Friday 17th November – Lawrence Room

12.00 Lunch

12.30 Registrationdeskopens,andcheck-inavailable

14.00 WelcometoFriday’ssession– KimMatthews,AHDB

14.05 Signet Update–Samuel Boon AnupdateofSignetBreedingServicesactivityin2016 and2017,includinganupdateoftheterminalsire breeds’combinedbreedanalysis(CBA).

14.45 Levy boards’ plans for promoting sheep genetics UpdatesfromAHDB(KatieThorley), HCC(GwawrParry),QMS(EmilyGrant)and AgriSearch(ElizabethEarle).

15.15 RamCompare results–Liz Genever, Bridget Lloyd and Samuel Boon Asummaryoftheprojectandwhathasbeenachieved. Plusanintroductiontothepresentationoftheresults. Theresultswillbeavailableatthecoffeebreak.

15.45 CoffeeBreak

16.25 Questions on RamCompare–chairedby KimMatthews,AHDB ThepanelwillconsistofSamuelBoon,LizGenever andBridgetLloyd(AHDB),FionaLovatt(theEvidence Group),JohnBrocklehurst(Sainsbury’s)and AbbygailMoran(EGENES).

17.00 International sheep session – Focus on Iceland

Eyjólfur Ingvi Bjarnasonand Eyþór Einarsson,sheepproduction consultants,IcelandicAgricultural AdvisoryCentre. WithEmma Eyþórsdóttir,Associate Professor,TheAgriculturalUniversity ofIceland. eyjolfur@rml.is,ee@rml.isandemma@lbhi.is

Therearearound500,000sheepinIceland. EyjólfurandEyþórwillbeprovidingbackgroundtotheir industryandtherecentandcurrentactivitythathas beentargetinggeneticimprovement.

20.00 Drinks Reception–sponsoredbyAgriSearch, AHDB,HCCandQMS

20.30 Conference Dinner

TheAfterDinnerSpeakerwillbe Peter Hardwick(AHDB)–What does Brexit really mean for the sheep industry?

SHEEP BREEDERS ROUND TABLE 2017

Thinking positivelyBIENNIAL CONFERENCE 17 – 19 NOVEMBER 2017

AtEastwoodHall,MansfieldRoad,Eastwood,Nottingham,NG163SS

Chairman–JonathanBarber,Treasurer–ChrisLloyd,Secretary–LizGenever

Committee–SamuelBoon,HannahPark,GwawrParry,DougBell

#sbrt17 www.nationalsheep.org.uk/sbrt

Saturday 18th November – Lawrence Room

8.45 Registration

9.00 Jonathan Barber Chairman’sWelcome

9.10 1: Improving genetic gain – terminal traits ChairedbyKimMatthews,AHDB

9.20 Mike Coffey,ProfessorofLivestock Informatics mike.coffey@sruc.ac.uk

WithNicola Lambe,sheepgeneticist, SRUC,RoslinInstituteBuilding,Midlothian nicola.lambe@sruc.ac.uk

New carcase traits in genetic evaluations Mikewillbediscussingthecommercialbenefitsof RamCompareandwhatcouldbelearntfromthebeef industryintermsofindustry-deriveddata.

Nicolawillbediscussingthenewscanning recommendationsandthenewcomputed tomography(CT)derivedtraitsforrams.

9.55 Nóirín McHugh, Research Officer -Beefand SheepGenetics,TeagascMoorepark,Co.Cork noirin.mchugh@teagasc.ie

How to accelerate rate of gain Nóirínwillbehighlightingtheworkthatisbeingdoneby SheepIrelandtoincreasethegeneticpotentialofIrish rams.Shewilldiscusstheprojectthatiscomparingthe performanceofSuffolkandTexelramscomingfrom NewZealandandIreland.Shewillexplainhowtheyare usinggenomicstodeveloptheirevaluations.

10.25 Discussion

10.45 Coffeebreak

11.15 2: How to encourage more people to eat lamb ChairedbyPhilStocker,NSA

11.20 Rizvan Khalid,Seniordirector,EuroQuality LambsLtd,Shropshire rizvan@euroqualitylambs.co.uk

The potential of halal for the UK sheep industry Muslimsconsumeapproximately20%ofallthe sheepmeatsoldinEngland.Rizvanwillbediscussing thehalalsheepmeatmarketandfutureopportunities, includinghowconsumerdemandsarechanging.

11.45 Ed Smith,researchanddevelopmentproject manager,TexelSheepSociety, StoneleighPark,Warwickshire edsmith@texel.co.uk

WithNeil Clelland,livestockgeneticist, SRUC,RoslinInstituteBuilding,Midlothian neil.clelland@sruc.ac.uk

Genetic solutions to improve meat quality SRUC,TexelSheepSociety,ABPandMorrisonshavebeen workingtogethertounderstandthecomponentsofmeat qualityinlambsandwhethergeneticsolutionsare available.NeilandEdwillbediscussingtheprojectand whatitwillmeanforthesheepindustry.

12.10 Rachel Lumley,Cumbria r_lumley@hotmail.com,@rachellumley

Why increased consumer awareness and understanding of the sheep industry is our marketing key Rachelwillbediscussinghowsheisdevelopingasocial mediafollowingfor‘Sheep365’channelswhichenable thosewhoarekeentoengagewithawiderangeofpeople. Shewillbediscussingwhyshethinksawiderunderstanding ofsheepfarmingpractices,includingtheseasonalityofour industryisourkeytomarketingproductstoconsumers.

12.35 Discussion

12.50 Lunch(withopportunitytolookatthepostersand

submitquestionsforthepanelsessionafterlunch).

13.45 3: Panel session – How to get the industry to act positively Questionswillbesubmittedinadvancebythe audienceviapaperandTwitter.ChairedbyChris Lloyd.

ThepanelwillconsistofDewiJones,NeilMcGowan, FionaLovattandBryanGriffiths.

15.10 Coffee

15.40 4: Improving genetic gain – maternal traits ChairedbyDoug Bell,QMS

15.45 Mark Young,HeadofInnovation,Centre forInnovationExcellenceinLivestock, YorkSciencePark,York mark.young@cielivestock.co.uk

Genetic approaches to improving lamb survival Poorlambsurvivalisakeycauseofreproductive inefficiencyinflocksgloballywithnodetectable improvementoverthelastfortyyears.Markwill discusstheoptionsthatcouldbeused,basedonhis workwithSILinNZoverthelast15yearsand withhelpfromcollaboratorForbesBrienfrom UniversityofAdelaide.

16.30 Janet Roden,Independentgeneticist, Aberystwyth janetroden@btinternet.com

Using genetics to improve performance on hill farms Janetwilldiscussworkthathasbeenundertaken onsomehillfarmsinWalestoimprovethegenetics. Thisisspecificallyrelevantduetotheincreased competitioninthelightlambmarket.

16.45 George Cullimore,PerformanceRecorded LleynBreeders(PRLB)Group coombebarn@gmail.com

WithDr Karen Fairlie-Clarke,research associate,UniversityofGlasgow karen.fairlie-clarke@glasgow.ac.uk

Getting better at collecting what is required GeorgewillhighlighttheworkthatthePRLBgroup havebeendoingintermsofsupplyinglargequantities ofelectronicdatatoSignet.

Karenwilldiscusstheworkshehasdonewiththe PRLBgrouponusingIgAlevelsinsalivaasanew phenotypeforselectingforparasiteresistance.

TheywilldiscussplansforthenewIgAEBV.

17.00 Joanne Conington,LivestockGeneticist, SRUC,RoslinInstituteBuilding,Midlothian jo.conington@sruc.org.uk

Improving maternal traits in a terminal breed JowilldiscusstheInnovate-fundedprojectaimingto understandthegeneticandgenomicsolutionsto breedTexelewesmoreresistanttomastitis. Theprojectisalsolookingforgenomicsolutions tolameness.

17.15 Discussion

17.30 PosterSession-Authorswillbestandingby theirposter.

19.15 Wine Reception–sponsoredby SRUCandEGENES

20.00 DinnerDiscussiononthefutureofsheep industry–ledbyAHDB

Sunday 19th November – Lawrence Room

9.20 5: Data driving decisions ChairedbyDave Ross,Agri-EPIcentre

9.25 Huw Williams,sheepfarmer,BancFarm, Talley,Carmathenshire huw180@hotmail.co.uk

Effective methods of recording parentage in extensive systems HuwreceivedaHCCscholarshipin2015andvisited AustraliaandNewZealandcomparingdifferent methodsofDNAshepherdingandEIDtracking. Hewillbediscussingthemostappropriate technologiesfortheUK.

9.45 Aurélie Aubry,sheepresearchscientist, Agri-FoodandBiosciencesInstitute(ABFI), CountyDown aurelie.aubry@afbini.gov.uk

Working alongside farmers to drive innovation Auréliewillbetalkingabouttheresearchworkthat isbeingdoneatAFBIandonfarmsacrossNorthern Ireland,inparticularwithbreedingstrategies. ShewillmentiontheDataHubandhowthatcould drivegeneticimprovementinthefuture.Thetalk willprovideasummaryofhowthenewCIEL-funded feedingequipmentatAFBIisbeingusedto understandenergyandproteinrequirements, emissionsandfeedefficiencyforsheep.

10.05 Jasmeet Kaler,AssociateProfessorin EpidemiologyandFarmAnimalHealth, UniversityofNottingham jasmeet.kaler@nottingham.ac.uk

andGeorge Williamson,Agricultural ResearchManager,Dunbia,Belfast gwilliamson@dunbia.com

Thinking differently about how to collect health data JasmeetandGeorgewilltalkabouthowinnovative technologycanbeusedforrecordingandmanagement oflamenessandotherhealthdata.Theywillalso discussfindingsfromtheirresearchonfarmer’sbeliefs onadoptionoftechnology.

10.25 Discussion

10.40 CoffeeBreak

11.10 6: Doing our jobs better ChairedbyJames Ruggeri,HCC

11.15 Kate Phillips,independentsheep consultant,Shropshire katephillips58@aol.com

Improving the welfare and longevity of rams in commercial sheep flocks KatewillreportonthefindingsoftheAnimal WelfareFoundation-fundedprojectonramwelfare andlongevity.Theprojectteamworkedwith NationalSheepAssociationtogatherfeedback fromarangeofcommercialsheepfarmers,including whattheyexpectedfromramsintermsofeweto ramratioandlongevity.Shewilldiscussthe recommendationsforrambreedersandbuyersto ensureramshavealongandproductiveworkinglife.

12.00 Lesley Stubbings,LSSCLtd,independent sheepconsultant,Northamptonshire lesley@lssc-ltd.co.uk

How to maximise the potential of sheep production Lesley,alongwithNerysWright(AHDB)and researchersfromtheUniversityofNottingham, havecompletedafouryearAHDB-fundedproject onmaximisingweaningweightoflambs. Lesleywillbediscussingthefindings,particularlyin relationtobodyconditionscoringandweight targetsforlambsateightweeksand90daysofage.

12.45 Jonathan Barber Chairman’sClosingRemarks

13.00 Lunch