Current Commercial Opportunities
The Benfield flock of Shropshires, owned by
Richard and Rosemary Spencer, Alkmonton,
near Ashbourne, Derbyshire
Flexibility for
Flock-Owners
Shropshire sheep adapt to every soil and climate. They flourish throughout the
UK, from the English lowlands to the highlands and islands of Scotland. Flocks
are also kept successfully in the high rainfall areas of Ireland and at altitudes
of more than 300 metres (1000 feet) in the mountainous areas of Wales.
Great Prolificacy and Longevity
Shropshire ewes have the ability to lamb early, and regularly achieve lambing
percentages of 160% and above. As dams, Shropshires are docile, milky and rear
twin lambs with ease. They are extremely hardy and have a long productive flock
life.
Easy Care and Thrifty
Shropshires are a relatively easy-care breed, being docile and easy to handle
and requiring only minimal routine husbandry in most situations. The breed has
a well-proven ability to finish successfully from grass alone.
Top Quality Shropshire Lamb
The Shropshire was developed as a supreme meat breed, and today’s Shropshires
retain the ability to produce finished lambs of the highest quality. The breed
combines fast growth with excellent carcass traits.
Recent carcass grading figures for a consignment of 22 lambs supplied in the
Summer of 2005 to Lloyd Maunder (see below), show the high quality of Shropshire
lambs.
After slaughter, the lambs were weighed and then assessed “on the hook”
by independent inspectors. Each lamb received a grade for carcase conformation
and the level of fat cover. For carcass conformation, there are 5 grades (E,
U, R, O and P) where “E” is the best and “P” is the
poorest. For fat class, “1” is the leanest and “5” the
fattest, with grades 3 and 4 being split into two categories: Light (L) and
Heavy (H). Grades 3H up to 5 are generally considered too fat. Fat class 1 is
generally considered too lean.
| SHROPSHIRE LAMB GRADES – SUMMER 2005 | |
| Number of lambs | Conformation and fat class |
| 1 | E3L |
| 10 | U3L |
| 5 | U2 |
| 5 | R3L |
| 1 | R2 |
| Carcase weights ranged from 19.5 to 24.5kg The average weight was 22.6kg |
|
| (The above Figures were kindly supplied by SSBA members, John and Pauline Bowles) | |
- 100%
of the Shropshire lambs met the supermarket buyers’ specifications for
conformation and fat class.
- 16 lambs (73%) were classified in the top two grades for conformation, which can be influenced only by breeding
- Not one of the lambs was too fat – indeed, 100% achieved the most desirable grades for fat cover.
By contrast, figures
from the English Beef and Lamb Executive (EBLEX) reveal that only 58.9% of lambs
in England meet the target grades of E/U/R with a fat cover of 2/3L. On average,
some 23.3% of lambs are too fat, and 17.8% have poor conformation.
Excellent Scrapie Resistance
Since the launch of the National Scrapie Plan, nearly 4,500 Shropshires have
been genotyped. The breed is completely free from the “V” allele,
which is linked to Scrapie susceptibility. According to the latest NSP figures
for the breed, and around 60% of animals are Type 1 or Type 2 – the most
resistant genotypes.
Valuable Shropshire Wool
Shropshires produce high quality wool, suitable for hand knitting and a wide
range of other uses. The sheep have a more complete covering of wool than any
other Downland breed, and produce a heavy, dense fleece weighing between 2 and
3kg.
