Culham & Stevens story

1. 2018 Master Purebred Producer
Culham & Stevens L.L.C.
Webberville, MI

3. Flock History

4. Where
we’ve
been…

5. 1984 Culham & Stevens
Partnership Formed
Alan Culham Morrie Stevens

6. 1987 CROSSROADS
Spider Gene
Tax laws change

8. Previous mistakes
• Abandoned performance for “Pretty”
• Made excuses for sheep
• “Worked for sheep, rather than
sheep working for me”
• Selected for the wrong things

9. Where to boss?
• Rebuilt flock with bloodlines free
from “spider” gene
• New labor agreement

10. HOW ?
Needed to sort
genotype from
phenotype

11. 1988 enrolled in

12. Need for Genetic Selection
12
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011 2016
Inventory
Production
U.S. Lamb Production

13. 13
EPD
Selection
began

14. 14

15. Australian sheep inventory and lamb production
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
Ewe Inventory
Lamb Production
IndexofProduction(%)
Source: ABARE 2014
Lambplan Started

16. 1473
-7
-5
-3
-1
1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
17
-4 -2 0 2 4 6 8
PWWEBV
WW EBV
Culham & Stevens 1989 EBV Distribution

17. IN THE DARK
when selecting
outside sires
without EPDs
• Rams purchased could not be compared
to ours
• Few breeders on NSIP
• New sires were near “0” for most traits

18. S-p-i-n-n-i-n-g our wheels
• Selection only on dam side by culling &
replacement ewe selection
• No progress!
66.8
68.2
69.8
65.2
67.0
64.0
65.0
66.0
67.0
68.0
69.0
70.0
71.0
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994
LBS
YEAR
CULHAM & STEVENSAVG ADJ 60 DAY WGT.
Genetic trend

19. Leap of faith
Use the data!
-13.0
-8.0
-3.0
2.0
7.0
12.0
17.0
-4.0 -2.0 0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0
PWWEBV
WW EBV
1989-1994 Culham & Stevens EBV Distribution

20. Faith rewarded
66.8 68.2
69.8
65.2
67.0
75.2
77.4
56.0
60.0
64.0
68.0
72.0
76.0
80.0
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996
LBS
YEAR
CULHAM & STEVENS AVG ADJ 60 DAY WGT

21. Genetic trend changes
66.8
68.2
69.8
65.2
67.067.0
75.2
77.4
60.0
65.0
70.0
75.0
80.0
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996
Red - before EPD sire selection
Blue - after EPD sire selection

22. 1996 - more challenges
• 6 of 7 sires of our 1996 lambcrop tested “QQ”
at Codon 171
• Transferred embryos from our top “QR” ewe bred to
“RR” ram with no EPDs
• Produced stud ram to use in 1997
PWW EPD +3.5
“RR” at Codon 171
Culham & Stevens ET
“P-80”

23. -9
-7
-5
-3
-1
1
3
5
7
9
11
-4.5 -2.5 -0.5 1.5 3.5
120DAYEPD
WEAN WGT EPD
1998 SUFFOLK SIRE SUMMARY EPD
DISTRIBUTION
"OUTLIER"

24. 66.8
68.2
69.8
65.2
67.0
75.2
77.4
75.9
71.7 70.8
73.2
75.9
56.0
60.0
64.0
68.0
72.0
76.0
80.0
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
LBS
YEAR
CULHAM & STEVENS AVG ADJ 60 DAY WGT
Had to add “R” gene

25. -3
2
7
12
17
-2 0 2 4 6 8 10
PWWEPDLBS
WW EPD LBS
2018 Culham & Stevens EPD Distribution

26. Then
(1989)
NOW
(2018)
-3.0
-1.0
1.0
3.0
5.0
7.0
9.0
11.0
13.0
15.0
17.0
-2.0 0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0
-7.0
-5.0
-3.0
-1.0
1.0
3.0
5.0
7.0
9.0
11.0
13.0
15.0
17.0
-4.0 -2.0 0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0
PWWEBV
WW EBV

27. Increase in ADJ 60 day WGT
25%
increase

28. 0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
12.0
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Suffolk Breed PWW EBV AVG Culham & Stevens PWW EBV AVG

29. Culham & Stevens AVG = 9.8

31. Visit us at our
Webpage:
culhamstevens.com
And on Facebook:
Culham & Stevens Suffolks
Email: culhamab@aol.com
517/896-7378