This week, we have another in our 'Ferg's thoughts' series. Dr Mark Ferguson talks us through the benefits of using EID and how it can help you make better decisions when selecting replacement ewes for your flock.
Weaning weight, condition scores, wool traits, reproductive performance, birth litter size ... The list of things you can record to an EID is endless.
To help reduce environmental 'noise', Mark recommends separating twins from singles when making replacement selections, so you're not judging twins against singles. This requires lambing twins and singles separately, and keeping them that way until marking/docking, so that you can identify them with tags (ideally EID).
There are plenty of other benefits of having EID, such as being able to mix up mobs and separate them again easily at any point. 'You don't have to worry about a dot on their back fading or being shorn off. Once it's on the EID, it's there forever.'
Mark also discusses Genesmith, technology we have been developing to match lamb to dam at a commercial scale, without the need for expensive DNA or collars.
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