How can I justify the additional expense of buying an EBV ram?
Let’s use an example for this common question. If you purchase a ram with a WWT (weaning weight) EBV of 4.0, this means that this ram will wean offspring that are an average of 2 kg (since only 1/2 of the ram’s genetics are transmitted to his offspring, you need to divide EBVs in half) or 4.4 lb. (2 kg * 2.2 lb/kg) heavier. If you have 50 lambs, that means you have 220 additional pounds of lamb to sell at weaning (50 lambs * 4.4 lb.= 220 lb.). Let’s say that you sell weanling lambs for $1.50/ lb at auction (this is actually quite conservative for our Eastern ethnic markets). You have an additional 200 lb. * $1.50/lb = $330 additional income for minimal input. If you use this ram for 2 years (typical for many flocks), that ram could produce an additional $660 income from 50 ewes in 2 years. In many circumstances, this additional income alone will account for most if not all of the ram’s purchase price. But there are other things to factor: if you retain replacement ewe lambs from this r
