A preference-based approach to deriving breeding objectives: applied to sheep breeding.

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Animal Breeding
• Behavioral Economics

Background:

• Sheep production in Ireland is divided into lowland and hill systems.
• Defining breeding objectives requires understanding trait importance.
• Economic data may not always be available for trait valuation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the relative importance of target traits for Irish sheep breeding objectives.
• To compare farmer and expert preferences for breeding traits.
• To assess the utility of preference-based tools in defining breeding objectives.

Main Methods:

• Choice-experiment surveys administered via 1000Minds software to experts and farmers.
• Experts surveyed as both lowland and hill farmers.
• Part-worth utilities converted to preference economic values (pEVs) and compared to bio-economic models.

Main Results:

• Lamb value and survival were top priorities for experts (lowland and hill, respectively).
• Foot baths and anthelmintic treatments were least important traits.
• Significant differences in pEVs were found between farmer groups and experts for several traits.

Conclusions:

• Preference-based tools are valuable for defining sheep breeding objectives, especially with limited economic data.
• Understanding differing preferences between farmer types and experts is crucial for effective breeding strategies.
• The study highlights the potential of incorporating stakeholder preferences into genetic improvement programs.