Database of feed efficiency indicators of intensive fattening lambs of sheep breeds in Latvia in 2nd trial (A23) with-in the framework of the project of the Latvian Council of Science LZP-2021/1-0489 project

Project of The Latvian Council of Science (LCS) - LZP-2021/1-0489 project: “Development of an innovative approach to identify biological determinants involved in the between-animal variation in feed efficiency in sheep farming”.

The aim of the project is to determine whether the feed efficiency status of Latvian meat sheep breeds could be predicted using a panel of genetic and molecular markers previously found to be associated with divergent FE status in a training population of lambs when fed the same diet.

Novelty: to determine the parameters predicting the most productive result of lamb rearing, we set out to develop the cheapest and most effective method for determining markers of feed efficiency - based on molecular and genetic markers obtained from the blood of live lambs.

About the project:

The costs associated with lambing (buying or keeping sheep) and preparing or purchasing feed are the two most significant components of variable costs in sheep raising. Feed costs are high due to poor grain growing conditions in major producing countries, the use of feed grains in ethanol production, and increased competition for land in crop production compared to urban development. Feed efficiency in growing lambs (i.e., the animal’s ability to reach a market or adult body weight (BW) with the least feed intake) is a critical factor in the sheep industry. Improving FE reduces production costs. Improving FE by 5% can bring economic benefits up to four times higher than a 5% increase in average daily gain (ADG).

Traditionally, meat breeding programs have focused on outputs due mainly to the routine availability of phenotypic data on outputs or correlated traits. Currently, no marker has successfully explained enough of the variability in feed efficiency that they were used as part of a routine improvement program. According to our data, no genetic parameters for performance and feed efficiency traits are available for sheep. The physiological determinants of feed efficiency or putative biomarkers used to analyse animal-to-animal variation in live lambs could be a cost-effective and rapid tool for genetic selection or management decisions.

About the data of the project:

LZP-2021/1-0489 project data on lamb samples of the second year: 2023, or A23 group, which consists of 92 intensively fattened lambs from eight breeds, including LT breed, which were raised in the meadow and are semi-sibi lambs within the scope of the study.

The database contains data on ultrasonography measurements of lambs during the beginning and end of fattening, intensive fattening data - actual and calculated on the 90th and 150th day, the amount of feed used and slaughter data. Ultrasonography data were used to calculate muscle and/or fat depth changes at the 13th rib during the fattening period.

Based on the requirements of the breeding program of the breeds (LAAA, 2022), every year, the offspring of the sire ram, certified for breeding activity, are selected and analysed to estimate the sire rams. All lambs were born as twins, triplets or quadruplets from different ewes and health status was assessed before inclusion in the study so that there were at least two lambs per sire ram from the breed. This study was carried out in cooperation with the Latvian Sheep Breeders' Association at the ram breeding control station.

The data is the joint property of the participants of the LCS project: the University of Latvia and the Latvian University of Life Sciences and Technologies.