ChazCompare - Top Charollais sires excel

ChazCompare – Getting a step ahead

EBVs are currently produced from two separate genetic analyses. Each analysis takes into account the environmental differences between farms, as well as non-genetic factors such as a lamb’s age, sex and birth type.

• The National Terminal Sire Evaluation generates EBVs for eight-week weight, scan weight, muscle and fat depth
• The RamCompare Evaluation generates EBVs for days-to-slaughter, carcase weight, conformation and fat class, primal yield and shear force

What is changing?

RamCompare is funding research at SRUC to see if these two evaluations can be combined into a single analysis, with abattoir derived EBVs delivered through the National Terminal Sire Evaluation.

This is an exciting next step for the project, making EBVs more accessible to breeders and ram buyers and enabling us to use other sources of carcase data within our evaluations.

Case Study:  Getting a step ahead with ChazCompare

From the start of RamCompare, Charollais breeders Andrew Walton and Jamie Wilde could see the value of breeding values derived from abattoir data and wanted to test more rams. As well as providing rams to RamCompare, they set up their own trial “ChazCompare” which AHDB has supported.

This trial using Charollais rams on Mule ewes has been a fantastic success, with over 1500 lambs assessed and their data incorporated into the breeding values produced for the Rainbow and Redhill Charollais flocks.

2021 represents a well-deserved success for this hard working duo, producing the year’s top performing sire, Brettles Utopia (19WF02907), as well as the highly rated Hundalee Volcano (20XMP04415) and Rainbow Vetteriano (20XPU04026).

Keys to the success of ChazCompare

• Use of CT scanning to aid sire selection
• High progeny numbers (av. 53 progeny records/sire)
• All progeny treated the same and slaughtered over a short period
• A mating plan that created strong linkage between years and flocks
• Careful data collection to ensure that sire identities were correct

If you wish to follow the ChazCompare example please get in touch to discuss how RamCompare can help fast track your breeding programme.