Marlow Genetics

07/09/2026

06/09/2026

Useful insights on what these indexes mean B+LNZ Genetics

🐑 WHAT DOES DPG MEAN?

DPG = Dual Purpose Lamb Growth

DPG is a SIL index that helps farmers select sheep with better genetics for lamb growth.

It takes into account the lamb’s own growth, the ewe’s genetic contribution to lamb growth, and carcass weight.

So how can you use it?

When selecting rams, look for higher DPG values if improving growth is one of your breeding goals.

By consistently selecting rams with higher DPG, you can gradually increase the genetic potential for growth in your flock.

That means you're not just selecting the biggest-looking ram — you're selecting genetics that can improve growth across the flock over time.

📈 Higher DPG = greater genetic merit for lamb growth.

02/09/2026

After a busy lambing it was time to do something different. We spent the afternoon with the local college ag class helping us plant some natives.

This is a 3.5ha creek area Steve retired a few years ago that we have been chipping away on.

We have been grateful to have also had some help from Biodiversity Hawke's Bay who have funded many of the seedlings from Plant Hawke's Bay Ltd

02/09/2026

Come have a look at the new Coopworth website

Coopworth Genetics NZ is a collective of performance-recorded stud breeders delivering high lambing percentages, easy care traits and proven genetic gains for New Zealand commercial sheep farmers.

01/09/2026

Got to make the tough calls sometimes Coopworth Genetics FE Gold

30/08/2026

Good insights on what these index’s mean -B+LNZ Genetics

🐑 MATERNALWORTH EXPLAINED: CAPPED REPRODUCTION

More lambs isn’t always more profit.

That’s exactly why Capped Reproduction (DPCR) is used in the New Zealand Maternal Worth index.

Traditional reproduction breeding values rewarded a ram for every extra lamb genetically produced. The problem? Once reproduction gets very high, extra lambs can come with more triplets, higher lamb losses, more ewe demand and more feed and labour.

The economic optimum used in the SIL calculation is 2.13 lambs born per ewe lambing.

So instead of continually rewarding higher and higher litter size, Capped Reproduction works like this:

📈 Below the optimum – increasing reproduction is strongly rewarded.

📉 As the optimum is approached – the economic reward for additional lambs progressively decreases.

🛑 Above the optimum – the reproduction contribution is capped.

This doesn't mean SIL stops measuring reproduction. The NLB breeding value (NLBeBV) is still reported, so breeders can see the underlying genetic merit for number of lambs born.

What Capped Reproduction does is stop extreme prolificacy from dominating the overall breeding objective.

And that matters.

A ram shouldn't rank highly simply because he produces genetics for huge litter sizes. We want balanced maternal genetics – reproduction working alongside lamb growth, survival, and ewe size.

That is why Capped Reproduction is an important part of NZ Maternal Worth (NZMW).

👉 The goal isn't simply more lambs. The goal is the right number of lambs, efficiently reared and converted into profit.

That’s genetic efficiency.

Next week is GROWTH DPG

Photo credit Marlow Genetics

29/08/2026

Goood set of twins from Coopworth ewe 288/20 - bit of a challenge trying to hold up ram lamb 378 to get a photo of his weight.💪🏋️ big weights for unassisted lambing. FE Gold Coopworth Genetics

28/08/2026

Just a Coopworth ewe doing what she does best - mothering her lambs

25/08/2026

Still punching them out ! Good old girl.