The latest round of results from AHDB’s RamCompare progeny test project have once again shown the value Southdown sires can add to their lambs in commercial settings.

In the project, which for the 2021 slaughter season compared the progeny from 60 rams of eight different terminal sire breeds, a Southdown ranked sixth out of 60 for carcass confirmation, with another Southdown ram ranking fifth for scan weight EBV.

These results demonstrate the breed’s ability to improve carcass quality and provide fast growing lambs which reach slaughter weight at a rapid rate. This is backed up by a Southdown ram ranking 13th out of 60 for days to slaughter.

These latest results add to the results already seen in previous years where Southdown sires have been the highest ranked for primal yield in the high value loin cuts over the project’s five-year history.

Project coordinator Bridget Lloyd said: “To date Southdown rams on test have been well muscled across the loin relative to their size.

“This was noted when lambs were ultrasound scanned at 90 days of age and highlighted through their primal carcass data which showed a greater muscle yield in the middle (loin) primal.”

Jonathan Long
Chairman of Council