Evolution of sheep breeds within LAMBPLAN and the rise of the Composites

Abstract

<p>The LAMPLAN – Terminal and Maternal analysis are large and contain multiple breeds. Over the last 20 years there has been an increase in cross breeding in seedstock flocks and thus the number of composite animals in these analyses, especially in the Maternal analysis and an overall reduction in the number of breed pure animals. The increase in crossbred animals will require some development to ensure that breed and heterosis effects are being modelled accurately. Further use and reporting of breed composition via genomics and pedigree methods should be considered. However, composite animals provide the comparisons needed for an accurate multibreed LAMBPLAN analysis allowing selection of animals across breeds for the industries diverse needs.</p>