I began performance recording with Signet in 2018.
This means that at birth all the lambs are weighed and lambing ease recorded. They are then monitored for growth at 8 weeks and then at weaning they are scanned by an ultrasound technician to record back fat and muscle depth plus weaning weights.
Recording the lambs development has enabled me to select the best animals in my flock to retain. Because I am breeding sheep to produce lamb for direct sale I am mostly interested in growth rates from grass only.
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A performance recorded pedigree animal still has to conform to all the breed standards and animals that do not are not retained and are culled. Performance recording is an additional tool enabling you to see what is underneath the wool but is not a replacement for a good stock persons eye!
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You can see from the chart that each year of recording that my flock has improved (2021 I changed rams and he was unrecorded so figures dipped slightly)
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In 2021 one of my shearling ram's sired by Lydiard Ernest was selected for the RamCompare trial. This means he has gone to be used on a commercial farm with 70 Lleyn ewes and all of his offsprings data will be recorded right through to the abattoir. Being able to have that much data from a pedigree animal will hopefully be able to prove that the Oxford really is the ultimate terminal sire.
In 2022 another ram was selected to join RamCompare. Lydiard Paul by Lydiard Douglas also went to Chawton Park Farm, Hampshire.
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