RamCompare seeks flocks for progeny testing initiative
© Tim Scrivener RamCompare is seeking commercial farms to join the project this season in England and Wales to gather performance data which will help to drive improvements in the sheep industry.
Launched in 2015 and jointly funded by the levy boards, RamCompare is the UK’s national progeny test, led by the AHDB.
Through the inclusion of commercial data in genetic evaluations, it aims to drive genetic improvement.
See also: Terminal sires sought for 10th year of ram genetics project
To participate, host farms need to provide about 300 commercial ewes of a uniform breed type which must be mated to terminal sire rams.
They are provided by the project using single-sire, natural-service mating groups or artificial insemination.
All rams selected for use must rank within the top 20% of performance-recorded terminal sires.
Eligible farms also need to collect data on lambs using EID from birth to slaughter, and lambs must be raised as one management group within a fast-finishing system.
Successful farms will receive funding to support data collection.
Opportunity
Project coordinator Bridget Lloyd said this is a great opportunity for selected farms to benefit from top genetics within their flock.
Those participating, she says, will “have the chance to use rams with high health and genetic merit within their flock, and get support to benchmark their flock performance against other project farms”.
The insights gained from the project have contributed to the development of Signet’s national terminal sire evaluation, which helps commercial farmers select superior, performance-recorded rams whose progeny can produce higher-value carcasses and reduce production costs.
The project has so far seen success, with RamCompare able to show which traits can be used to drive productivity and optimise flock potential.
It has also identified differences in progeny values worth £4-£6 per lamb – demonstrating the opportunity that exists to enhance flock profitability through careful ram selection.
Those farms interested in participating can visit the RamCompare website or contact project coordinator Bridget Lloyd at bridget@bridget-lloyd.com
Nominations for recruitment closes on Friday 16 May.