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Genomic Rating for Days to Slaughter

The Charollais breed has been weight recorded for over 50 years. Selective breeding has resulted in major changes in both the speed with which Charollais sired lambs reach slaughter weight and the carcase weights they can be taken to.

In 2025 the Charollais breed released genomic breeding values created in collaboration with AHDB/Signet Breeding Services and use the genotypes collected by the Charollais Society as part of the sire verification process.  A full set of genomic breeding values for Signet recorded animals can be found on the Signet website www.signetdata.com with many of the most important traits published in this catalogue.

Days to Slaughter

A new breeding value has been produced that incorporates information about the growth rate of Charollais lambs in pedigree flocks and commercial data relating to Charollais sired lambs obtained through the national progeny test, RamCompare.

This breeding value, Days to Slaughter, highlights those animals whose progeny will grow quickly and reach slaughter weight earlier.

Through the use of genomics we can predict the genetic merit of genotyped Charollais at our national sales. This information is reported as a simple “star rating” to highlight those rams with superior genes for growth rate and speed of finishing.

The categories are as follows

  • Four Star – Animals in the Top 40% of the Breed
  • Five Star – Animals in the Top 20% of the Breed

           

About the author

Laura Eyles

Laura Eyles

Laura has joined the Signet team as a breeding specialist, she comes from an agricultural background having grown up on a sheep farm in Cornwall, where they keep commercial ewes and run a small flock of pedigree Charollais sheep.

Laura has a strong interest in animal breeding and genetics having studied Animal Science (BSc Hons) at Harper Adams University. During her time at Harper, she spent an industrial placement in Cumbria working for a sheep breeding company and some of our clients may recognise her from this role. Since graduating she has worked for a large cattle breeding company before joining us at Signet to lead on a number of Signet’s sheep breeding projects.