2020 Issue 7 Sheep Ireland Guide & Directory of Breeders www.sheep.ie CHAIRPERSON’S MESSAGE NEW FOR 2020 2020 has been another milestone year New Ram Search And Breeder Search for breed improvement for the Irish Functions sheep industry with the launch of our To help Irish sheep farmers easily locate Across-Breed Genomic Evaluations. This the best genetics for their flock, Sheep might sound like jargon to some but put Ireland has launched a new online simply; we are starting to capitalise on search functions for both rams and ram the national sheep database to deliver breeders. There is a wealth of information even more accurate Star ratings that available here for sheep farmers. More on page 12. identify more profitable sheep for you. Sheep Ireland Indexes Are Now When you are going to purchase a new Across-Breed stock ram this year you can be more Up to 2020 Sheep Ireland published confident in the decision only to accept James Murphy - Chair of the Sheep Ireland within breed indexes only – it was not board, sheep farmer from Kilkenny, Charollais 3, 4, and 5 Star rams, as anything else possible for farmers to compare different would be a step backwards. pedigree ram breeder and former chairman of the IFA sheep committee. sheep breeds using their indexes. Thanks Approximately 50% of the data to a growing database of Irish sheep entering into the Stars each year is performance records, Sheep Ireland can from commercial grass-fed flocks, and If you already collect some data or have now publish Across Breed Indexes, which this comes from a combination of the been thinking about it, I encourage you enables a farmer to compare sheep Central Progeny Test (CPT), Teagasc to join LambPlus, maximise the power of of different breeds against each other Better Farms and regular commercial that data for yourself and the industry. across the key traits. More on this on Sheep Ireland App Improvements farmers. We have worked hard over the page 6. The free Sheep Ireland mobile app is last number of years to build a database In the breed improvement business continually being improved with new Genomic Sheep Evaluations Now and the Sheep Ireland recording App “If you’re standing still, you’re going functionality and features being added Available that would be an aid to every farmer in backwards”. annually. This app allows sheep farmers the country who wants to improve their Irish sheep farmers can now purchase to performance record their flock using flocks’ output by harnessing the power James Murphy breeding rams that have a genomic their own smartphone. More information of data. Many farmers already collect Chairperson of Sheep Ireland Board breeding value. This adds a significant on this on page 5. amount of accuracy% to the animal’s some level of data on their flocks. genetic evaluation. It can also verify that the animal’s parentage is correct while also providing information on the animals Sheep Ireland board of representatives level of scrapie resistance. Ireland is the first country in the Northern Hemisphere Key industry stakeholders/groups form part of a Sheep Ireland board which meet to launch across-breed genomic sheep regularly throughout the year. A list of all current elected representatives and their evaluations. More on page 17. contact details are available on the Sheep Ireland website www.sheep.ie. 21 Sheep Ireland Guide & Directory of Breeders 2020 Sheep Ireland Guide & Directory of Breeders 2020 2 PHYSICAL CHECKS AND €UROSTARS MUST GO HAND IN HAND 4. Toes part of the NCT. Bigger is generally better Checking a ram’s toes pertains to checking as these rams will generally produce more his feet and legs. Addressing lameness sperm. The most important thing however Ram NCT issues is one of the key reasons to assess to check is that there are two testicles rams 10-12 weeks before the breeding present. A ram can be fertile with a single Regardless of what €uroStar Index a ram season. This will allow time to address any testicle, but it may affect the number of may have, if the ram is not physically potential issues. Farmers should consider ewes he will mate during the breeding correct, he will not perform as he should. culling persistently lame rams and should season. The ram’s testicles should be loose All farmers should carry out a ram NCT not retain replacement females from such and free from abnormal lumps/bumps. (check) on all existing stock rams and rams rams where possible. Rams should also If checking the testicles appears to be being considered for purchase. There are have four strong, straight legs. The hind causing the ram obvious pain, then this five basic things all sheep farmers should legs are particularly important when it should be investigated closer by a vet. The consider at – these can be summarised as comes to ram’s ability to mate ewes so pay epididymis (appendage below the testicle) the 5 T’s; attention here. where semen is stored, should be similar in 1. Timing Rams with teeth/mouth issues will struggle size to a golf ball, and free from lumps. A Rams should be assessed at least 10-12 to maintain body condition and are not 5. Testicles ram’s penis area should also be checked for weeks prior to breeding for body condition likely to perform to their potential. Checking rams’ testicles is another critical any obvious signs of injury or infection. score and to identify any other potential problems. Early detection of physical issues provides a farmer with a chance to get the ram ready for the breeding season. Final Physical Check Timing If possible, at mating time, try to spend 2. Tone time watching rams with the ewes. Ensure A ram should be in good condition for the that the ram is successfully mating with the annual breeding season. A target condition ewes. All breeding rams should be raddled score of 4 will ensure that the ram is fit and on their chest area or fitted with a crayon not over fat. Rams will lose some condition Teeth (& Head) harness to mark each ewe as they are being Tone (Condition) over the course of a busy breeding season, mated. These raddle/crayon colours can so farmers need to ensure that rams are in then be changed on the ram/s in advance adequate condition before mating begins. of the ewes second oestrus cycle (day 14/15 after initial ram introduction). A 3. Teeth high number of ewes being marked by the All breeding ram’s teeth should be checked second raddle/crayon will help to identify a annually. This check should extend to the fertility issue. If using a team of rams in the Testicles (& Penis) overall mouth including the molars (side same group, it will be difficult to identify teeth), which should be checked by rubbing an issue with an individual ram. If single the outside of the rams cheeks for bumps/ sire mating, a ram fertility issue will be abscesses etc. Correct teeth/mouths are obvious using the raddle/crayon. Speak to particularly important if replacement your agricultural advisor or vet about any females are being retained from an Toes (Feet & Legs) breeding issues that you may be having on individual breeding ram. your farm. 3 Sheep Ireland Guide & Directory of Breeders 2020 Sheep Ireland Guide & Directory of Breeders 2020 4 AVAILABLE NOW UNDERSTANDING THE €UROSTARS Since 2019, Sheep Irelands €uroStar evaluations have been ACROSS-BREED, LambPlus App meaning farmers can now compare all breeds using the index values attached Do you want to performance record your to each index/trait. These index values flock but don’t know where to start? can now be used by farmers to find the best genetics available irrespective of The LambPlus App is for you and available free breed. of charge! This technology is designed to make data recording quicker and easier for LambPlus The €uroStar rankings (1-5 Star graphics) members to performance record their flocks! attached to each index remain to be a WITHIN-BREED ranking, which continues to facilitate farmers and ram FEATURES BENEFITS breeders to identify the best genetics • Can connect to Bluetooth EID readers • Saves time within a particular sheep breed. (on android devices only) • Quick and easy to use • Data recorded instantly and loaded to • More accurate data the Sheep Ireland database • Information uploaded straight to • Records off-line with no internet database connection, once re-connected the • Contributes to reports data automatically loads to the • Helps identify the most profitable €uroStars database genetics in the flock • Free trial of App available by using the How to interpret them username ‘demo’ and the password WHERE CAN YOU FIND IT? ‘demo’ to get logged in Available for download on Android and €uroStars attached to an animal remain to be WITHIN BREED, ranking iOS devices and works well on tablet and each trait in 20% groupings. The higher the stars, the higher the WHAT CAN YOU RECORD? phones equally predicted profitability from that animal within the breed in question. • Mating • Pregnancy scans • Lambing information €uroStar Categories • Weights 5 Stars Top 20% (Very Good) • Health data (mastitis, lameness, BCS, dag scores etc) 4 Stars Top 60 – 80% (Good) • Comments from on-farm inspections 3 Stars 40 – 60% (Average) 2 Stars Bottom 20 – 40% (Below Average) DOWNLOAD THE APP FOR FREE 1 Star Bottom 20% (Poor) TODAY, CONTACT 023 882 0451 TO GET PERFORMANCE RECORDING! Sheep Ireland Guide & Directory of Breeders 2020 6 UNDERSTANDING THE €UROSTARS Replacement (€2.39) - If a farmer desires a ram to breed Terminal (€1.93) - If a lambs both for slaughter and replacement ewe lambs then farmer desires a ram to they should select a ram based on this index.