Summer 2015 continued

In spite of show successes there was much trepidation in the marketplace as butcher`s lambs had been a much poorer price than the previous year. So with a mixture of hope and misgivings we set off to our first major commercial ram sale of the season - the NSA Borders & Wales Ram Sale at Builth Wells - along with daughter Deborah and a consignment of shearling rams from both our flocks. Much to everyone`s surprise there was strong demand for all breeds particularly Charollais with good numbers of buyers present.

In the pen classes Foulrice won 1st prize for large pen of shearling rams, and Galtres won second.


Our pen leader 14DG04519 won the open sh. ram class & also the John Davies cup for the show champion.This son of Foulrice Lightening subsequently sold for 1080gns to Innovis Breeding Ltd. 

The second ram in 14DG04651 (twin brother to our first prize Yorkshire Show winning shearling) won the performance recorded class selling for 1120gns. But our sale topper was our third ram in 14DG04842 (a March born son of Rhaeadr Nock) selling at 1300gns to D & A Fenwick Ltd of Gainsborough Lincolnshire.

There was a distinct variation in ram sales throughout the season, but all the shearling rams found new homes with demand for Charollais remaining strong to the end of the season for ram lambs.

The summer though not that hot provided an abundant supply of grass and our silage was much better quality than the previous year with dry matter of 31.5%, D value of 75.8 & ME of 12.1, better than the second cut haylage this year but even that is feeding nicely.

The grass supply meant that we had pastures at the right stage for flushing the ewes well both for July A.I. and October natural tupping.

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