Second Oxford ram joins Signet RamCompare trial

Following the success of the first Oxford ram to take part in the RamCompare scheme last year, a second Oxford Down has been added to the trial this year.

In autumn 2020 an Oxford Down ram, Weeton White Walker from Ruth Steele’s Weeton flock in East Yorkshire became the first Oxford ram to join RamCompare, which is the national on-farm progeny testing scheme organised by Signet. The ram ran with 80 Lleyn ewes on Duncan Nelless’s Thistleyhaugh Farm at Longhorsley, Morpeth, Northumberland. This organic unit supports a flock of 2000 Lleyn ewes.

Now in 2021 a second Oxford Down ram has entered the trial, Lydiard 000111 bred by Lindsay Rumming in her Lydiard flock in Wiltshire. This ram is again being used on 80 Lleyn ewes, these being part of a 1400-strong Lleyn ewe flock run by Ian Robertson at Chawton Park, Alton, Hampshire.

The Weeton ram performed well on the test and it is hoped that the Lydiard ram will further enhance the breed’s results on trial. Getting Oxford rams into the RamCompare test is a major milestone for the breed and is very important in ensuring the breed continues to develop as a terminal sire. Through their participation in the Signet performance recording scheme and RamCompare, the Weeton and Lydiard flocks have taken a significant step for the whole breed in its commercial future.

There are now seven Oxford Down flocks being performance recorded by Signet.