Q: What type of sheep are being tested?
I think there’s 168 ram lambs, born in spring last year. The lambs can go in the chambers 12 at a time.
Q: What time did the first lambs go in?
We started about 8amish. We had to wait for the power to come back on — the weather was pretty average. Luckily the trailer has got a roof.
Q: How are the lambs at spending 50 minutes in the chambers?
They are real relaxed and quite hard to get out. Most of them are lying down and quite happy. They don’t seem to mind at all.
Q: Has there being any interesting moments getting the flock measured?
No, it’s all gone pretty smooth, apart from it being hard to get them out because they are so relaxed.
Q: Did any of the lambs refuse to enter a chamber?
No, it’s been pretty easy.
After finishing at Massey University in Palmerston North in November last year. My parents live around here in Wharetoa.
Q: How have you found the work?
It’s been busy and interesting — I got here just before the ram sale so we had the preparation for that — there’s a lot that goes into it. It’s good though.
Cool sheep
The Cool Sheep programme is a three-year project supported by Beef + Lamb, AgResearch and the Ministry of Primary Industries, which aims to use genetic selection to accelerate the uptake of low-methane sheep among commercial farmers and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the New Zealand flock.
Sheep get their methane breeding value measured in a portable accumulation chamber.
A dozen animals could be tested at a time and spend about 50 minutes in the chamber.
AgResearch provides the measurements and Beef + Lamb New Zealand Genetics delivers the breeding values to ram breeders.
The programme pays the full cost of methane measurements for eligible breeders.
There was an expectation of between 120 and 168 animals being tested during one visit including the evaluation of between 12 and 15 offspring per sire.
SOURCE: BEEF + LAMB
