Your farm’s starting XV

When the All Blacks selectors are making decisions about who’s in the squad, they don’t just go on what they’ve read in the paper or heard from their mates
– they use comprehensive performance data. The same process should apply to your ram-buying decisions.

What game are we playing?

Before we think about which rams to buy, we need to be clear about the game we’re playing. What’s the production system we expect the genetics to perform within, and how should this shape our selection strategy? Write down what success would look like: “In 10 years’ time, I’d be happy if my sheep were performing like this.”

Data you’ll need to be a selector

Once you know the match ahead, you need to work out the data sources required to make good decisions. This means working out which EBVs will get the changes you want. For example, if your aim is heavier lambs off-mum, focus on weaning weight. If survival is your pain point, look at the lamb survival EBV.

Combining the data and making the calls

Once you know which EBVs matter, you’re well placed to call breeders and ask for the numbers behind their rams. Be persistent and don’t stop until you get the data you need to make sound choices.

Stop picking rams like the outcome doesn’t matter

It’s easy to slip into bad habits when buying rams – sticking with a breeder because you went to school together, or leaving it up to an agent. But those aren’t business decisions. Some ram selection can look more like picking sides for a school lunchtime game of touch than picking a winning squad. If the All Blacks picked sides like that, the Bledisloe would be gathering dust in Australia. Your ram team drives profit – so selection should be data-informed and deliberate, not emotional.

It’s a team sport

Remember you’re buying a team, not just individuals. The next generation of lambs inherit the average of the rams you take home. You can afford to have one ram stronger on growth but weaker on reproduction, as long as another balances the equation. The key is that together they move your flock closer to your goal.

Winning game plan

Learn the language of genetics, know the EBVs that matter for your system, and chase the information until you have it. Use the data to shortlist rams, then check they’re the type you like. Just like the All Blacks, your success depends on making well-informed decisions at every opportunity.

Click here to get the neXtgen Agri Ram Buying Guide to walk you through the EBVs and what they mean.