Summary of progeny genotype results.

Adoption of electronic identification ear tags (EID) and DNA testing by commercial range sheep producers in the Western United States has been low, despite the availability of these technologies for over a decade. Jointly, these technologies offer an approach to provide individual animal performance data to improve flock health, genetic and reproductive management. This project involved a collaboration with five California sheep producers representing a broad geographic range, varying levels of pre-project EID adoption, and diverse operational practices. Tissue samples were collected from, and ear EIDs were placed in, a total of 2,936 rams and their potential lambs. We partnered with a commercial packing company, Superior Farms, to genotype the animals. Superior Farms used a targeted genotyping panel to assign parentage, and link individual animal identification (ID) to camera-graded carcass measurements. This enabled the collection of individual progeny carcass data and provided insight into sire performance, providing for the within-flock identification of prolific sires that were producing lambs with significantly more saleable meat as compared to their flock mates. Overall, almost 91% of lambs were successfully matched to their sire, and prolificacy ranging from 0–135 lambs per ram. There was as much as an $80 difference in the average edible product from camera-graded carcasses derived from lamb groups sired by different rams. A partial budget analysis modeling investment in an EID system coupled with an autodrafter and scale to collect individual weights and improve labor efficiency during processing, and a sheep flip chute to improve worker safety during foot trimmings, yielded a greater than 7:1 return on investment over a five-year time frame. Ideally, the data collection enabled by EIDs and DNA testing would feed into data-driven genetic evaluation programs to enable selection for more productive and profitable animals, and allow the US sheep industry to accelerate the rate of genetic improvement.尽管电子识别耳标（Electronic Identification Ear Tag，EID）和DNA检测技术已问世十余年，但美国西部的商业牧场绵羊养殖户对其采用率始终偏低。二者联合应用可提供单只绵羊的个体性能数据，助力优化羊群健康管理、遗传管理与繁殖管理方案。本项目与加州的5家绵羊养殖户开展合作，这些养殖户的养殖地域覆盖范围广泛，项目开展前的EID采用水平各不相同，且运营模式各具特色。研究团队共计从2936只种公羊及其候选羔羊身上采集了组织样本，并为其佩戴耳部EID。本项目与商业屠宰加工企业Superior Farms合作，共同完成动物的基因分型工作。该企业采用靶向基因分型面板进行亲权鉴定，并将动物个体标识（ID）与摄像头分级的胴体测量数据相关联。此举实现了子代个体胴体数据的采集，并为种公羊性能分析提供了依据，进而可在羊群内部筛选出高产种公羊——这类种公羊所产羔羊的可售肉量显著高于同群其他种公羊的后代。整体而言，近91%的羔羊成功匹配到其父本，单只种公羊的产羔数范围为0至135只。不同种公羊所产羔羊群体的摄像头分级胴体，其可食用产品的平均收益差异最高可达80美元。本研究通过局部预算分析建模，模拟了多项投资方案：包括购置EID系统搭配自动分群设备与称重装置，以采集个体体重数据并提升加工环节的劳动效率；以及安装绵羊翻转架，以提升修蹄作业时的工人安全性。在五年时间范围内，该模型的投资回报率均高于7:1。理想状态下，通过EID与DNA检测获取的数据可接入数据驱动的遗传评估体系，助力养殖户筛选出生产性能更优、盈利能力更强的绵羊个体，进而推动美国绵羊产业的遗传改良进程提速。