Rate of Genetic Gain in Reducing Breech Wrinkle

Flystrike remains one of the major diseases adversely affecting the Australian sheep industry. Flystrike in the breech (crutch and tail) region of the sheep accounts for the majority of incidence in most years. Breeding more resistant sheep will play a critical role in controlling breech and tail strike. This project modelled the rate of genetic gain in breeding for breech flystrike resistance, using the data from the AWI Breeding for Breech Flystrike Resistance Program. It extends earlier findings, by predicting genetic gains in breech flystrike incidence from selection using all available indicator traits of breech wrinkle, dag and breech cover scores for three different breech objectives within three different environments.