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Recorded Sheep Shine Through at Dorset May Fair 2022

The Dorset May Fair continued to follow the positive start from the Dorset Centurion sale for performance recording breeders that took place at Exeter earlier in the month.

Currently there are many flocks within the Dorset breed who undertake performance recording and use this as an additional tool in the selection of stock for breeding and sale. Typically, those sheep with breeding values at the top end of the breed benchmark were attracting greater interest and achieving higher sale price.  

There are high levels of performance recording within the Dorset breed; with a third of entries sold at the May Fair being performance recorded. Performance records helped to create a premium for the better sheep, with a clear link between breeding index and sale price achieved.

Topping the recorded sheep at 3400gns, a ram from David and Richard Rossiter’s Huish flock, lot 165 A26:E22345, with figures in the top 10% for terminal sire index and top 5% for maternal index.

Shown here is the winner of Class 5: Best Signet Recorded Ram lamb or Shearling Ram, Sponsored by AHDB/Signet Breeding Services. Breeder Jeremy Durrant with Sam Boon from Signet and Championship Judge, Roger Elliot.

Average price of recorded rams = 770gns, top 3,400gns

Average price recorded females 414gns, top 900gns

About the author

Laura Eyles

Laura Eyles

Laura has joined the Signet team as a breeding specialist, she comes from an agricultural background having grown up on a sheep farm in Cornwall, where they keep commercial ewes and run a small flock of pedigree Charollais sheep.

Laura has a strong interest in animal breeding and genetics having studied Animal Science (BSc Hons) at Harper Adams University. During her time at Harper, she spent an industrial placement in Cumbria working for a sheep breeding company and some of our clients may recognise her from this role. Since graduating she has worked for a large cattle breeding company before joining us at Signet to lead on a number of Signet’s sheep breeding projects.