Sheep Ireland’s online sale of rams used in its central progeny test (CPT) and marketed as possessing elite genetics concluded on Thursday evening, with two rams topping the €2,000 mark.
The Belclare ram Ballynulty Henry, bred by John McTigue, Tuam, Co Galway, attracted keen interest from pedigree breeders and concluded at €2,420.
The ram boasted good physical attributes and a genetic evaluation to match and was rated five stars on both the replacement and terminal indices.
It was a similar story for the second top-priced ram, Lisfuncheon, bred by Edmond and Paul O’Gorman, Ballyporeen, Cahir, Co Tipperary. The ram is placed in the top 1% of the breed with a replacement index of €5.44 and a terminal index of €3.40.
Star performer
This ram was the star performer on the first two days of the online sale, which ran from Tuesday to Thursday, with the ram quickly rising to a price of €1,600 before edging upwards on Thursday. The other Charolais ram entered in the sale sold for €1,100.
The two remaining Belclare rams were well behind their breed mate, selling for €500 and €490.
The two Suffolk rams were evenly matched at prices of €760 and €780, with a Texel ram also finishing at €760. There were two catalogued rams, a Charollais and a Texel, which started the sale but were not present in the final listing.
CPT programme
The CPT programme tests the performance of rams in a commercial setting with the system used to verify €uroStar ratings and collect important information.
This practice, whereby Sheep Ireland has purchased rams to use for natural mating a proportion of CPT ewes, has been in place for the last three years in each of the four flocks.
Each ram has bred 52 progeny or more, all of which have been intensively performance recorded over the past one to two years and rams have maintained their high €uroStar ratings. For more information on the rams see here.
The Charolais ram, Lisfuncheon, generated brisk bidding at the outset and quickly rose to over €1,600 before finishing the sale at €2,120.
Lot 9, Greenhill Epic Boy, was a double five-star ram with a days-to-slaughter figure of 20 days and a terminal index of €2.87. He sold for €760.
The Suffolk ram, Leaguan Cruz, was catalogued Lot 8. He is in the top 1% of the breed on the terminal and replacement index, with a days-to-slaughter figure of 21.6 days. He sold for €780.
Lot 7, the Suffolk ram named Columbkille, was in the top 2% of the Suffolk breed on the replacement Index and 3% on the terminal index, and sold for €760.
Lot 1, the Belclare ram Ard Grianan Gabek, had a good replacement figure of €7.25, but was in the bottom 22% for days-to-slaughter and 13% for number of lambs born, and sold for €490.
Sheep Ireland sale.
Sheep Ireland sale
Sheep Ireland’s online sale of rams used in its central progeny test (CPT) and marketed as possessing elite genetics concluded on Thursday evening, with two rams topping the €2,000 mark.
The Belclare ram Ballynulty Henry, bred by John McTigue, Tuam, Co Galway, attracted keen interest from pedigree breeders and concluded at €2,420.
The ram boasted good physical attributes and a genetic evaluation to match and was rated five stars on both the replacement and terminal indices.
It was a similar story for the second top-priced ram, Lisfuncheon, bred by Edmond and Paul O’Gorman, Ballyporeen, Cahir, Co Tipperary. The ram is placed in the top 1% of the breed with a replacement index of €5.44 and a terminal index of €3.40.
Star performer
This ram was the star performer on the first two days of the online sale, which ran from Tuesday to Thursday, with the ram quickly rising to a price of €1,600 before edging upwards on Thursday. The other Charolais ram entered in the sale sold for €1,100.
The two remaining Belclare rams were well behind their breed mate, selling for €500 and €490.
The two Suffolk rams were evenly matched at prices of €760 and €780, with a Texel ram also finishing at €760. There were two catalogued rams, a Charollais and a Texel, which started the sale but were not present in the final listing.
CPT programme
The CPT programme tests the performance of rams in a commercial setting with the system used to verify €uroStar ratings and collect important information.
This practice, whereby Sheep Ireland has purchased rams to use for natural mating a proportion of CPT ewes, has been in place for the last three years in each of the four flocks.
Each ram has bred 52 progeny or more, all of which have been intensively performance recorded over the past one to two years and rams have maintained their high €uroStar ratings. For more information on the rams see here.
The Charolais ram, Lisfuncheon, generated brisk bidding at the outset and quickly rose to over €1,600 before finishing the sale at €2,120.
Lot 9, Greenhill Epic Boy, was a double five-star ram with a days-to-slaughter figure of 20 days and a terminal index of €2.87. He sold for €760.
The Suffolk ram, Leaguan Cruz, was catalogued Lot 8. He is in the top 1% of the breed on the terminal and replacement index, with a days-to-slaughter figure of 21.6 days. He sold for €780.
Lot 7, the Suffolk ram named Columbkille, was in the top 2% of the Suffolk breed on the replacement Index and 3% on the terminal index, and sold for €760.
Lot 1, the Belclare ram Ard Grianan Gabek, had a good replacement figure of €7.25, but was in the bottom 22% for days-to-slaughter and 13% for number of lambs born, and sold for €490.
Sheep Ireland sale.
Sheep Ireland sale
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