What is Accuracy% – Accuracy% is one of the most critical aspects of the Sheep Ireland genetic evaluations. Many people speak about the €uroStar ratings of a particular animal – each €uroStar rating should only be considered and used IN ASSOCIATION with the accuracy% for that particular trait. Low accuracy% means that the genetic evaluation is based on a small amount of data. High accuracy% means that a particular bloodline is well recorded, thus far greater reliance can be placed on the genetic evaluation information.

Higher accuracy% greatly reduces the possible movement in an individual animals genetic evaluation. Unfortunately there WILL ALWAYS BE movements in the genetic evaluations of individual animals – even some high accuracy% animals. For this reason it is critical that breeders and farmers use a team of rams from different bloodlines – this will reduce the overall impact on a flocks genetic progress by movements in the genetic indexes of individual animals.

For a video explaining more about accuracy% and how high accuracy% reduces index movement click below!

Did you know if you have more than one stock ram with Star ratings that you can then combine their accuracy (Acc%) figures to essentially form a ram team accuracy. This Acc% figure for the Ram Team will be much higher than any of the individual rams Acc% figures on their own, especially where rams are starting off with low Acc%.

For example, if you have three stock rams that have Acc of 42%, 55% and 39%, then the Acc% value for that team would be Acc 86% as shown in the excel below. Lets say these three rams were high on the Replacement index, with an average ranking of top 10%, then this is the equivalent of having one ram with an Acc 86% ranked in the top 10%.

Or in this video where the three stock rams have an Acc 40% each, their Team accuracy is Acc 85%.