RamCompare

To date, nearly 7,500 abattoir records have been supplied for pure-bred Dorset lambs and using genetic approaches established through the RamCompare project. We now have a much better understanding of the genetic relationships that exist between those traits measured in the live animal within our pedigree flocks and those attributes expressed by progeny in the abattoir at the point of slau

RamCompare farmer, Alwyn Nutting, and Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC) invite you to join them for this farm event which will showcase progress of the RamCompare project and will feature AFN+ Breeding Better and LUNZ Grasslands, two new research projects.

Thursday 4^th September 2025, 2pm – 5pm, Glascoed Farm, Aberhafesp, Newtown, Powys, SY16 3HU

Whatever the system, whatever the target weights and market for their lambs, this year’s results  shows the value of using high genetic merit sires shining through – whether this is through increasing carcase weight, enhancing conformation or reducing days to slaughter.

SRUC geneticists using data collected as part of RamCompare, the National Progeny Test, now have a better understanding of the genetic relationships that exist between those traits measured in the live animals in pedigree flocks and those attributes expressed at the abattoir and in 2025 Signet were able to fit these relationships into Signet’s genetic evaluation to produce more accurate and reliable breeding values for abattoir traits.

Short update for Terminal Sire breeders about the planned changes that have now been implemented to the Terminal Sire Evaluation

RamCompare, the UK’s national progeny testing initiative, is seeking new commercial farms to join the project this season across England and Wales.

The RamCompare project is celebrating its tenth year in 2025 and is seeking new rams to join this year’s breeding season.

Over the last 8 years AHDB have collected a wealth of abattoir data through RamCompare, with over 50,000 abattoir records supplied for lambs produced as part of this progeny test. For 12 months, breeding values for abattoir traits have been produced as a sub-set of information which has sat alongside existing traits like Scan Weight and Muscle Depth on the Signet website. However, new research by Samir id-Lahoucine at SRUC will now be used to help us make better use of this information.

Recording schemes were developed to make the process of identifying superior genetics easier. Records of performance are analysed to tease out the non-genetic influences on an animal’s performance so that its true genetic potential can be assessed. This is important for traits that are visible, such as growth rate and carcase conformation, and vital when it comes to maternal traits that cannot be assessed visually.