The Sheep Improvement Scheme provides financial support to farmers for taking extra steps to improve the welfare of their flock. Farmers get €12 per breeding ewe for completing flock welfare measures.

Genotyped Ram Action

Under this action all applicants to the scheme will be required to purchase and use a genotyped ram in the first three years of the scheme.

For Lowland flocks the ram must be 4 or 5 star on the Replacement or Terminal Index and have a genomic evaluation with Sheep Ireland at the time of purchase, and be a type 1, 2 or 3 for Scrapie. No type 4 or 5 scrapie genotyped rams will qualify.

For Hill flocks, if the ram is any horned type ram or a Cheviot, the ram only needs to be DNA Sire verified by Sheep Ireland and be a type 1, 2 or 3 for Scrapie at the time of purchase.

Alternatively, hill flock participants may purchase a 4 or 5 star ram on the Replacement or Terminal Index and have a genomic evaluation with Sheep Ireland at the time of purchase, and be a type 1, 2 or 3 for Scrapie. No type 4 or 5 scrapie genotyped rams will qualify.

Applicants with 150 breeding ewes or less will only have to complete this action once in the first three years of the scheme.

Where an applicant is determined at the time of application to have a reference number of greater than 150 breeding ewes, then they will be required to carry out the action twice over the lifetime of the scheme, once within the first three years of the scheme participation and once in any subsequent year in which they wish to carry out the action for the second time. Each ram can only be claimed once over the lifetime of the scheme.

Applicants may be required to submit evidence that they have successfully completed the genotyped task. For example, a copy of the catalogue from the sale or a copy of the animals details from the Ram Search (www.ramsearch.ie) and a copy of the dispatch docket that shows the purchase of the animal.

In the year, or years, chosen by the applicant to carry out the Genotyped Ram action, this action will replace the standard Category B action chosen by the applicant at the time of application. They will revert to the standard action B in the following year following completion of the Genotype Ram action.

For more information about the Scheme gov.ie – Sheep Improvement Scheme (www.gov.ie)

If you want to know more about genotyping, click here What is genotyping and why is it important? – Sheep Ireland