Modelling a Transition from Purebred Romney to Fully Shedding Wiltshire–Romney Crossbred
Considering the current low prices for coarse wool (fibre diameter > 30 µm), a grading up transition to a shedding flock may eliminate wool harvesting costs and increase sheep farm profit. This transition could be achieved by breeding non-shedding ewes with Wiltshire rams. A bio-economic system-d...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2020-11-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/11/2066 |
| _version_ | 1797548556425363456 |
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| author | Lydia Jane Farrell Stephen Todd Morris Paul R. Kenyon Peter R. Tozer |
| author_facet | Lydia Jane Farrell Stephen Todd Morris Paul R. Kenyon Peter R. Tozer |
| author_sort | Lydia Jane Farrell |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Considering the current low prices for coarse wool (fibre diameter > 30 µm), a grading up transition to a shedding flock may eliminate wool harvesting costs and increase sheep farm profit. This transition could be achieved by breeding non-shedding ewes with Wiltshire rams. A bio-economic system-dynamics model of a pastoral sheep farming enterprise was used to simulate this grading up transition from 2580 Romney ewes to a similarly-sized flock of fully shedding third or fourth cross Wiltshire–Romney ewes. The total annual sheep feed demand was constrained within a ±5% range to minimise disruption to the on-farm beef cattle enterprise. Wool harvesting expenses were eliminated after seven years of transition, and with reduced feed demand for wool growth, the post-transition shedding flocks had more ewes producing more lambs and achieving greater annual profit compared with the base Romney flock. The net present values of transition were 7% higher than the maintenance of the base Romney flock with a farmgate wool price of $2.15/kg. Results suggest that coarse wool-producing farmers should consider a grading up transition to a shedding flock, and the collection of data on the production of Wiltshire–Romney sheep in New Zealand would improve the accuracy of model predictions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:01:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8bf529595c28477ca3b9825ba45e8b90 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:01:13Z |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-8bf529595c28477ca3b9825ba45e8b902023-11-20T20:10:17ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152020-11-011011206610.3390/ani10112066Modelling a Transition from Purebred Romney to Fully Shedding Wiltshire–Romney CrossbredLydia Jane Farrell0Stephen Todd Morris1Paul R. Kenyon2Peter R. Tozer3School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11 222, Palmerston North 4442, New ZealandSchool of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11 222, Palmerston North 4442, New ZealandSchool of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11 222, Palmerston North 4442, New ZealandSchool of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11 222, Palmerston North 4442, New ZealandConsidering the current low prices for coarse wool (fibre diameter > 30 µm), a grading up transition to a shedding flock may eliminate wool harvesting costs and increase sheep farm profit. This transition could be achieved by breeding non-shedding ewes with Wiltshire rams. A bio-economic system-dynamics model of a pastoral sheep farming enterprise was used to simulate this grading up transition from 2580 Romney ewes to a similarly-sized flock of fully shedding third or fourth cross Wiltshire–Romney ewes. The total annual sheep feed demand was constrained within a ±5% range to minimise disruption to the on-farm beef cattle enterprise. Wool harvesting expenses were eliminated after seven years of transition, and with reduced feed demand for wool growth, the post-transition shedding flocks had more ewes producing more lambs and achieving greater annual profit compared with the base Romney flock. The net present values of transition were 7% higher than the maintenance of the base Romney flock with a farmgate wool price of $2.15/kg. Results suggest that coarse wool-producing farmers should consider a grading up transition to a shedding flock, and the collection of data on the production of Wiltshire–Romney sheep in New Zealand would improve the accuracy of model predictions.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/11/2066New Zealandprofitbio-economicsystem-dynamicswoolcashflow |
| spellingShingle | Lydia Jane Farrell Stephen Todd Morris Paul R. Kenyon Peter R. Tozer Modelling a Transition from Purebred Romney to Fully Shedding Wiltshire–Romney Crossbred Animals New Zealand profit bio-economic system-dynamics wool cashflow |
| title | Modelling a Transition from Purebred Romney to Fully Shedding Wiltshire–Romney Crossbred |
| title_full | Modelling a Transition from Purebred Romney to Fully Shedding Wiltshire–Romney Crossbred |
| title_fullStr | Modelling a Transition from Purebred Romney to Fully Shedding Wiltshire–Romney Crossbred |
| title_full_unstemmed | Modelling a Transition from Purebred Romney to Fully Shedding Wiltshire–Romney Crossbred |
| title_short | Modelling a Transition from Purebred Romney to Fully Shedding Wiltshire–Romney Crossbred |
| title_sort | modelling a transition from purebred romney to fully shedding wiltshire romney crossbred |
| topic | New Zealand profit bio-economic system-dynamics wool cashflow |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/11/2066 |
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