Sheep

It was a day to remember for the Owens family’s Woodhouse flock, Presteigne, at the Kerry Hill sale at Ludlow.

THE Solway and Tyne Texel Breeders Club sale at Carlisle topped at 70,000gns for the second prize ram lamb and reserve overall champion, Bradleys Eubank.

With current subsidy payments gradually being phased out, there will be little margin for error for sheep farmers. Maximising productivity and efficiency will become increasingly critical to business resilience, and farmers will need to seek every opportunity to make incremental gains in flock performance.

Nine years ago Mark and Tracy Weekes’ cattle enterprise at Silverton, near Exeter in Devon was devastated by bTB leading to a change in direction for the business. Rebecca Jordan reports.

As the year turns to its final third, the autumn sheep sales are starting with favourable prices which reflect the sector’s wider positivity.

A new centre shearling ram record price of 32,000gns was set at the English National Texel sale at Worcester by the Williams family, Lampeter, with Caron Dynamite.

Yew Tree Farm, the last farm within Bristol’s city boundaries, is under threat from housing developments 

Yew Tree Farm, the last farm within Bristols city boundaries, is under threat from housing developments

TAKING the supreme title in the sheep ring was a Badger Faced Texel, the champion of the any other pure continental section.

THE Scottish national sale of pedigree Texels at Lanark saw a top price of 100,000gns with 23 lambs trading at five figure prices.