August 2013

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RAM €URO-STAR INDEXEXPLANATORY DOCUMENT

STAP TASK 1 explained in detail

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€uro-Star evaluations at a glanceThree main traits are recorded by Sheep Ireland• Production (Growth trait – improving growth rates & carcase

quality)• Maternal (Mothering ability – improving ewe performance)• Lambing (Improving lambing ease and lamb survival at

lambing time)

How to identify the top genetics – What do the €uro-Stars represent?

Accuracy % - A critical element of the €uro-StarsThe accuracy % attached to every €uro-Star evaluation isextremely important as it is a measure of the amount ofinformation behind the evaluation. The more informationsupporting the evaluation for an individual animal the better – and this will be reflected in higher accuracies.

High accuracy = high confidence in the figures!!! Below illustrateshow farmers should currently evaluate the level of accuracy in theSheep Ireland evaluations.

Sheep Ireland INTRODUCTIONSheep Ireland was formed in 2009 withthe aim of developing a more profitablesheep industry through the use ofbetter genetics.

The Sheep Ireland €uro-Star ramratings aim to identify the very bestgenetics to allow sheep farmers avail ofthe significant gains that can be made.

Main aims of Sheep Irelands nationalbreed improvement programme1. To help increase the profitability on Irish

Sheep farms2. To achieve the above aim by identifying

the very best sheep genetics in Ireland3. To make these top genetics available to

commercial farmers through the €uro-Star evaluations

Mission StatementTo achieve the greatest possible

improvement, from genetic and otherfactors, in the profitability of the

national sheep flock for the benefit ofIrish farmers and the sheep industry

Euro-Star Categories

� � � � � 5 Stars: Top 20%

� � � � 4 Stars: Top 60 – 80%

� � � 3 Stars: 40 – 60%

� � 2 Stars: Bottom 20 – 40%

� 1 Star: Bottom 20%

Accuracy Ram Older Level Lambs Rams

Low -25% -30%

Medium 25% to 40% 30% to 55%

High +40% +55%

Low -15% -15%

Medium 15% to 30% 15% to 35%

High +30% +35%

ProductionIndex

Lambing &MaternalIndex

Why use the €uro-Star evaluationsMost farmers have had bad experiences when it comes to breedingrams. There can be huge variation in the performance and outputof different rams, even rams that look identical in every way.

The €uro-Star evaluations provide a very useful additional tool tosheep farmers when purchasing a breeding ram to help identifyrams that will contribute in a positive way to profitability from theirsheep enterprise.

The €uro-Star catalogue:Below illustrates what farmers can expect to see at breed society ram sales this season.

What’s the difference?

Which of these rams will be profitable?How to use the €uro-Star evaluationsSTEP 1The physical examination of a breeding ram is of criticalimportance. There are a number checks that should be carried outon a ram before making a purchase. These include:

• Teeth – front teeth (incisors) & back teeth (molars)

• Brisket/chest – ensuring it is free from sores

• Feet & legs – lamness, joints, infections

• Penis & Prepuce – free from injury or infection

• Testicles & Scrotum – free from infection, good size, free oflumps or sores.

STEP 2Once the physical checks have been completed and a number ofpotential purchases have been identified, farmers should then usethe €uro-Star indexes as a tool to identify their ideal choice/s.

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The €uro-Star evaluations will never compensate for physical problems in a breeding ram, so ALWAYS carry out a thorough physical examination in advance of considering the €uro-Star evaluations.

Pedigree Sheep Flocks

LambPlus PedigreeRecording Flocks

€urostar Evaluation

Ram Search

Catalogues

Recorded Multi-bree

Inbreeding Checker

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RRLot 1 Lot 2

LivestockMart

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1 Pedigree Ram BreedersThere are approximately 1000 Pedigree rambreeders that are members of official breedsocieties. According to the 2012 national sheepcensus there are 80,000 breeding rams inexistence in Ireland.

2 LambPlus Pedigree Performance recordingflocks

There is currently just over 300 pedigree flocks ofdifferent breeds participating in performancerecording with Sheep Ireland. The number ofbreeders involved is growing annually. Eachbreeder is required to record importantinformation on each individual lamb born on the

farm annually which is then analysed to producegenetic evaluations, i.e. €uro-Stars

3 Central Progeny Test – CPTThere are 4 individual flocks involved in the CPTwith a combined number of ewes in excess of2100. Each of these ewes are artificiallyinseminated (AI’d) each year with semen sourcedfrom Pedigree rams around the country.

4 Maternal Lamb Producers Group – MALPThere are currently 15 Sheep Ireland MALP flocks.These flocks use Pedigree rams sourced fromperformance recording breeders to mate withtheir ewes each year. Performance information onthe lambs they produce is collected throughout

the year and this ‘commercial flock’ informationfeeds back into the €uro-Star genetic evaluations.

5 Carcase DataSheep Ireland are currently working with abattoirsto design an infrastructure to allow lamb carcasedata flow into the Sheep Ireland geneticevaluations. This movement of data has alreadycommenced with some of our CPT & MALP flocksand we hope to implement the same with thePedigree flocks that are participating in theprogramme. This data is hugely important to anygenetic improvement programme.

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CPT MALP

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Sheep Ireland€urostar Evaluations

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6 Sheep Ireland €uro-Star evaluationsThe €uro-Stars first appeared in 2009. At that timethere was only a small number of flocksparticipating in the breed improvement programme.Each year the programme has grown and in 2012,Sheep Ireland produced genetic evaluations for over6,000 Pedigree rams. In 2013 it is predicted thatover 10,000 €uro-Star rams will be available forpurchase by Irish sheep farmers.

7 Sheep Ireland – End Product€uro-Star Evaluations – more info on theseevaluations can be found throughout this leaflet.Online Ram Search – Find this facility onwww.sheep.ie

Sales Catalogues – see explanations of the SheepIreland catalogue in this leafletPerformance recorded Ram Sales – Sheep farmershave many options in where to find performancerecorded breeding rams.Inbreeding checker – allowing Sheep Ireland toassess inbreeding risks in populations ofperformance recorded sheep.

8 Commercial FlocksThere are 34,000 individual flocks in existence inIreland with a total breeding ewe population of 2.5million. These will be the ones that can benefitfrom a strong genetic improvement programme.Better genetics, mean faster growing lambs,

better breeding ewes and ultimately better profits.Better sheep genetics can be improved, on anannual basis – demand for top genetics bycommercial farmers will drive this geneticimprovement.

Flock performance recording – the basicsWhy is performancerecording so useful? – In every flock thereare sheep that consistentlyoutperform others, howeververy often it is extremely difficult to identify the top/bottom performers.

The ProofSimilarly the lifetime performance of breeding rams used on thefarm can be very different – Figure 1 below illustrates thedifference that has been recorded between the lambs producedfrom 5 Star rams Vs 1 Star rams (On the Production Index).

An ounce of breeding is better than a tonne of feeding!The above table illustrates that on average there is a 3kg differencein the lamb weights from lambs born to 5Star rams over 1Starrams. This is due to better genetics. Farmers should remember thatgenetic gain is permanent; it will be retained by the sheep withinyour flock and can be built on further going forward. Unfortunatelybad genetics will work in the very same way. The €uro-Starindexes can help farmers avoid these bad genetics.

Concentrate feeding is a major cost on most sheep farms. Althoughexpensive the effect of concentrates on animal performance canbe very good, however as soon as concentrate supplementationceases, so too does the boost in animal performance. Bettergenetics will always deliver better performance, and the greatthing about genetics is that they can be improved, year on year.

Where to find €uro-Star Rams?There are a wide range of options available to farmers when lookingfor €uro-Star rated rams. The main ones are:

• If you wish to purchase rams direct from a breeder’s farm, thedetails of breeders in your area are available via the SheepIreland website, through the on-line ram search facility. Just goto www.sheep.ie where you will find the search and a videowhich shows how this great facility can be used.

• This on-line ram search facility will also provide details in relationto the €uro-Star evaluations of individual rams.

• All the main breed societies hold a host of sales around thecountry each Autumn and within these sales you will find€uroStar recorded rams. STAP farmers are encouraged to keep aneye on local and national farming press for details of these sales.

• STAP farmers are encouraged to contact the breed society of therelevant breed of ram being sought after and details of localsales will be provided. All the main breed societies have officialwebsites where contact details are available.

• There will be society ram sales for all breeds taking place inevery region around the country during the months of August,September and October. There will be STAP eligible rams presentat the vast majority of these sales, however farmers shouldalways contact the relevant society representative to check ramavailability in advance of each sale.

• Go to www.sheep.ie for a full list of Performance recordingbreeders and a list of all the society contacts for breeds that arecurrently participating in performance recording.

• There will be specific Performance recorded ram sales takingplace during from August. These include:

– The Sheep Ireland multi-breed ram sale in Tullamore – 24th August

– The National Sheep Breeders Association STAP sale in Roscrea– 28th August

– The National Sheep Breeders Association STAP sale inBlessington – 14th September

Figure 1

All you need to know about Task 1 of STAPTask 1 (As appears in STAP Terms & Conditions)This task is compulsory in either year 1 or year 2. Increase the genetic merit of the flock by using a ram of superior genetic merit.Participants must use a performance recorded €uroStar ram bred by a Lamb Plus breeder as certified by Sheep Ireland.Participants will be required to produce evidence to Sheep Ireland of purchase in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 or 2014 of a pedigree ram that hasbeen performance recorded by Sheep Ireland. The ram must be 3, 4 or 5 Star on either Production, Maternal or Lambing sub index. The rammust be used to mate ewes in either year 1 or 2 of the programme. The minimum requirement is one €uroStar recorded ram satisfying theabove criteria per participating flock. Hill farmers with a majority of ewes that consist of Blackface Mountain, Cheviot, or a cross of thesebreeds do not have to pick this task as a compulsory task.

This task will be verified by Sheep Ireland.

Q: What if I am currently using very rare breeds of sheep which are not beingperformance recorded by Sheep Ireland?

A: In very special cases an exemption from Task 1 will be granted to farmers. Reason Q: What measurements do Sheep Ireland record on farms?A: Sheep Ireland asks each Pedigree Breeder to record the following• Sire & Dam of every lamb born • Date of Birth• All lambing difficulty & lamb deaths • Lamb birth weights• 40 day lamb weights (to assess ewe milk) • Weaning weight• Ultrasound Muscle & Fat scan • Mature ewe weights

(to assess muscle & fat depth)We also record Feacal Egg Counts (to assess worm resistance) and Lamenessincidence (to assess susceptibility to footrot) on the Sheep Ireland MALP & CPTcommercial flocks.

Q: What traits do Sheep Ireland promote in the €uroStar indexes?A: The three traits are as follows• Production (Growth trait)• Maternal (Milk, ability to rear lambs efficiently)• Lambing (Lamb survival, lambing difficulty)

*A Health trait is currently being developed.Q: What is the most important trait?A: This will vary from farmer to farmer and from flock to flock. A farmer needs to

identify the aspect of their flock they wish to improve most.Q: Are the €uroStar analysed across all the different breeds.A: No. The €uroStars are calculated within breed only. For example a 5 Star Texel ram

on the Lambing Trait cannot be compared to a 5 Star Belclare ram on the LambingTrait. The Texel ram is 5 Star within the Texel breed that is currently beingperformance recorded. Same applies to all traits.

Q: Is there an intention to have across breed evaluations?A: Yes. When we have collected sufficient information from breeds we will do this. We

have sufficient information collected from some breeds, but until such time asother breeds participate in stronger numbers – we cannot run an across breedevaluation.

Q: When a ram is 5 Star, what does it mean?A: It means the ram is in the top 20% of the recorded sheep within that breed for that

particular trait. 1 Star represents the bottom 20%.Q: What is Accuracy %?A: Accuracy % is one of the most important aspects of the €uroStar evaluations. Low

accuracy % illustrates that the sheep evaluation has been calculated using a smallamount of information. The more information available for evaluation, the higherthe accuracy % will be. When using the €uroStar evaluations to purchase abreeding ram, always attempt to find the highest accuracies possible. If a breederhas low accuracies, you need to ask why.

Q: What is a high accuracy?A: At the current levels of participation in the scheme accuracy levels are not where

Sheep Ireland would like. The highest accuracy % being recorded varies across thetraits.• Production – High accuracy = 45%+• Maternal – High accuracy = 30%+• Lambing – High accuracy = 30%+

Please direct any further questions on STAP Task 1 to the Sheep Irelandoffices on 023 8820454. Alternatively, please email query@sheep.ie.

Questions & Answers about Task 1Q: Do I need to pay a membership fee and be a member of Sheep Ireland to partakein this option?

A: NoQ: What if I already have a €uro-Star recorded ram, do I need to purchase anotherone?

A: No. As long as your current €uro-Star recorded ram is used in the year that youchoose Task 1, there will be no requirement to purchase another €uro-Star ram. Youwill however be required to send details of the ram to Sheep Ireland along with a copyof the dispatch docket you received when you purchased the ram. There is a ‘Ramform’ available on www.sheep.ie and this will need to be submitted to Sheep Ireland.

Q: How can I check if my ram is already €uro-Star rated?A: There are a number of options:1. Contact the breeder from which you purchased your ram. The breeder will know if the

ram was performance recorded or not.2. Go to www.sheep.ie and enter the identity details of your ram in the Sheep Ireland

online ram search (Please note your ram may have two identities – the officialdepartment tag number and/or his Pedigree society identity. For instructions on howto use the Sheep Ireland ram search, there is a short help video available on thewebsite.

3. Submit the details of your ram to your STAP group facilitator and these will check theram for you.

4. Contact Sheep Ireland directly with the ram details at hand.Q: Where can I find a Performance Recorded €uroStar ram bred by a LambPlusbreeder?

A: The options available to farmers have already been detailed in this leaflet.Q: If I am a hill farmer and I purchase hill breed rams only – where can I find them?A: There is currently a low number of Pedigree hill sheep breeders’ performance

recording their sheep with Sheep Ireland. If your flock is predominantly hill sheep –greater than 50% (according to your 2013 sheep census form), then you can chooseto avoid this Task. You will however need to choose one of the 9 optional tasks in placeof Task 1.

Q: How many Pedigree ram breeders are performance recording their rams annually?A: In 2012 Sheep Ireland performance recorded 300 pedigree flocks. This figure grew

from a figure of 220 in 2011. Q: How many Pedigree rams have been performance recorded by Sheep Ireland?

In 2012 just over 6000 Pedigree rams were performance recorded. The Sheep Irelandscheme began in 2009 and there has been almost 20,000 rams performancerecorded to date. The number of rams being recorded annually has been growingexponentially in response to the growth in breeders participating in the scheme.

Q: What breeds are being recorded currently?A: Certain breeds are participating in stronger numbers than others. The strongest

participating breeds in terms of number of rams being performance recordedannually are as follows:

Highest availability• Texel • Belclare • Suffolk• Charollais • Mayo Mountain • Vendeen

Lower availability• Lleyn • Rouge de L’Ouest • Belgian Beltex• Ile de France • Hampshire Down • Shropshire• Easy Care • Blue Faced Leicester

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The Sheep Ireland Online Ram Search can be found atwww.sheep.ie and it allows sheep farmers to search for aperformance recorded ram on a variety of criteria. Anycombination of criteria can be used in the search and the morecriteria used, the more refined the results. To use the search,enter your criteria, and then select the ‘Search’ button.

If you already know the NSIS or pedigree identity of a ram you canalso enter these details into the ram search as directed below.However, if you are simply searching for a performance recordedram to purchase you should proceed directly to the ‘AdvancedSearch’

Ensure you have a FULL tag number whenlooking up your ram on www.sheep.ie

Here’s how a full tag number should be entered:1. Enter IE04 + designator (5 digits) + individual animal number

(5 digits) + the check letter 2. IE04 + 12345 + 00123 + A = IE041234500123A

You may also have a Pedigree identity for your ramHere’s how most Pedigree identities should be entered:1. Enter flock prefix ABC + Year (2 digits, e.g., 13)+ individual

animal number (3-5 digits, e.g., 023)2. ABC + 13 + 023 = ABC13023

Advanced Search• Date of Birth. To search by date of birth, you need to enter a

‘from’ date and ‘to’ date. The search will then return all animalsborn between those two dates. You can used the calendarbeside these boxes to select the required dates.

• Animal Age. This dropdown menu allows the user to search forall animals of a certain age.

• Number of Progeny. Number of offspring the animal has had. • Breed. You must select a breed before every advanced search.

You may only select one breed at a time.• Owner Location. The animal can be searched for by the county

where the owner of the animal is located. Only one or allcounties can be selected at a time. Scroll down the list to findthe required county and click on it, or tick the ‘Select All’ tickbox to search by all counties. ‘Select All’ will be ticked bydefault.

• STAP (Sheep Technology Adoption Programme) Eligible Only.Select this box if you only want to search for rams that areeligible for the STAP scheme

• €uro-Star Traits within Breed. This allows breeders to selectanimals to match their own tailored criteria. To include any ofthese traits in the search, tick the corresponding tick box toenable the dropdown, then select from the dropdown thevalues you wish to search by.

When you have selected the criteria you wish to search for, clickthe ‘Search’ button in the bottom right square of the screen.

If you are encountering any problems or if you have any querieson anything to do with the Sheep Ireland Ram Search or SheepIreland please do not hesitate to contact us on 1890 600 900 oremail us at query@sheep.

SHEEP IRELANDHighfield House, Shinagh, Bandon, Co Cork.

Tel +353 (023) 8820222 Email: query@sheep.ie. www.sheep.ie

Sheep Ireland Online Ram Search