Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS) eligible rams are in high demand since the launch of the scheme, which necessitates the need to genotype rams for their eligibility.
Sheep Ireland recommends genotyping all your stock rams now, as this will ensure any progeny produced by these rams next year will be sire verified, specifically in cases where rams get lost or die during the winter.
“Once a ram is genotyped he is genotyped for life, even if he is dead, any progeny he produced will be able to sire verified provided the lambs themselves are genotyped also,” according to Sheep Ireland.
Requirements
For lowland flocks, the ram must be four- or five-star on the replacement or terminal index and have a genomic evaluation with Sheep Ireland at the time of purchase.
They must also be a type one, two or three for scrapie. No type four or five scrapie genotyped rams will qualify.
For hill flocks, if the ram is a hill flock breed, the ram only needs to be DNA sire verified by Sheep Ireland and be a type one, two or three for scrapie at the time of purchase to be SIS eligible.
Alternatively, hill flock participants may purchase a four- or five-star ram on the replacement or terminal index and have a genomic evaluation with Sheep Ireland at the time of purchase, with the same scrapie requirements applying as the lowland flocks.
Lambs born from a stock ram sire that is not genotyped will not receive any stars.
The genotype is also used to improve the accuracy of €uroStar evaluations of the ram, which leads to less fluctuations in star ratings for the genotype rams and their progeny.
According to Sheep Ireland, DNA verified rams give breeders reassurance when purchasing progeny from him in the future.
Increase in ranking
A ram’s star rating may change after the genotype is included in the evaluation for the first time after testing, according to Sheep Ireland.
These changes occur as the extra information is added to the ram’s star based on the genomic result, which can move them up or down.
Below is a more detailed table of the probabilities of a ram lambs ranking increasing after genotyping.
Percentage increase in rankings Probability 5% increase 42% chance 10% increase 30% chance 15% increase 24% chance 20% increase 16% chance 25% increase 11% chance 30% increase 7% chance
On average, a ram’s ranking will remain the same after testing; however, there can still be movements.
It will be necessary to complete the genotyped ram action at least once within the first three years of participation in the SIS.
Year 1 of the SIS runs from February 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023, subsequent years will run the full calendar year from January 1 to December 31.