Economic and Environmental Values in Small Ruminant Breeding

This technical report presents findings from an international study focused on small ruminant breeders' preferences regarding the ideal animal traits related to resilience, health, and efficiency. Conducted under the SMARTER H2020 project, the study involved preference surveys administered to 612 breeders across five countries and 15 breeds. The research identifies eight key traits: product quality, resistance to mastitis, resistance to footrot, gastro-intestinal parasite resistance, mortality at weaning, prolificacy, functional longevity, and feed efficiency. Results indicate significant variation in trait preferences among different breeds, with longevity and feed efficiency ranking highly for several breeds. The report also includes a detailed analysis of preference profiles specifically for French Romane breeders, emphasizing the importance of these findings in shaping breeding objectives to enhance the resilience and efficiency of small ruminant production. Overall, the study aims to inform industry experts about the evolving needs of breeders and the implications for genetic selection strategies.