Conformation under spotlight at breeders conference

Published date24 May 2023
Publication titleCentral Rural Life
A good turnout of about 30 breeders attended the three-day conference. The conference theme was undressing some of the challenges facing the sheep industry

On the second day delegates visited Lincoln University to watch registered structural soundness assessor and ultrasound scanner for the cattle industry, Bill Austin, go out of his comfort zone and assess Texel ewe hoggets for their structural soundness.

Conformation traits were looked at in the hoof, limb and body, while he appraised animals from the front, side and rear views.

He told breeders only with the use of ultrasound scanning or CT scanning could they really identify if top conformation was a result of an animal’s muscle structure.

At the workshop breeders discussed how conformational faults could be identified and scored, and the effect they could have on an animal’s ability to grow, lay down muscle and remain functional and productive.

Several Texel breeders are measuring intramuscular fat levels in their animals and the use of imaging technology and carcass analysis is expected to produce an animal sought-after by consumers.

The 16 ewe hoggets from about eight breeders are part of the Canterbury Texel Breeders Club’s ewe hogget performance...

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