So that year on year we can sell YOU better performing rams

So long as our flocks performance is improving year on year then by continuing to buy off us you can lock into an equivalent annual genetic gain alongside us and so like boats in a harbour we will all rise on the tide together. Importantly this means whether you buy an Elite ( Top 1/3rd ) ram or an average Premium one, every time you revisit us you can buy a better performing ram than the last time.

HOW DO WE KNOW THIS WORKS?

Improving Performance means that if we sold you in 2017 a terminal ram ranked in the top 5% of all ram lambs born that year he would have ranked 23( right at the top of the top 1/3). The identically performing ram with the same figures would only have ranked 192 ( just out of our top 1/3) in 2019.

NZ ram breeders live by their “Genetic Trends Graphs” which show your annual genetic progress in comparison with the rest of the industry. We are delighted that our graphs show we are steadily tracking the best of NZ ram breeders in our year on year genetic improvement. 

REMEMBER

EasyRams are the only ram breeders publicly publishing all the Performance figures for all their sale rams.

WE ONLY USE FIGURES – no stars *: one management system. 

HOW do we use indexes to price our sheep?

We use 2 indexes both from SIL in New Zealand

NZTW - New Zealand Terminal Worth. An industry standard index for Terminal sire sheep based on Lamb Survival, Lamb Growth, and Carcass Meat Yield. The Terminal index identifies which rams will sire the quickest growing and most meaty lambs.

NZMW - New Zealand Maternal Worth. An industry standard index for dual purpose sheep ( maternal) based on Reproduction, Lamb Survival, Lamb Growth, Adult size and Carcass Meat Yield. The Maternal index identifies which rams will breed the best performing ewes.

WE CHARGE AN EXTRA £50/hd FOR RAMS WITH a TOP 1/3 TERMINAL OR MATERNAL INDEX.

What traits do we record?

• Birth weights
• Lambing ease and vigour
• 8 wk weights ( Signet) to assess ewes milking ability
• Weaning Weights ( SIL normally at 100days)
• Scanning weights and muscle and fat depths on the loin at about 45Kgs weight. We scan more terminal lambs than any other individual farmr in the UK
• CT ( Computed Tomography ) scan. At least 20 of our most promising lambs go through a whole body CT scanner at SRUC un Edinburgh in order to give us extra information on carcase composition, including meat yield, fat and bone content, loin length, number of chops and meat eating quality. This extra information is used to help us determine what rams to use in our own breeding programme.
• Physical Traits.

Our rams are checked for physical traits from birth to sale. We look at lambing ease, lamb vigour, speed to suck, and later in life including structural soundness relating to feet, ,teeth, dagginess etc. WE DO NOT TREAT WE CULL!

How do EasyRams compare to UK breeds?

Although we are one of very few 100% grass fed flocks in the UKour Suffolks and Sufftexes compare with the very best of the UK meat breeds with our flock average in the top 25% for growth and meat yield and many individual ras having traits in the top 1% or 5% of the Suffolk breed. Because we hae absolutely no links with the UK Texel breed we have no direct comparisons here.

NEWS 1

The TEAGASC trials at Athenry in Ireland compare the performance of NZ Suffolks and Texels and Irish High Index and Low Index Suffolks and Texels on a grass only system

The results show that 96% of NZ Suffolk and Texel lambs were finished off grass in 160 days and 82% and 69% of Hi Index and Low index Irish Suffolk and Texels finished off grass in 165 and 175 days. The rest only finished when given concentrates pre slaughter much later in the year.