| 35 Giant leap forward in genetic gain Photos: View across towards Hokonuis. Tikana yearlings. Inquisitive Wapiti bull with Demi Lawrence. Wapiti Supreme velvet Sue Russell DEER » Tikana Dave Lawrence and Donna Day operate Tikana Wapiti Stud, located on Livingstone Road near Winton, Southland. Dave says the weather-gods have certainly been smiling on the province of late. “To be fair, in Southland it feels like New Zealand weather has been turned upside down. We’ve had a good late Autumn, exceptionally mild Winter and a fantastic spring. The grass is growing like there’s no tomorrow.” The praise is even extended to guests from overseas who think the farm and surrounds are just wonderful. Tikana Wapiti Stud is in the business of growing great sire bulls and as such Dave is heavily invested in genetic merit and gain, generation to generation. “Sharon MacIntyre is the deer industry’s genetic guru. Her work has been significant in encouraging breeders to improve genetic values across a number of traits. Between 2005 and 2015 the genetic gain was occurring quite slowly, at a similar rate to sheep at that time. But in the last five years there’s been a giant leap by deer breeders,” Dave says. In fact, the growth rates in the last five years have more than trebled, while the meat trait has increased upward of six-fold. Sharon has been leading a programme called Deer Select MkII which will see genetic worth data across Wapiti and Red Deer amalgamated, something Dave says will give deer farmers and breeders much more valuable information to base breeding decisions on. Screening for the CARLA gene, a gene which enables a deer to build immunity against the infestation of pasture-borne parasites, has also advanced this specific capability. Dave says that where the industry is poised now is best described as saying all that genetic gain means there’s a lot of low-hanging fruit for other people to take advantage of. “If you’re going to a sale or are looking to buy sires all you need to focus on are the traits that are important to you. Whether that be animal health, growth, meat or velvet, all those productive traits are available and the result of breeders making such significant gains are there for the taking.” He also believes the market place is becoming more and more discerning, a consequence of heightened concerns regarding the environment and health, particularly with the impact COVID has had on people wanting to take control more of what they eat, how it is farmed and where it comes from. “They want to know how the animal is farmed and that it can behave in a normal way, with no additives, no antibiotics. This leads to great opportunities for the deer sector. Velvet has always been strong and venison has generally been marketed to the food-service and restaurant quarter.” The industry has engaged in looking into greenhouse gas emissions from deer – what deer produce, how we can measure these emissions and modelling on farm to determine mitigation outcomes. The exciting thing here is that determining the genetic component of CHG emissions will enable us to select and make permanent positive changes. A cardinal sin, Dave says, in breeding any animals is to be breeding for single trait selection. “The dairy industry bred solely focussed on milk production but forgot about the fertility. Thats why, with any breeding programme, the focus must be balanced.” A challenge faced by breeders is that as new traits come available that inevitably means compromises. For example CARLA is a quite new trait and some deer had a high genetic-value for velvet but were quite low on the CARLA trait. Each season 20 Wapiti Bulls are put up for sale. Dave explains that because the number they retain on the stud is quite low, naturally the quality of what is sold to commercial and to other breeders is high. “Our market is as much for other stud breeders as it is for the commercial guys and because of that our small stud has been able to make a difference beyond our gate.” Recently the Minister of Agriculture, Damien O’Conner said the aspiration needs to be in making the deer sector a billion dollar industry. “Historically it has always been a venison based industry but now we’re up to $100,000,000 from velvet, because of the expanding interest in China and Korea around healthy food. It seems this industry here needs to embrace that opportunity now present for both venison and velvet.” Sharon MacIntyre is the deer industry’s genetic guru. Her work has been significant in encouraging breeders to improve genetic values across a number of traits. “Between 2005 and 2015 the genetic gain was occurring quite slowly, at a similar rate to sheep at that time. But in the last five years there’s been a giant leap by deer breeders.” 0800 621 431 www.clarkes.net.nz PHONE NOW Imported Feed Blends & Contracts Dairy Meal / Pellets Calf Feeds PKE Blends & Contracts Bulk Molasses Deer Feed Specialists PROUD SUPPLIERS TO TIKANA YOUR SEED & FEED SPECIALISTS Round Balage, Hay, Cultivation and Direct Drilling 0274515581 141 Winton Lorneville Highway, Winton Proud to support Tikana. Buy online...
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