Impact of sire on the lifetime susceptibility of their progeny to breech strike in a Mediterranean environment
J. C. Greeff A D , A. C. Schlink B and L. J. E. Karlsson CA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Western Australia, 3 Baron Hay Court, South Perth, WA 6151, Australia.
B 29 Carrick Street, Woodlands, WA 6018, Australia.
C RMB 314, Bridgetown, WA 6255, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: Johan.greeff@agric.wa.gov.au
Animal Production Science 58(8) 1522-1530 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN17559
Submitted: 23 August 2017 Accepted: 3 April 2018 Published: 19 April 2018
Abstract
The progeny groups of resistant and susceptible sires to breech strike were compared for phenotypic differences in conformation and visual score traits recorded from birth to 5 years of age. The incidences of breech strike in the two most resistant sire progeny groups from birth to hogget shearing were 2.5% and 9.0% respectively, while in the two most susceptible sire progeny groups incidences were 94.5% and 102.9% (some sheep struck more than once) respectively. The susceptible groups consistently had a significantly higher strike rate than did the resistant groups over their lifetime. The adult lifetime breech-strike rates were 0.0% and 27.2% for resistant and susceptible sire groups respectively, despite pre-lambing crutchings. Statistically significant differences existed between the resistant and susceptible sire progeny groups for wrinkle and dags, although, in the present study, the average differences were small (0.2–0.6 unit score) for wrinkle, whereas a difference of 1.2 unit scores was found for yearling dag in spring. The very large differences in breech strike contrasts with the modest differences in the visually detectable breech indicator traits. This suggests that other unknown factors appear to contribute to larger differences than expected in breech strike between the sire progeny groups.
Additional keywords: flystrike, Merino sheep.
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