Breeding for sustainability for the commercial flock

Prospect Poll Dorsets has been performance recording their Poll Dorsets for seven years and latterly have been involved in the national Breed for CH4nge Innovate Research Project, which looks at reducing methane emissions from sheep through breeding choices.

The flock is farmed predominately on low input grassland on the Purbeck coast, along with their Stabiliser, Belted Galloway cattle and Hebridean sheep. We will be looking at how they are approaching sustainable parasite control and how it has overlapped with the Breed for CH4nge project.

The farm walk will look at:

• The impact of performance recording on the flock output and breeding values
• How genomics is being introduced and why it’s relevant for commercial flock performance
• How this autumn lambing flock is managed