Southdown rams involved in the National Progeny Test - update February 2024
By Bridget Lloyd, RamCompare Project Manager
Over the last five years Southdown breeders have played an important part in RamCompare, the UK’s national progeny test. Data from the project demonstrates the role this native breed plays in the commercial sheep sector and provides information to support commercial ram buyers to select the right rams for their flocks.
In recorded flocks data is collected and turned into estimated breeding value (EBVs) to demonstrate a ram’s genetic potential. The RamCompare project has shown the value of this work, with improvements in growth rate (assessed in pedigree flocks as the Scan Weight EBV) leading to a reduction in days to slaughter (faster finishing lambs) and an increase in carcase weights.
Rams are placed on commercial farms across the UK that are committed to collecting high quality data. The ewes on each farm (typically Lleyn or Mule) are a uniform type and lambs are predominately finished from grass in a single group to ensure sires are compared fairly. Lambs are finished at a carcase weight of 17-19kg at R3L or better. Southdown rams have been part RamCompare since 2017, with over 950 progeny records collected to date.
The data below shows crossbred lambs by Southdown sires routinely hit an R grade or better, often out of plainer ewe types and at good carcase weights. Few overfat lambs have been recorded, the exceptions typically being animals going over the target weight as farms waited to get a batch of lambs together.
Number of Southdown carcase records
E
U
R
O
Grand Total
1
1
3
4
2
5
68
22
95
3L
8
56
319
38
421
3H
7
65
243
8
323
4L
6
32
54
92
4H
4
11
15
5
1
1
Grand Total
21
163
696
71
951
Average Southdown cross Carcase Weight (kg)
E
U
R
O
Grand Total
1
14.9
15.6
15.4
2
18.1
17.4
16.0
17.1
3L
20.6
19.0
18.0
16.3
18.1
3H
19.2
19.3
18.3
17.0
18.4
4L
20.9
19.4
19.0
19.3
4H
19.8
21.4
20.9
5
27.9
27.9
Grand Total
20.2
19.2
18.2
16.3
18.3
To date, we have obtained carcase records from 15 Southdown rams over five seasons. Rams are run with relatively small groups of ewes to obtain the desired data, so progeny numbers shown here don’t reflect their potential. Most rams are used for a single season to test as many rams as possible. One farm liked Southdown rams so much he set up a breeding flock of his own!
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
Grand Total
C R Sercombe
31
31
883:201113
31
31
H L Nelless
116
116
883:201064
116
116
Adrian Coombe
170
170
883:190733
85
85
883:190761
85
85
Ian Robertson
49
231
72
60
412
218:2108072
20
20
883:170607
49
44
20
113
883:2101248
15
15
968:1900562
95
21
25
141
968:1900568
92
31
123
Mark Exelby
72
72
968:2000654
72
72
Mint & Mustard Ltd
59
59
165:092132
15
15
883:180741
18
18
968:1800474
26
26
Sion Williams
91
91
218:131444
29
29
883:170545
62
62
Grand Total
140
59
401
291
60
951
N.B Please note the 2023 data is not complete at the time of printing this newsletter; March 2023
RamCompare data helps to predict carcase merit
RamCompare, supports Southdown breeders that performance record their flocks, providing evidence of how their high EBV sires perform on commercial farms.
Data collected from the project has also enabled the development of more accurate predictors for carcase value. Complimenting the long-standing breeding values for Scan Weight, Muscle Depth and Fat Depth, we have a series of new breeding values which include Days to Slaughter, Carcase Weight, Conformation and Fat Class. These abattoir derived traits are published for all performance recorded rams.
How to get involved
Due to the keen involvement of pedigree breeders supporting the RamCompare project we have tested 468 high index rams and collected data from birth to slaughter from over 44,000 commercial progeny.
The 2024 lambing season is underway and we look forward to following progeny from the rams provided this season. Webb Ellis 968:2200929 provided by Patrick Goldsworthy and Andersey 883:190843 provided by Rob Beaumont.
Please continue to support our national progeny test through nominating your rams to RamCompare for use this season!
After finishing university, Bridget worked on two well-known sheep research projects operating out of Aberystwyth University; the Longwool project and the Welsh Sheep Strategy.
In the year 2000, Bridget took a leading role in Cymru Breeding Services, (later Innovis and now known as AB Europe). Bridget was centre manager specialising in ovine fertility, operating a stud for 100 rams and coordinating four vet teams. She has specialised in ovine fertility and has worked closely with pedigree sheep and their breeders throughout her career.
With an extensive background in the sheep industry she now runs RamCompare. Her main responsibility is to liaise with project farms and abattoirs to ensure the data submitted is accurate and delivered on time, as well as co-ordinating the communication plan and ram nominations....and hundreds of other things.
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