Sheep Ireland to highlight changes to LambPlus flock recording

Tomorrow evening will mark the start of a series of regional meetings, to be hosted by Sheep Ireland. The events will provide all pedigree ram breeders (LambPlus and Non-LambPlus) to come along and discuss the breed improvement programme, planned for the next 12 months and to catch a glimpse of what the LambPlus service has to offer.

“We are currently 300 pedigree flocks signed up to our recording service and a further 20 commercial producers,” Sheep Ireland’s Eamon Wall told AgriLand. “But the good news is that the number of sheep producers wanting to avail of our recording services is set to grow significantly during the period ahead. And it is specifically due to the expansion of our services that a deadline for joining the LambPlus service for 2014 has been set for December 15th. Breeders wishing to sign-up after this deadline will unfortunately have to wait until the following year.”

Wall went on to point out that a number of changes will be introduced to the LambPlus programme for 2014. These include a new €uro-Star index, which will facilitate a change from the current three performance-related indexes back to two.

“The €uro-Star index provides breeders and farmers with additional information relating the genetic potential of the animal under consideration,” he further explained.

“LambPlus also features a new In-breeder Checker. This will make it possible to cross check current and new rams to ensure they are not related to ewes in a farmer’s flock. There will be a number of reports available to help present the flocks performance form lambing, weights and genetic trends

“Members of LambPlus will be included on the on line Sheep Ireland Ram Search. This had over 25,000 hits last year and is proving to be a great tool to assist breeders promote their rams.

“Each year there are a number of sales around the country run by various groups and societies that are restricted solely to LambPlus recorded flocks, these sales are growing in popularity each year and can be an additional outlet for ram sales.”

The Sheep Ireland representative stressed that the impact of diseases, such as Schmallenberg, should not put farmers from committing to flock recording. “Our analysis systems have been set up to take account of these developments in ways that filter out the impact of those diseases, over which farmers have no control.”

The upcoming Sheep Ireland meetings will be held at the following venues: