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“You
cannot improve anything unless you measure
it.” This is why recording is
so important to breed improvement.
Weights of all Brettles
Charollais lambs are recorded at 8 weeks and
again at around 17 weeks at which time a
specialist scanner uses ultrasound scanning to
measure the muscle depth and fat depth at a
specified point on the loin of each lamb.
For the last ten years the
best lambs from ultrasound scanning have been
taken to Edinburgh or more recently Stoneleigh
to be CT scanned. This is a whole body scan to
determine the proportions of meat, fat and
bone for each lamb and compare this with
others.
All these details are fed
into a Signet Sheepbreeder computer programme
to identify those animals with the highest
genetic potential to increase growth rates,
increase muscle area and make sure fat levels
are neither too fat nor too lean.
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