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| Rural Industries |
Objective
To assess the feasibility of implementing a genetic recording system for the Australian ostrich industry.
Background
The investigating institution, the Agricultural Business Research Institute (ABRI), had previously established a pedigree register which is now being used extensively in the industry.
Research
Given the absence of any worthwhile literature on
the heritability of production traits in ostrich, ABRI consulted
within the industry, and with Dr Hans Graser, Deputy Director
of the Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU) at University
of New England.
On the basis that any genetic evaluation would be starting from scratch, it was agreed there was a need to build a substantial body of production data, and that its use would be constrained by environmental influences.
Outcome
Findings demonstrated constraints in introducing
an effective genetic recording scheme. First, productivity variability
might be more managerial than genetic and a performance recording
system could partly reflect situation rather than a genetic difference
per se.
Other constraints include:
Implications
Even though the project could not determine accurately
the cost of establishing an all-encompassing-performance recording
system for the ostrich industry, ABRI has developed an optional,
low-cost module to record production of breeding ostrich.
The output of such a module will be a series of reports
for the individual ostrich farmer detailing production from each
breeding pair or colony, and comparing productivity with the average,
best and worst in the industry. Currently ABRI is communicating
with a number of larger producers to obtain feedback on the design
of the module and the reporting formats.
It is intended to make use of PC computer software
interfaces as soon as practicable, and the Australian Ostrich
Company (which is the commercial 'arm' of the Australian Ostrich
Association) has identified a West Australian software package
'Ostrich Farmer' as having the greatest potential in this regard.
Discussions will continue with this and other software designers
to maximise use of electronic data transfer in both the performance
and registration procedures of the AOA Register.
RIRDC Project No: UNE-27A
ORGANISATION: Agricultural Business
Research Institute University of New England ARMIDALE NSW 2351PHONE: 067 73 3555
FAX: 067 72 5376
Last updated: 10 October 1996
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