Preservation and Improvement Programme in Mayo Connemara Blackface Sheep
This type of blackface sheep have evolved and adapted to the mountains of Connemara and West Mayo. The rugged sometimes harsh conditions that they survive in have shaped them to what they are today. In stature they are slightly shorter with good width standing with good ground clearance. They sometimes can have some black wool appear through their strong warm fleece but it is their head that clearly distinguishes them from their Blackface cousins (Scotch, Lanark, Swale dale, Perth and Kerry Hill). The head is lighter with a nice balanced set of horns usually with a black face but can have the occasional speckled face as well. The nose can turn grey as the sheep ages but not as pronounced as the Lanark or Swale dale breeds.
They are a low input breed that converts the heathers and a variety of grasses on the mountains into a sustainable diet. They are superb mothers that offer the lamb’s great protection at birth and within a few minutes the lambs are up and about. They longevity is a key part of their makeup and it is not unusual to see ewes leaving 8 or 9 crops of lambs after them. “In lowland situations” they are a good ewe to rear from a terminal sire or crossed with a Leicester ram leave a very desirable mule lamb.
The lambs produced on the mountains are slower maturing with slightly smaller carcass but with superior taste flavored from eating diverse vegetation on the mountain. This has been also recognized by Europe by the awarding of the PGI (protected geographical indicator) status to The Connemara Hill Lamb.
Why the Programme
It has become apparent for a few years that there is pressure on the breed from crossbreeding with other blackface types that reduce the hardiness trait that has evolved in the Mayo-Connemara type. So with this in mind farmers came together to establish a flock database and DNA the rams. Teagasc, Sheep Ireland and Forum have been instrumental in this effort and although we are only in the early stages a good foundation has been laid.
The forming of a formal ancestry flock book and DNA database for the breed will allow farmers better information when selecting rams also farmers can use the Sheep Ireland Platform to record more information on their lambs such as lambing difficulty, birth weights weaning weights, longevity etc which over time leaves them better informed in making decisions about their own flock.
This ewe has developed and evolved on the various upland and commonage habitats and has the foraging instincts to travel to higher peaks and inaccessible areas that lowland crosses do not have either the ability or the instinct to achieve.
More importantly, these sheep are a key component in maintaining a diverse floral and faunal range of habitats through their grazing ability that other breeds are not capable of performing. Hill farmers will play a vital role in managing hill grazing habitats by farming this local native breed of sheep to improve and enhance biodiversity that has been lost in many other parts of Europe.
The new breeding program for Mayo Connemara sheep has significant role to play in supporting the Traditional Hill farmer who through generations has built up a skill set in managing an extreme environment where his actions has maintained a biodiversity and a way of life on the edge of the Atlantic.
Work to date
The program began in July 2012 when interested breeders from a geographical spread from Roundstone County Galway over as far as Achill in County Mayo presented their main stock ram for inspection and a sample of DNA was taken ( all stock rams entering the program must have a sample taken ).
In the autumn 2012, each member presented their best performing ewes and was inspected and received a special clip tag with individual identity, if suitable for the project- meaning that they were true to type and showed no visual evidence of having Lanark, swaledale or other foreign blackface types present.
All ewes were single sire mated to ensure the lambs born could have parents identified and have pedigree status.
During 2013, members tagged and recorded parentage of lambs and the data was entered on the sheep Ireland website by Teagasc Mayo. To date, there is approximately 2500 sheep on the system with the mayo Connemara prefix with the aim to continue to increase numbers to over 6000 sheep recorded, by year 5 of the program.
Of the 70 odd members, 15 are in MALP or lamb plus and are recording performance data for their flocks for the last few years, and are using this data to make important management decisions. This number is set to increase among members as some become interested in going down the performance recording route; while other will be happy to get their valuable stock recorded purely for pedigree status.
The Key Objectives
The projects main objective is to preserve the unique genetic base of mayo Connemara sheep in the region and to reduce the chances of inbreeding that contributes greatly to reduced vigor in sheep in terms of growth rate, fertility and conformational faults for example.
As the project develops, members will be able to look at different ram breeders sire lines when purchasing a new ram to ensure genetic diversity and improving quality. Other buyers will want more information when buying their rams and are already looking for euro star figures for ram lambs and hogget rams. The mayo Connemara ram group has an annual sale in which the numbers of rams with performance figures is increasing annually. The STAP (sheep technology adoption program) is increasing awareness of the importance of figures as one of the tools used when making a ram purchase.
At the recent ram sale, breeders had pedigree certificates for 2013 ram lambs issued by Sheep Ireland showing the sire and dam and breeders of both. This breeding certificate will become more valuable as the years go on as the page fills with 5-6 generations of pedigree that can be viewed on line pre sales etc.
Different breeders have different breeding goals, whether it is growth rate, or longevity etc and these goals can be catered for through the input of Sheep Ireland.
How will Data be used?
It is envisaged that breeders will use the program for primarily recording breeding while a core group are expected to add performance recording as an additional tool in selecting their own stock for breeding and for buying rams , breeding ewes and hogget’s.
The program’s of national importance for the overall sheep sector as it firstly will preserve the genetic base that is critical to the sustainability and management of hill and commonage areas in the west. Secondly, the cross bred daughter of these ewes whether they be mule, greyface,hilltex etc all possess the excellent maternal traits and longevity that are so much in decline in many of the lowland flocks and that contributes to overall profitability in terms of reduced mortality and reduced labour demands.
The group is interested in attracting breeders who want to record pure bred flocks or an elite core group of ewes within a flock, and willing to complete the tagging and recording in a planned timeline.
The project is a partnership between committed Mayo Connemara blackface breeders, Sheep Ireland, Teagasc advisory, Teagasc Research and Forum.