Late Spring 2016/2

Our visit to Otley Show was highly successful, as taking five sheep we won four first prizes & one second. Our show ewe Foulrice Naomi who was Champion Charollais at the Great Yorkshire Show in 2014 took a year out last year as she produced a triplet. This year ( as sheep do ) she  didn`t lamb until March, nevertheless thinking this could be her last year to be shown we took her to Otley where she not only won the ewe class but was awarded Reserve Champion.

 FOULRICE NAOMI 13DG03523

Naomi still as correct as ever as a three shear ewe.

Today Stephen has shorn the December born ewe lambs retained as flock replacements.We have done this at around this time of year ( dependant on the weather ) for the last five years, not that it increases their mature size, but as they are just running at grass with no supplementary feed, they actually graze & grow better in their first summer.We also tup most of them so it is important that they are as well grown as possible before pregnancy.

Our pastures are predominantly 4/5 year leys with priority on grazing so we are never the first to make silage. However weather & contractor permitting we shall gather it in about a weeks time, filling the clamp first with any surplus going into big bales. Will keep you posted on progress. 





Late Spring 2016

A late spring in more ways than one - after it seemed like it would never stop raining - eventually lambing was finished, grass started to grow & suddenly everything was turned out, with the cattle bitterly complaining that they were the last to go; though only when they had finished off some two year old silage. Some of our Dexter beef is now making it`s way, via Swaledale Foods of Skipton, into high class restaurants in London.
Not usually venturing into the show ring until the Great Yorkshire Show we were persuaded to take a team to Otley Show in it`s 207th year on Saturday 21st May.
                                                                        

 

FOULRICE OSPREY 14DG04650 Champion Charollais Otley 2016

Having shown a photo of Osprey bare clipped in my last post several weeks ago he came out with no trimming & took champion.

Our December born ram & ewe lambs retained for breeding include some excellent progeny of this ram. In fact our entry for Worcester Premier sale this year includes four sons - one shearling ram (which we have used ) & three ram lambs. All rams entered for the Worcs. sale this year have to be R1 scrapie genotype, & having sampled 10 shearling rams & 30 ram lambs - all of them came back as R1 genotype; which not only has given us plenty of choice but we reckon that our flock must now be upwards of 100% R1 genotype.

Osprey`s shearling son for Worcs.is following in his sire`s footsteps with an index of 362, a loin muscle top 1% , & gigot muscularity of top 1% which he in turn is passing on to his offspring.This ram who we have named Foulrice Prometheus is only for sale as his sire is breeding so well.