The ram sale season is now underway and while most ram sales include the €uroStar evaluations in sale catalogues, not all farmers are fully confident in interpreting these values.

When these values are understood and used as an aid in purchasing a ram, the information can benefit the flock and improve farm performance.

The €uroStar indexes are the result of data collection and processing work by Sheep Ireland designed as a guide for farmers when making breeding decisions for their flocks.

Data is collected on various traits that impact farmers’ profit margin and is then combined into the various €uroStar Evaluations.

The performance recording service offered by Sheep Ireland, LambPlus has resulted in greater data collection and higher availability of performance-recorded rams in the sale season.

The €uro-Stars indexes can help with the following when purchasing rams:

Production ability of your lambs (Growth-days to slaughter, carcass-weight, etc);
Maternal ability of your ewes (weaning weight, number of lambs born, etc);
Lambing ease of your ram.

The Replacement and Terminal Indexes are designed to aid the selection of animals that will produce the best genetics for the industry, and to rank these animals on the predicted profitability per lamb born.

€uro-Stars attached to an animal remain within breed, ranking each index in 20% groupings.

1-star represents the bottom 20% of the breed for that trait and 5-stars represents the top 20%.

The higher the stars, the higher the predicted profitability of that animal within that breed.

The €uro-values of each trait and index can be compared across breeds, which allows any two rams to be compared to each other regardless of breed.

The '€' value beside each of these indexes represents the predicted difference in profit that each lamb sired by this ram will have over and above the average.

Benefits of buying a 5-Star ram

A 5-star ram ranks among the best for either the replacement or terminal index, making it easier to select genetics that will deliver flock improvement.

For commercial sheep farmers, few breeding decisions have a bigger long-term impact than the choice of ram.

A ram's influence extends far beyond next year's lamb crop, affecting flock performance, replacement quality, lamb survival, growth rates, and overall profitability for years to come.

Research has shown that 5-star rams have fewer lambing problems, produce more lambs and help lambs reach slaughter faster.

Easier lambing reduces labour pressure and losses at a critical time of year.

More lambs born and reared improves output per ewe and faster finishing lambs can reduce days spent on farm, lower feed demand and improve the ability to hit market specifications.

Choosing the right index for the flock

Farmers breeding their own replacements should pay close attention to the 'Replacement index', which supports the selection of rams with stronger maternal potential.

The latest validation of the €uroStars shows that daughters from 5-star Replacement rams produce 0.14 more lambs per ewe than daughters from 1-Star rams, which is an extra 14 lambs for every 100 ewes.

Farmers focused on producing lambs for slaughter should look closely at the 'Terminal index', which helps identify rams with stronger potential for growth and finishing performance.

Recent validation shows that lambs from 5-star rams finish 15 days quicker than their 1-Star counterparts.

Many commercial flocks will need a balance of both, particularly where some ewe lambs are retained while the remainder of the flock is bred for lamb output.

The €uroStar rating gives farmers a breeding tool that goes beyond visual assessment alone.

Physical soundness, health history, and suitability for the flock remain essential, but the genetic information adds another layer of confidence.

A good-looking ram with poor genetic potential may not deliver the performance expected, while a 5-star ram combines visual assessment with the genetic potential to drive flock improvement.

The Sheep Ireland Elite €uroStar Multi-Breed Ram Sale will take place at Kilkenny Mart on Saturday, August 22, at 10.30am.