Adequate supply of SIS eligible rams available

Through their participation in the Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS) and with the breeding season fast approaching, some sheep farmers may be in the market to purchase a SIS eligible 4 or 5-star ram.

Joining Ciaran Lynch, Teagasc Sheep Specialist, on a recent episode of the OviCast Podcast, Sheep Ireland Programme Manager, Jaynell Anderson provided an overview of the SIS genotyped ram task.

As part of the Sheep Improvement Scheme, the criteria for the genotyped ram task differs depending on the ram you are purchasing. Lowland rams have to be: 4 or 5-star on the Replacement or Terminal Index; Scrapie Type 1, 2 or 3; and genotyped with a genomic evaluation on the Sheep Ireland database. Hill rams have to be: verified to their sire through DNA; and Scrapie Type 1, 2 or 3.

On the availability of SIS eligible rams, Jaynell said: “There's definitely an adequate supply of rams”, and over 4,000 ram lambs and 1,500 hogget rams are available on Sheep Ireland’s RamSearch platform – a tool which allows potential buyers to filter the available rams by location, breed and star rating.

On the availability of hill rams, Jaynell pointed to the work of various breeding groups throughout Ireland, adding: “There has been serious efforts made by the hill producers, particularly in the hill producer groups.”

Organised by David Coen, who’s leading the hill development side at Sheep Ireland, Jaynell noted that 13 DNA collection days have been completed to date with “huge numbers coming out there to ensure that there’s going to be an adequate supply of those hill breeds”.

She added: “There should be a SIS eligible ram out there for every farmer that meets both physical needs, the physical correctness and satisfies the task requirement as well.”

Jaynell also touched on the upcoming sales being organised by Sheep Ireland. The Elite €uro-Star Multi-breed Ram Sale will take place on August 24 at Tullamore Mart, where more than 500 SIS eligible rams from 10 different breeds are expected to be available. Meanwhile, the Sheep Ireland Hill Ram Sale will take place on October 11 at Manorhamilton Livestock Sales.

More information on these sales is available on the Sheep Ireland website.

For more insights on the above, listen into the OviCast podcast featuring Jaynell Anderson below:

Also read: A guide on the Genotyped Ram Task