Signet has recently updated their genetic evaluation to enhance the breeding values for two traits that influence the level of intervention required at lambing time.

• Birth Weight EBV – an indicator of size at birth and thus an indicator of ease of lambing; with large single lambs tending to require more assistance
• Lambing Ease EBV – a direct indicator of ease of lambing

What’s new?

• Data validations have been reviewed and relaxed to include records from more lambing events.
• Lambing ease scores are no longer adjusted for birth weight in the analysis. This means the expression of the EBV is more informative to ram buyers.

If we look at data collected in Charollais flocks we can see that over 80% of lambing events are unassisted, but through the selection of rams with positive lambing ease EBVs this figure can be increased further.