Breeding value for low methane sheep by end of 2025

A new research project is aiming to see sheep breeding values for tackling methane emissions available to producers within two years.

Sheep breeding values for methane and feed efficiency will be available for producers within two years as the industry continues to grapple with carbon emission targets.

And while the individual traits will be developed, their use will almost certainly contribute to indexes rather than individual selection tools.

Meat and Livestock Australia sheep genetics manager Peta Bradley said the development of the traits was underway as part of a research project involving the University of New England and the NSW Department of Primary Industries.

The work is building on information already collected on research flocks across all breeds run at Armidale, NSW, and Katanning, Western Australia.

“All of the progeny going into the portable accumulation chambers to get methane measurements, and we also have feed intake facilities at both of those sites to record this information as well,” Ms Bradley said.

Meat and Livestock Australia sheep genetics manager Peta Bradley. Picture: Supplied

“The aim is to develop a research breeding value for feed intake and methane in sheep.

“The sheep projects going on record the data on informative animals we already know a lot about and are measured a lot of other traits.

“The idea is that we measure these animals for methane and feed efficiency as well.”

Ms Bradley said it was important to note that while the new breeding values were important, they needed to be in balance with other important productivity traits.

“These methane and feed intake breeding values are a chance for producers to begin to breed towards genetics which can actually offer a long term, permanent cumulative solution to challenges around methane,” she said.

“It is not an overnight solution to address methane concerns or anything like that, and the genetics could be used in balance with other additives in feed, which are either available or being developed.

“But genetics can also be playing away in the background.”