In today’s sheep farming world, the approach to breeding and genetic improvement has taken a revolutionary turn thanks to advanced technologies such as IntelliFarm™. Traditionally, farmers have focused on a selective group – typically the top 20% of the herd – for breeding purposes. This strategy led to the emergence of combinations of stud and commercial herds.
The following questions should be asked:
- Which is more beneficial – significant improvement on a small part of the herd, or moderate improvement across the entire herd? With the help of IntelliFarm™, it is now possible to achieve holistic genetic improvement, which has a significant impact on the whole herd, rather than just a small elite group.
- Should the sheep industry learn something from the grain industry? To remain economically competitive and relevant, all the fields are planted with genetically improved crops.
Due to the development of IntelliFarm™, the entire landscape can now change. This advanced platform not only provides a comprehensive view of the genetic potential of the entire herd, but also enables farmers to evaluate and improve each animal’s genetic contribution. By involving the entire herd in the genetic improvement process, it provides the opportunity for a broader, more inclusive approach to genetic advancement.
This includes:
- Comprehensive Genetic Advancement: IntelliFarm™ makes it possible to implement genetic improvements across the entire herd, which not only increases overall performance, but also contributes to a more profitable herd in the long run.
- Improved Herd Productivity: By monitoring and improving the entire herd, a significant improvement in performance, fertility and other important production traits can be achieved.
- Inbreeding Management: IntelliFarm™ provides the necessary tools to limit and manage inbreeding, a critical component of maintaining a healthy and productive herd.
- Studbook Integration: IntelliFarm™ connects directly to Pedigree. Data collection and recording is automated. Actions that traditionally took hours are now done in seconds, or even while you sleep.
The implementation of IntelliFarm™ empowers farmers to achieve significant genetic advances in just a few generations. By moving away from an emphasis on only an elite fraction of the herd to a holistic approach that involves every animal, it ensures that genetic progress is applied uniformly throughout the herd.
At first it may appear that the average breeding values of herds managed according to this broad approach underperform against established norms – norms traditionally based on only the top 20% of national herds. However, it is critical to realise that these conventional standards do not provide a complete or accurate reflection of the overall genetic breeding values. In contrast, through an integral evaluation and improvement of the whole herd, farmers establish a more genuine and comprehensive standard for their genetic progress, which over time will compare more favourably with the breed averages – an average currently distorted by considering and measuring only the elite animals.
IntelliFarm™ is not only a powerful tool for genetic improvement; it’s a revolutionary system that also automates the entire insemination process for farmers who don’t want or can’t use natural mating with rams. More than just the accurate and optimal mating of ewes to rams for genetic advancement, IntelliFarm™ offers a fully integrated laparoscopic insemination plan. It covers everything from the precise planning of insemination procedures to the careful management of hormone levels and other vital parameters. This holistic approach simplifies the complexity of genetic improvement and virtually puts the process on “autopilot”.
It has historically been impossible for the farmer to achieve this, as comparing breeding values of ewes and rams and finding optimal combinations is a daunting task without technological help. However, IntelliFarm™ provides this technological support, allowing farmers to shift their attention to other important aspects of their farming.
In summary, IntelliFarm offers a new horizon for sheep farmers. It is a game-changing technology that not only accelerates genetic improvement, but also guarantees a more sustainable, productive and healthy future for sheep farming. In our humble opinion, this is the “holy grail” of genetic progress, the key to a new era in the industry where each sheep’s genetic potential must be fully utilised and improved.
We presented a very good IntelliFarm™ course last weekend. Feel free to find here the link for some feedback from the “students”:
IntelliFarm Weekend: 15 – 17 March 2024 Feedback
For our next course, we will only determine the date after we have a large enough list of interested parties. Accommodation on LANDRANI® is also no longer a prerequisite as LANDRANI® is quickly fully booked and it will be impossible to make the entire lodge available for accommodation. Those who need accommodation can book with LANDRANI® if there are cabins available.
Please click on the following link to temporarily place your name on the course list:
IntelliFarm™️ Sheep Management Application Course List
Regards,
Pieter
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AFR