Please Text SCANNING by TODAY Friday 24th May to guarantee being Muscle and Fat Scanned this year.

What are the Benefits of Scanning?

• Ultrasound scanning information is used as a very good predictor of carcass confirmation and fat levels in the absence of carcass data. The more Muscle and Fat depth information we collect from your flock and/or breed, the higher the accuracy of the evaluation for your sheep will be, therefore giving you and your potential customers more confidence in their purchasing decision.
• Flocks must Muscle and Fat scan their lambs to enter the LambPlus Sale (See more details on the sale attached)
• If your lambs are scanned between 121 and 180 days of age this will also count as your third lamb weight (not including birth weight). Lambs will also be scored for lameness, dagginess and condition score on the day, all of which will contribute to the health index which now forms part of both the Terminal and Replacement Indexes.

Scanning Charges

The scanning charges used last year will remain in place for the 2019 season. Price is as follows:

• Call out charge – €100 (will include the scanning, weighing and scoring of 20 lambs)
• Next 60 lambs scanned – charged €2.50 per lamb scanned
• Greater than 80 lambs scanned – charged €0.50 per lamb
• All lambs will be weighed and scored at no extra cost to the breeder

Note – VAT is included in these prices

Payment for this scanning service will need to be made on the day of scanning by all breeders. There can be no exceptions to this rule.

Criteria/Checklist

In order to have your lambs scanned a minimum criteria must be fulfilled:

• All lambs must be presented and tagged with the official NSIS tag prior to the day of scanning  (No NSIS = No Scanning)
• Breeders must have an accurate working weight scales to weigh their lambs on the day
• All (Male and Female) lambs must be presented for scanning
• Where possible a minimum of 15 to 20 progeny per sire used should be scanned in order to deliver reliable estimates of genetic merit
• The grouping of lambs into their different management groups is of critical importance. Lambs fed/managed under differing systems must be grouped accordingly as assessing these lambs performance on the same level is completely false and only serves to bias and distort the €uroStar evaluation.
• In order to achieve full DQI marks for scanning flocks will be required to scan 50% of their lambs with the remaining lambs all being weighed
• Ideally the scanning should take place undercover, preferably in a building without direct sunlight so the scans can be easily seen and to comply with electrical safety regulations.
• Mains power is necessary at the scanning point.
• A large table (or six small bales) is required for the scanning equipment and should be protected in some way from the lambs being scanned.
• Handling facilities should be adequate to ensure that lambs are presented at the scanning point.
• A scanning crate (handling crate) will be provided by the scanning technician.
• It is necessary to apply liquid paraffin to the scanning site. (If lambs are to be sheared, the scanning should be done first). A minimum amount of paraffin is used but the amount needed is affected by temperature, wool absorption, and site conditions. Subsequent marks may be seen on animals if the site attracts soil particles or resists sheep dips used.
• Have your lambing book to hand in case there are any queries when processing the scanning data

Once Sheep Ireland has received notice that you wish to scan we will make contact with you over the following weeks to arrange a suitable time. The majority of lambs should be over 40kg at the time of scanning and under 180 days of age.

To find more information about Muscle and Fat Scanning click here.