Scott has been Signet performance recording for five years and places great emphasis on the results he receives from CT scanning his best ram lambs every year. He uses both his Signet figures and CT results to market his breeding stock to commercially minded customers. His hard work has been rewarded at the 2019 Kelso ram sales.
JTO:1900102 was CT scanned in May 2019 as a lamb and gave Scott his biggest gigot score and spine length of his Kelso pen. The lamb sold at Kelso for the flocks top price of £2,100
JTO:1900121, by homebred sire Capielaw Debonair was also CT scanned with highest CT predicted killing out percentage and eye muscle area alongside having a top 10% terminal sire index selling for £1,100
JTO:1900109, sold for £650 on the basis of a high CT predicted intramuscular fat percentage to buyers replicating their home Wagyu business selling high end meat to wholesalers and butchers.
Scott is fully convinced that part of the reason his ram breeding business has enjoyed success is “due to customers feeling confident they are purchasing good sheep backed up by good figures and CT scan results”.
Scotts triumph at Kelso follows a number of successful ram sales this year where buyers are looking for rams with data, to back up claims that they will produce profitable lambs. On this Scott says “perhaps buyers recognise the time has come for breeders to stop looking over the fence and future proof their sheep enterprises for years to come?”
Scott on marketing and ‘Seek the Standard’
“In my experience, marketing the gems that emerge from Signet recording well is essential for a successful outcome when it comes to ram sales! I use large cattle tags like those used by the ‘seek the standard’ campaign to draw attention to the top animals in my pen and highlight a rams USP – it works a treat.
It’s my second year of using them and creates a talking point with potential customers to get a discussion going. Once a conversation is started, it isn’t long before they’re in the pen and handling the animal to help them relate to information on display”
