SELECT PERFORMER PROGRAM

The Select Performer Program (SPP) is a voluntary member benefit that will help you determine which animals are your best performers. There’s no fee to use it.

This easy-to-use program is based on New Zealand’s Coopworth breed philosophy – to continually select for measurable, performance-based traits rather than purebred parentage and appearance alone.

All lambs chosen as Select Performers using this program must meet the usual eligibility requirements for purebred registration as well as the following requirements:

  • Ewe lambs must be ranked in the top 70% of the breeder’s ewe lamb crop for a particular year. Selection is to be based on growth, fertility projection and wool production. They must be physically sound, exhibit breed type and have been conceived within 38 days of the dam’s exposure to the ram.

  • Ram lambs must be ranked in the top 30% of the breeder’s ram lamb crop for a particular year. Selection is to be based on growth, fertility projection and wool production. They must be of multiple birth, physically sound, exhibit breed type and have been conceived within 21 days of the dam’s exposure to the ram.

The Board of Directors may make an exception to these rules in the case of lambs produced by Artificial Insemination or Embryo Transplant.

RECORD KEEPING REQUIREMENTS

It’s impossible to tell which of your lambs are the best simply by looking at them. Selecting for performance-based traits relies on accurate record keeping. In addition to wool production records, these include:

  • Sire and Dam ID’s.

  • Birth date.

  • Birth weight and two other later weights.

  • Birth type.

  • Conception.

  • How raised.

THE LAMB REPORT

The Select Performer Program consists of a spreadsheet called the Lamb Report. When you input the above information, it will make calculations to show:

  • Adjusted weight to the nearest 30 days of age.

  • The average daily gain of each lamb.

  • Adjusted weight based on the age of the dam, birth type and how the lamb was reared.

Using the results, you will be able to see clearly which animals rank within the top 70% and 30% of their groups each year. In addition, you will have a permanent record showing the performance of the sires and dams listed on the Lamb Report to help you keep track of the lambs they produced.

It’s important to note – The Lamb Report is for your use only. The data will not be compared to that of any other flock. The Select Performance Program is a tool to help you with selection and flock improvement.