New Zealand has the highest density of sheep per unit area in the world.

In 2014, it was estimated that there are seven sheep for every person in New Zealand, but that number is significantly lower now.

The current ratio is still high by global standards – across the ditch there are about 2,5 sheep per person –  but it’s a far cry from the days when sheep outnumbered people by 22 to one.

Yes, way back in the day, there were 22 sheep for every one person living there.

The sheep to people ratio means that farmers have had to get creative when it comes to managing their farms, with some even using drones to herd the woolly buggers. 

The one thing that they hadn’t figured out, though, was how to get them to stop farting, thus producing methane gas and damaging the environment.

Until now. According to Stuff, low methane New Zealand sheep could become a reality very soon.

Farmers will soon be able to breed low methane sheep through a “world first” genetics programme.

Beef and Lamb New Zealand has added low methane production to the list of traits breeders can target when choosing rams.

Farmers already use several “breeding values” (BV) to select animals with characteristics they want to strengthen in their flocks, including meat yield and lamb survival rate.

King Country stud breeder Russell Proffit says his clients have already shown a lot of interest in the methane BV. He also says that healthier sheep produce less methane.

Farmers can measure a sheep’s methane levels by placing them inside an accumulation chamber that measures their output.

The launch of the methane BV tool follows a 10-year multimillion-dollar collaboration between the Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium (PGGRC), New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (NZAGRC) and AgResearch, supported by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and Ministry for Primary Industries.

PGGRC general manager Mark Aspin said the tool was a global first for any species of livestock.

“Launching the methane breeding value gives New Zealand’s sheep sector a practical tool to help lower our agricultural greenhouse gases.”

I would suggest you don’t try the accumulation chamber thing with your dog at home, or else you might end up with one less party to blame.

Farmers can use the tool to select sheep with lower methane emission levels. Scientists have discovered that sheep farts have a lot to do with the amount of feed an animal ate, and work is continuing on three other technologies focused on reducing methane generated by feed.

In the future, stinky sheep won’t do that well on the market.

Only in New Zealand…

[source:stuff]