A Hampshire Down Ram

THE Hampshire Down is the native breed with a real future.

Hampshire Down breeders are leading by focusing on breed improvement using the SRS scheme and CT scanning to produce terminal sire rams with high indexes for muscling, conformation, killing out percentage and reduced back fat.

Hampshire Down sired lambs are noted for fast growth rates and efficient feed conversion, particularly in low input systems, producing a carcase that meets target weight and grading specification.

The breed is noted for exceptional meat eating quality that satisfies consumer demand.

Cambridge This breed provides an ideal source of prolificacy genetics for the production of high performance crossbred ewes for early, mid and late lambing systems.

Rotational breeding schemes have been developed in which alternate use of Cambridge and "other breed" rams results in a closed flock system producing a high quality product.

Teeswater Teeswater sheep breeders are thrilled to have received an "Awards for all" grant from The National Lottery, now used to purchase a modern promotional stand.

The breeders were pleased to renew acquaintance at Southwest Sheep and look forward to welcoming southern breeders to their annual sale on October 5 in Leyburn, North Yorkhire.

England's premier Long Wool Crossing Sheep is pleased to be seen in the South.

Roussin The Roussin is a breed of French origin that was improved using Suffolks, Leicesters and South Downs.

They have produced an animal with excellent confirmation and very easy to lamb.

Unlike many continentals, the Roussin is hardy and has proved successful on the hill, producing a very successful cross-bred breeding ewe.

Roussin rams are currently being used on Dorsets, Mules, Mashans, Cheviots, Scottish Blackface, Exmoor, Lleyn, Closewools, Texels and many others.

The Roussin is a sheep that does not have the tendency to get too fat and will give consistent fat cover of two, no matter what weight or age your system kills its finished lambs.

The Roussin Society sale will be held on Saturday, September 23, at Borderway Mart, Carlisle.

Southdown Farmers at home and abroad are waking up to the undeniable advantages of using the Southdown as a terminal sire.

Quick-maturing, meaty lambs with excellent conformation mean less waste, and the quick-finishing lambs mean fewer weeks needed to achieve optimum weights and grades, thereby providing the producer with welcome extra profit in today's challenging market.

This year the Southdown has triumphed over all other breeds to scoop Supreme Championship titles at numerous county shows, including the South of England and the Surrey County.

The breed appeals to all - attractive and manageable, its ability to thrive suits the smaller flock owner equally well.

Berrichons Berrichons in the South West are thriving, with an increasing number of farmers using the breed as a terminal sire.

Berrichons are renowned for producing hardy lambs that are born exceptionally easy - in today's farming labour is scarce so these factors are of prime importance!

The crossbred lambs grow quickly and grade particularly well at abattoirs, or attract the buyers at very good prices in auction markets.

The South West can list some of the country's top flocks for producing "breeder's" rams and achieving many show successes, commencing at Devon in May.

North Country Cheviot If farmers are looking for a good quality ewe, then perhaps they should consider trying the North Country Cheviot.

This healthy, productive and long-living ewe has consistently proved to be an excellent investment. Draft NCC ewes from the Scottish hills are kind, milky mothers and adapt easily to most conditions, producing another two or even three crops of lambs when bought as five-year-olds.

They can be successfully crossed with many other breeds to produce top quality prime lambs, with the ewe lambs used for further crossing. T The Cheviot Mule (Bluefaced Leicester X NCC) is rapidly establishing a track record as one of the best producers of quality prime lambs when put to a terminal sire. The main cross has traditionally been with the Border Leicester to produce the Scotch Half Bred. Other breeds, too, such has Texel, Suffolk , Beltex and Charollais have all been used to good effect. The use of terminal sires on females from many of these crosses, as with the Cheviot Mule, has resulted in high lambing averages and top class prime lambs. These lambs retain many of the attributes of the NCC, in particular leanness and good conformation - much superior to many other cross lambs.

The Cheviot ram, too, has proved his worth in crossing programmes, especially with other hill breeds. The big advantage of using the NCC ram is that the cross lambs produced, like pure bred NCCs, have the kind of carcase required to meet today's market specification, are consistently of good conformation and can finish at all weights without becoming too fat. Again, there are many examples to confirm this - on Welsh hill breeds such as the Beulah Speckled and Welsh Mountain, on Scottish Blackface, Swaledale, Herdwick, Rough Fell, Derbyshire Gritstone, Exmoor Horn etc. In each case the lambs are hardy and vigorous, much in demand for slaughter, store and breeding - tight-coated stores suitable for short or long-keep and prolific, milky females.

There is keen demand for pure-bred lambs in both store and prime markets. The attraction of the NCC lamb for finishers is its almost unique ability to retain leanness and conformation at all weights.

It is suitable for both short and long-keep finishing systems and can provide a carcase of the highest quality.

So it is not difficult to see why more and more producers in all parts of the country are running pure bred flocks.

The great benefit for these breeders is that there is always a keen demand for all classes of stock.

11:34am Wednesday 16th August 2006

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