Recording Your Stock

Collecting records for your flock is the most challenging aspect of group membership. However, group members have considerable experience of the process and will be able to offer advice on the simplest ways to do this. For example, in some flocks all the recorded animals are maintained in one group, separate from non-recorded animals in order to help limit the work of weighing at 8 and 21 weeks.

Typically the recording process involves:
• Pre-mating. New flocks submit details of their breeding rams and ewes. Weights for homebred female shearlings can be submitted.
• Lambing. Lambing lists and diaries are sent to breeders. For each lamb, the breeder records it’s identity, sex, date of birth, dam identity, sire identity and litter type (single, twin etc). Management practices such as embryo transfer, fostering and artificial rearing are also recorded. Once the bulk of lambing has been completed these are sent for computer entry.
• 8 weeks post lambing. Lambs weighed between 42 and 84 days of age.
• 21 weeks post lambing. A list of all the lambs held on file is sent to the scanning operator who will then make an appointment with the breeder to weigh and scan lambs using ultrasound.