “We should give up recording hill sheep” ChairedbyChrisLloyd,AHDBBeefandLamb
13:50 Will Haresign,retiredlivestockgeneticist, IBERS [email protected]
For the motion–Investmentshouldfocus onthosebreedsthatwishtoengagewith performancerecording,wheregeneticgains overthelastdecadehaveledtoasignificant returnoninvestment.
13:55 Jo Conington,livestockgeneticist,SRUC [email protected]
Against the motion–Geneticvariationin hillbreedswillleadtoeconomicbenefits totheUKsheepindustry.
14:00 John Yeomans,sheepbreeder,Newtown, Powys [email protected]
For the motion–Wehavetriedavariety ofoptions,butitisstillnotworking.
14:05 Samuel Wharry,sheepbreeder,Carnlough, Co.Antrim,NI [email protected]
Against the motion–Weneedtoexploit thegeneticpotentialofhillbreeds,butthere arethingsbreedersneedhelpwith.
14:10 Discussion
15:10 Coffee
15:40 4: Innovate from within ChairedbyMikeCoffey,SRUC
15:45 Ron Lewis,ProfessorofAnimalBreeding andGenomics,UniversityofNebraska– Lincoln [email protected]
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Sheep breeding in the US
RonwillgiveabriefoverviewoftheUS sheepindustry,describingsuccessesand challengesinitsgeneticimprovement programmeandopportunitiesthatlieahead.
16:15 Carroll Barber,sheepbreeder,Wymondham, Norfolk [email protected]
The rise, fall, rise and future of co-operative breeding programmes
Carrollwillbediscussingwhathashappened inthe25yearssinceSireReferenceSchemes began.Shewillindicatewhatworked andwhatdidn’t,andwhathasbeenlearnt. Shewillhighlightwhatthefuturemaybring.
16:35 Shaun Hall Jones,sheepproducer, Carmarthenshire [email protected]
Genetic Improvement – The Future of a Profitable Sheep Enterprise?
ShaunwasanHCCscholarin2013and travelledtoNewZealand.Hewillbe discussingthefindingsofhisscholarshipand howhehaschangedhisbusiness.
16:55 Mike MillerN.Sch.,sheepproducer, Blandford,Dorset [email protected]
Matching the breed to the system, or vice versa
MikehasrecentlycompletedaNuffield Scholarshiponwinteringoptionsforewes. Hewillbediscussingtheradicalchangesto hissysteminthelastfewyearsandwhathe learntfromhisNuffieldtrips.
17:15 Discussion
17:30 Poster Session Authorswillbestandingbytheirposter.
19:15 Wine Reception– sponsoredbySRUC
20:00 Dinner FeaturingtheinauguralSBRTawards– categoriesincludebestposterandbest audiencequestion.
Sunday 22 November
9:20 5: Future gazing ChairedbyLynfaDavies,HCC
9:25 Joe Angell,researcher,UniversityofLiverpool [email protected]
Dealing with Contagious Ovine Digital Dermatitis
Joewillbetalkingabouttheworkthatis beingdoneattheUniversityofLiverpoolon CODD.HewillalsobereportingonhisPhD projectthatislookingattreatmentoptions andwillpresentearlyconclusionsfrom hiswork.
9:45 Mike Stear,ProfessorofImmunogenetics, UniversityofGlasgow [email protected]
Testing for parasite resilience
Mikewillbediscussingfindingsfromaproject validatingwhethersalivacanbeusedasa proxyforfaecaleggcounting.Hewillbe talkingaboutotheroptionsforcollecting phenotypesforparasiteresilience.
10:05 Neil Clelland,SRUC,RoslinInstituteBuilding, Midlothian [email protected]
What do new CT measurements tell us?
NeilwillbediscussinghisAHDBBeefand Lamb,SRUC,HCCandQMS-funded PhDonusingcomputedtomographyto predictmeatqualityinsheepbreeding programmes,aswellasreferringtorelated workonspinelengthandvertebraenumber.
10:25 Discussion
10:40 CoffeeBreak
11:10 6: To do list ChairedbyJohnScott,QMS
11:15 Fiona Lovatt,sheepvet,Eggleston,Barnard Castle,CoDurham [email protected]
Are we sure that fertility tests are working?
Fionawillbetalkingaboutdevelopingnew SheepVeterinarySocietyrecommendations onramfertilitytestingforvets.Shewill provideinformationonaprojectsheis workingonabouttherepeatabilityand reliabilityofscrotalmeasurements.
11:45 Mike Coffey,ProfessorofLivestock Informatics,SRUC,RoslinInstituteBuilding, Midlothian [email protected]
Using abattoir derived carcase data within breeding evaluations
Mikewillbediscussinghowcommercialdata hasbeenusedwithinbeefbreeding evaluationsandpossibleoptionsforsheep evaluations.
12:15 Donagh Berry,Quantitativegeneticist, Teagasc,Moorepark,Co.Cork [email protected]
What are the potential genomic solutions for the sheep industry?
Donaghwillbediscussinghisworkon genomicsinthebeef,sheepanddairyindustry, andoutlininghowgenomicapproachescould benefittheIrishsheepindustry.
12:45 Jonathan Barber Chairman’sClosingRemarks
13:00 Lunch
