The Centurion sale of performance recorded Poll Dorset and Dorset Horn sheep that was scheduled for April had to be cancelled due to Coronavirus, but full sale entries can be found here for animals that will now be sold directly off farm. Contact Signet if you would like this in Catalogue format.

Performance recording doesn’t stop with the Coronavirus outbreak. Data provided to Signet will be analysed as normal and EBVs will be produced. Currently the Signet team are unable to perform the on-farm scanning, but you can still submit scan weights for your animals.

Over the last 12 months, the online service for beef producers has been completely updated. On signetdata.com you can find all the performance data along with new online tools and reports.

Signetdata now allows you to print off and access your own reports and stationery (forms) for performance recording. There are 25 new reports that you can use to help manage your flock and select the best sheep for breeding.

It is with great sadness that Signet shares the news that Stewart Nellist, a key member of Signet’s ultrasound scanning team for nearly a decade, passed away in February after a period of ill health. He will be greatly missed and our thoughts are with Stewart's friends and family at this dificult time.

The Signet database now hosts pages to market your sheep and cattle, while simultaneously providing access to new cataloguing features. Consider using these new services to help to market your livestock in 2020. Raise awareness about the cattle and sheep that you have for sale by using the new services in conjunction with your own website, Facebook page or email contacts.

Sheep for sale

Cattle for sale

A new cataloguing service launched on Signetdata.com means that Signet clients can now quickly and easily create their own sale catalogues for sheep and cattle. This may be the easiest way to email information to prospective clients in the coming year.

Summary reports for all Signet recorded sheep and cattle breeds are now online and freely accessible. Commercial producers that are not Signet clients, can now access the latest breed benchmarks and listings for the leading youngstock and stock sires.

Sheep breeds

Cattle breeds

Check the latest deadline dates for beef and sheep, remembering that the Terminal Sire Evaluation is now run every month. Use these schedules to plan when to weigh your sheep or cattle and decide which timings suits you best.

Sheep deadlines

Cattle deadlines

Results from year four of the RamCompare project are nearly ready for release and will soon be posted on signetdata.com. Join us on Wednesday 13 May for the live results webinar. We will discuss results and examine how high index rams have improved the performance of RamCompare farms.

Increasing lamb survival in your flock will help improve flock profitability and welfare. Dr Forbes Brien, from University of Adelaide, looks at how farmers can enhance lamb survival in the; short, medium and long term. Whilst lamb survival can be improved by changing management, culling decisions and genetic selection, to create long term gain genetic improvement has an important role to play.

Get top tips on how to run an efficient sheep enterprise from sheep farmer Duncan Nelless, from Thistleyhaugh Farm in Morpeth. Duncan covers a range of topics inlcuding changes he has made to his enterprise, grassland management, how to monitor physical and financial performance of the flock and advice for outdoor lambing.

This video is specifically for clients of Signet Services to enable them to access their account and the information that is available to them.

This video is for clients of Signet Services to demonstrate how they can use the database to record their lambing results.

Go to signetdata.com to login, where you can use tools and reports to help you make the most of your genetics.

Lambing data can easily be added online. Follow the instructions on how to add your lambing data . Tip: when entering the ewe information, don’t forget to add the date of birth.

The eight-week weight is used to calculate both the lamb’s growth rate and the ewes milking ability. Lambs can be weighed between six and twelve weeks for the eight-week weight, ideally on one day. To find out the best dates to weigh your lambs use the online calculator.

When you log onto Signetdata.com, the database calculates when you next need to weigh your cattle. You can now enter your weights and calving information online.

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