What’s The Average Age Of Your Ram Buyers?

As a Ram Breeder, it’s an interesting question to ask yourself?

Recently we were talking with a Ram Breeder about this, let’s call him ‘Nostalgic NicK’.

‘Nostalgic Nick’ was lamenting the fact that every year his clients seemed to be getting older and older.

He was concerned that in the next 5-10 years many of them would retire or hand over the reins of their ram buying to the next generation.

“Would his stud still be relevant a short time down the road?” Nick questioned.

Every year the same loyal old buyers would return to ‘Nostalgic Nick’s’ sale, another year older, a little bit greyer to buy their rams, but no new buyers seemed to appear.

“Why aren’t the younger generation interested?” he asked?

And, it’s an interesting question….

In all industries there is a big shift happening towards using data to make better decisions. In the last few years that transformation has accelerated, and in this post COVID world, people have become more familiar with change, have been forced to do things differently, have seen the benefits and are now actively looking for ways to use data in their businesses.

Sheep farming is no different.

The new generation of sheep farmers is becoming more tech savvy.

They expect more from their Studs and they want the rams they buy to be more than just good looking specimens.

They want proof that the rams they buy will perform for them and they want proof that their Ram Breeder is taking their business forwards.

So, here are the questions that we asked ’Nostalgic Nick’….

1. What is the average age of your Ram Buyers today?
2. Will those buyers still be buying rams from you in 5-10 years?
3. Will they even still be farming?
4. What information are the younger generation wanting that you aren’t providing?

…do any of these resonate with you?

And it’s not just ‘Nostalgic Nick’ who we have heard this from.

This story is incredibly common, even more common than you might think. If you feel you might be a bit like ’Nostalgic Nick’, please know that you are not alone and keep reading because there is a simple way to change things in your favour.

The astute Ram Breeders are reading the signs and taking action. They are listening to the market and they are focussed on getting the systems in place that support them to provide the information their clients are asking for.

The best Ram Breeders aren’t just providing this information to their clients, but they are using it to drive their flock and the industry forward.

It will be interesting to see what happens in the next few years to those Ram Breeders that choose to stay the same.

Back to Question 4….

Undoubtedly, the answer that we hear the most to this question is that the younger buyers want to see ASBV’s for these sheep, but we am not producing them. We have all the figures but they want ASBV’s.

‘Nostalgic Nick’ knows the answer…

The younger generation is more tech savvy…

They understand numbers and genetics and the power this has in driving the profitability of their sheep farm…

They are looking to drive their productivity forwards faster…

They aren’t just happy to have sheep that look great visually, they also want proof!

Proof that…

…the rams they are buying are up there with the best genetics in the industry

…the Stud they buy from is making gains every year (a Ram Buyers flock is 5-7 years behind their ram source. If a stud isn’t making gains, neither is their buyer)

…the rams they buy are aligned to their breeding objective and taking them forward

And, proof that…

…the genetics you are providing them are worth the money they are paying for it.

As a Ram Buyer It’s now easier than ever to browse a ram sale from one of your Stud’s competitors and see whether you are getting bang for your buck. They can do it from the comfort of their own lounge room.

But there is good news for the Ram Breeder who knows they need to get cracking with ASBV’s.

The good news is that it is now easier than ever to get started with ASBV’s particularly for those Ram Breeders like ’Nostalgic Nick’ that already have a lot of the data.

The BreedELITE Sheep System makes the process of collecting and managing your sheep data and then submitting to Sheep Genetics super simple

Heres a few reasons why the BreedELITE Sheep System is unlike anything else available when interfacing with Sheep Genetics:

• The BreedELITE Sheep System has been purpose built for Sheep Breeders by Sheep Genetics Data Managers rather than being adapted from other industries like cattle and then made to work for sheep. This means that the BreedELITE Sheep Software is purpose built to make data collection easy and suit the sheep management calendar. Data is always captured in a way that supports decision making and the submission to Sheep Genetics to create ASBV’s.

• BreedELITE Sheep gets all your existing data in one place, immediately for you. Most studs, even if they aren’t submitting to Sheep Genetics are capturing lots of data. One of the big benefits of BreedELITE is that we get all your existing data into the software from Day 1. We can also help you submit this to Sheep Genetics so you get a boost to the accuracies of your ASBV’s immediately rather than having to wait for several years of submissions.

• The whole BreedELITE Sheep System, from the Software & Hardware to the Support & Advice as well as any data help is done by a team who are experienced in supporting Sheep Breeders submit high quality data to Sheep Genetics. You have the confidence that your system will be simple and help you produce high quality ASBV’s with very little effort.

• BreedELITE Sheep allows all your sheep data to be recorded in real time directly into the BreedELITE Sheep Software against each animal in the correct Sheep Genetics Age Stage. This means you always know where your data is and avoid the need for post processing like many other software systems require.

• Data is always collected consistently and correctly into the BreedELITE Sheep Software in line with Sheep Genetics rules. This means that submitting to Sheep Genetics is as simple as pressing a button and uploading a file, rather than hours or weeks of work. This is one of the biggest benefits listed by our existing clients who made the switch to BreedELITE from other systems.

If you have been putting off getting started with ASBV’s because it all seems too complicated, or the system you have just isn’t making it as easy as it should be, simply book a call with us and we would be happy to talk you through a few simple steps to help you get this sorted.

Looking forward to talking with you soon.