Think about linkage now!

Unfortunately, linkage is also one of the major stumbling blocks. Some common linkage mistakes are caused by pedigree recording, sire selection, measurement plans and different group management.

Linkage allows us to connect animals from different farms, paddocks, and seasons to benchmark their genetic merit.

The analysis starts by comparing animals that have been run together since birth. Looking at how each one performed against the average of the group.

To connect that one group on your farm to the rest of the database, genes that are represented in both groups are identified through identifying relatives. These groups could be other management groups on your farm, other farms or even from other years. The performance of the animals that share common genes provide a way to understand where the initial groups performance sits outside of environmental factors such as stock management and season.

Identifying common genes and benchmarking how they performed is done through pedigree. Looking at how fathers, Mothers, Siblings, Cousins and Progeny performed in their own groups against other genes.

Without knowing pedigree on your sheep, the analysis is unable to make the spider web of connections with your genes which impacts the ability to benchmark them.

Linkage guidelines from Sheep Genetics include keeping the proportion of lambs without an exact sire identified to a maximum of 30% each year. This includes lambs from syndicate joining, even when the rams in the syndicate are known.

There are several ways to identify sire pedigree, now is the time to evaluate the options to ensure that you will be able to identify the sire on at least 70% of the progeny produced from this season’s joining.

Knowing the pedigree only links you if those genes are also represented in another group measured. Two groups with progeny from the one sire produce a strong link for the group and is a great way to set up a linkage foundation when first starting.

However, the more links that are made around the database and with the flock the stronger the network will be. Using sires that are already well linked within industry can increase the degree of genetic linkage your flock has. As long as they are run together with your animals since birth.

Linkage calculations are evaluated for groups more than once. It is done for each different trait group where links are only made on animals that have been measured for those traits.

Although your flock may share common genes with animals in other flocks, you still might not be linked for a specific trait group and therefore not receive ASBVs. This is generally due the link animals not being measured either by one or both flocks in the link.

Having a measurement plan that identifies traits important to you and the animals that need to be recorded can assist in establishing linkages. As well as ensuring that the traits you are aiming to be linked for are measured at the other flock when considering link sires.