News
Crossbred flocks
Performance and Development.
Sales
Ten rams will be on offer at the NSA Builth Wells multibreed sale. The females entered have been sold privately.
Shearling and 2 Shear ewes are available for purchase from other flocks. Contact the Hon Sec for details.
One full mouth ram for sale in Devon Contact Hon Sec for details.
Breed Status
The breed has now been reinstated on to the UK native breeds list. It is therefore again eligible for Agri Environment and Conservation schemes.
Innovation and Performance
A sample of the the ewe population in the UK is now being assessed to see how it compares with that in Ireland in terms of two genes where mutations result in a significant increase in ovulation rates.
Preliminary results are now available which indicate that both mutations are widespread in the UK population.
Health
Our breeder Simon Hayter who farms near Colchester reports a 20% loss of lambs born to his Jan lambing ewes because of the Schmallenberg virus but no losses in the group lambing in March.
