What is the Sheep Improvement Scheme?
The DAFM Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS) 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.
The targeted welfare areas include:
- lameness control
- mineral supplementation of ewes post-mating
- meal feeding lambs post-weaning
- parasite control (faecal egg count)
- management of pregnant ewes (scanning)
- flystrike control
- mineral supplementation of lambs pre-weaning
- Genotyped Ram Action
What is the ‘Genotyped Ram Action” task?
The task requires participants in the scheme to purchase a ram that has been genomically tested via Sheep Ireland. On applying for the scheme, each participant had to select the year in which they would carry out the ‘Genotyped Ram Task’. Participants with less than 150 ewes will have to complete the task once in the first three years of the scheme. Participants with over 150 ewes will have to complete the task twice, once in the first three years and any other year after that.
What are the criteria for the ‘Genotyped Ram Task’?
For Lowland rams, the criteria are as follows:
- Genomically Tested on the Sheep Ireland Database
- 4 or 5-Star on the Replacement or Terminal Index
- Scrapie Type 1, 2 or 3
For Hill rams (Blackface Mountain Type or Cheviot Type), the criteria are as follows:
- Genomically Tested on the Sheep Ireland Database
- Sire DNA Verified
- Scrapie Type 1, 2 or 3
Looking for an SIS-eligible ram? Find it on Sheep Ireland’s Ram Search.
One of the easiest ways to find SIS-eligible rams is via the Sheep Ireland online ram search (www.ramsearch.ie) or going to our website (www.sheep.ie) and clicking on the Ram Search tab.
*Scan this QR code with your phone to access the ram search.
Also, a list of ram breeders with suitable rams for sale will be included in the Sheep Ireland Guide and Directory of Breeders, which is published every year (electronic version available on www.sheep.ie under the ‘Publications’ tab). Breed societies sales across Ireland will also be providing this information, so view your relevant breeds website/Facebook page to identify ram sale dates. Sheep Ireland also hosts the €uroStar Multi-Breed Ram sale that will take place on Saturday, August 26th at 11:30 am in Tullamore Mart.
How do I know if a Ram is SIS eligible?
On the Sheep Ireland ram search, you can select the SIS button for displaying only the eligible rams. Also, next to each ram ID you will find a green flag when the animal is eligible and a red flag when it’s NOT eligible:
How do I interpret €urostars on catalogues?
When looking at a catalogue, €uroStars attached to an animal remain to be WITHIN BREED, ranking each index in 20% groupings. The higher the stars, the higher the predicted profitability from that animal within that breed.
Each of the €urostars are broken down into percentiles which facilitates farmers in identifying the top % of the best genetics within a particular breed, e.g.;
- a 5-star ram is in the top 20% within his breed,
- and a 4-star ram is in the top 40% within his breed.
Validation. How they can work for you?
One of the benefits of the Central Progeny Test (CPT) is to assess the performance of Eurostar rams progeny in a commercial setting and to validate the €uroStar ratings. The results of the latest validation by comparing the performance of 5 Star vs 1 Star Genetics showed that consistently using 5 Star genetics increased the number of lambs born, reduced lambing difficulty and mortality, reduced ewe mature weight and increased lamb performance, which led to an increased flock profitability of €5 per ewe joined to the 5 Star ram vs their 1-star counterparts in a commercial setting.