Sheep Researchers Report Progress
DENVER, Co. —lncreasing
lambing rates and ewes
with high reproductive rates are
the major sheep research issues
being addressed by U.S. animal
scientists. Several researchers
reported on current studies during
the annual meeting here of the
NC-111 Technical Committee for
Increased Efficiency of Sheep Pro
duction at the Stapleton Plaza
Hotel.
The NC-111 Technical Com
mittee is composed of animal sci
entists involved in sheep research
and education at state and federal
facilities throughout the nation.
The major emphasis of research
currently underway is on impro
ving embryonic survival and
reducing seasonality breeding in
sheep. A second area of emphasis
is the development of feeding
strategies for sheep with high
reproductive rates.
Several methods are being
researched to increase prolificacy
and embryonic survival in addition
to the reduction of seasonality in
sheep. One method is the proper
use of light to set conditions for
sheep to breed out of season.
A method currently being tested
is the use of malatonin. Rambouil
let, Dorset, Finnsheep and combi
nations of these breeds are being
tested with malatonin to control
sheep seasonality.
Several stations reported work
with the Booroola/Merinp breeds
to improve their prolificacy. Sci
entists have isolated a gene in the
Booroola that will improve the
average lambing rate to 1.7 or
more lambs. This is a single gene
trait.
“Fecundin,” a drug developed in
Australia, was reported to increase
prolificacy 30 percent. Further
investigation with this drug is con
tinuing in the United States.
Work is being done to increase
lambing rates. Understanding the
importance of the position of the
embryo and its migration through
the uterus will aid in increasing
lamb survival.
New tools, such as the use of
Protein-B, are being tested as
methods to diagnose early
pregnancy.
In developing feeding strategies
for sheep with a high productive
rate, research is being conducted
combining range management
technology and animal combina
tions including cattle, sheep, goats
and now camels! They are grazing
together on the Jornada Range in
New Mexico.
Value added bi-product feeds,
such as ammoniated wheat straw,
are being evaluated as alternative
forage legumes. Investigators have
found that legumes used in finish
ing diets improve lamb perfor
mance, especially when emphasis
is placed on the production of lean
yield.
Ram lamb carcasses have been
shown to have a more favorable
ratio of unsaturated fatty acids;
therefore meat from young ram
lambs came closer to approaching
current human dietary guidelines
than meat from ewes or wethers.
Evaluations on how ram lambs
fit into modem production systems
showed no difficulties in pelt
removal of ram lambs versus ewes
or wethers.
//
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lift
Lancaster Farming Saturday, July 16, 1986-D5
Government Funds To
Help Promote US Pork
Sales In Japan
DES MOINES, lA. Ameri
ca’s pork producers will get $l.B
million from the U.S. Department
of Agriculture’s Targeted Export
Assistance Fund (TEA) this year to
help promote more U.S. pork sales
in Japan. Deputy USDA Secretary
Peter Myers, during a news confer
ence at World Pork Expo in Des
Moines, announced an additional
$382,000 in TEA funds will go
into' the promotion program to
bring it up to the $l.B-million
level.
The TEA program is designed to
counter unfair foreign trade prac
tices that have an adverse effect on
U.S. agricultural products.
Secretary Myers, in making the
announcement that additional
TEA funds would be made avail
able, said, “We want to show the
Japanese housewife we have a
superior product - thatU.S. pork is
the best buy!”
Total U.S. pork exports to Japan
in 1987 were approximately 43.8
million pounds. That was a 62 per
cent increase over 1986. A number
of factors, including increased
promotion provided by the Meat
Export Federation in association
with the National Poik Producers
Council, is expected to substantial
ly increase U.S. pork exports to
Japan again this year. The promo
tional effort to identify U.S. pork
as a quality product to Japanese
consumers is funded with 100%
pork producer checkoff dollars.
The government TEA funds will
be used to supplement and
strengthen the program according
to Gerald Martens, Director of
Foreign Trade for the National
Pork Producers Council.
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