{"id":356716,"date":"2025-08-19T11:53:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-19T11:53:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/356716\/"},"modified":"2025-08-19T11:53:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T11:53:13","slug":"genetic-gain-in-the-essie-flock-ct-scanning-genomic-gain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/356716\/","title":{"rendered":"Genetic Gain in the Essie Flock \u2013 CT Scanning, Genomic Gain,\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Genetic Gain in the Essie Flock \u2013 CT Scanning, Genomic
\nGain, and Market Payoff<\/strong> <\/p>\n

By
\nEmma McGowan, Genetics Specialist, QMS <\/p>\n

The
\nEssie flock provides a compelling example of how combining traditional
\nselective breeding with cutting-edge genetic technologies drives real
\nimprovements both on-farm and in the marketplace. Since 1989, the flock has
\nbeen meticulously recording weights and pedigree information through Signet
\ngenetic services, supported by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS). Initially an
\naverage Suffolk flock in a competitive UK market, the Essie team in the
\nNorth-east of Scotland focused on differentiating themselves by prioritising
\ntraits that matter most to their customers\u2014growth rate and carcase
\nconformation. <\/p>\n

Selective
\nbreeding within the flock has resulted in lambs finishing over twenty days
\nfaster than those from the early 1990s. This accelerated finishing time not
\nonly reduces production costs but also lowers the environmental impact, as
\nanimals reach market weight more efficiently. While selecting for growth rate
\nmay seem straightforward by choosing larger lambs, improving carcase traits
\nsuch as muscle depth and yield is more complex. The flock\u2019s use of advanced
\ntools like ultrasound and CT scanning has allowed significant improvements in
\nthese traits. The muscle depth across the loin has increased by nearly two
\nmillimetres at a fixed sale weight, and potential carcase yield has risen by
\n0.8 kilograms. Remarkably, the same muscle depth once achieved by lambs
\nweighing between 65 and 75 kilograms can now be reached at just 40 kilograms,
\nenabling earlier marketing with excellent conformation. <\/p>\n

These
\ngenetic improvements have translated into tangible market benefits, with
\nEssie-sired lambs estimated to command around five pounds more per head
\ncompared to the average Suffolk lamb. This added value reflects the higher
\nquality and efficiency bred into the flock. <\/p>\n

Beyond
\nselective breeding, genomic testing has played a vital role in accelerating
\ngenetic gain. All stock rams are genotyped through the Suffolk Sheep Society,
\nand QMS supports genotyping and CT scanning for the flock\u2019s ewes. This genomic
\nprofiling significantly enhances the accuracy of breeding values, increasing it
\nby 10 to 20 points depending on the trait. Higher accuracy enables breeders to
\nidentify elite breeding stock with greater confidence and speed, thereby
\nfast-tracking improvements in economically important characteristics. <\/p>\n

The
\nsuccess of the Essie flock highlights the powerful synergy between data-driven
\nselective breeding and genomics. Together, they deliver faster, more
\ncost-effective genetic progress that boosts commercial returns, improves animal
\nefficiency, and reduces environmental impact. This journey demonstrates that
\neven small, consistent steps in selective breeding\u2014guided by precise data and
\nmodern technology\u2014can generate substantial long-term benefits for breeders and
\nthe wider industry. <\/p>\n

Read
\nmore here \u2013 https:\/\/s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com\/quality-meat-scotland\/documents\/Topic-Sheet-Genetic-Gain-in-the-Essie-Flock.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Genetic Gain in the Essie Flock \u2013 CT Scanning, Genomic Gain, and Market Payoff By Emma McGowan, Genetics…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":356717,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3846],"tags":[267,41910,41915,41911,70,41912,41913,41914,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-356716","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-genetics","8":"tag-genetics","9":"tag-qms","10":"tag-quality-assurance-meat-industry","11":"tag-quality-meat-scotland","12":"tag-science","13":"tag-scottish-food","14":"tag-scottish-meat","15":"tag-scottish-red-meat","16":"tag-uk","17":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115055299038901205","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/356716","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=356716"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/356716\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/356717"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=356716"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=356716"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=356716"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}