Society News
SHOW AND SALE DECLARED A SUCCESS
The show and sale of traditional, native and rare breed sheep, cattle and pigs at Shrewsbury Auction Centre on 2nd July was declared a big success after attracting a record entry.
Auctioneers Halls reported an entry of 165 sheep, 57 cattle and 22 pigs from across the country. The event also incorporated the Shropshire Sheep Breeders Associations Western Show and Sale, in which breed record auction prices were set for a senior ram, shearling ram and ram lamb, as well as breeding ewe, shearling ewe and ewe lamb.
The pre-sale show of Shropshire sheep was judged by Cody Hiemke from Wisconsin, USA, as the senior judge, Fred Groverman, was unable to get to the market in time because his flight from California was delayed by over 24 hours.
Overall Shropshire champion was Hayne Oak Lucas, a shearling ram bred by Liz Bowles and Mike Bray of Cullompton, Devon. A ewe lamb bred by Mark and Sue Shimwell of Congleton, Cheshire was the reserve champion.
In the sale, a breed record auction price was achieved for a Shropshire ram by shearling Morley Malik, bred by Clare Jakeman of Thornton Le Moors, Chester, which sold for 800 guineas to Richard Spencer of Ashbourne, Derbyshire.
Another record price of 750 guineas was achieved by local breeders Peter and Pippa Geddes of Montford Bridge for their ram lamb, Alderton Bob. Both these animals were performance recorded by Signet and had high genetic merit.
A senior ram from the Westwood Flock of Clive Davies from Tenbury, Worcestershire sold for 420 guineas which was another breed record.
In the sale of females, there was 100 per cent clearance and three more breed record prices were set. A shearling ewe from the Hayne Oak flock, Devon sold for 420 guineas, a breeding ewe from the Ushers Flock, Leicestershire sold for 360 guineas and the reserve champion ewe lamb sold for 360 guineas.
Adult rams sold to a top 420gns and average of £268, shearling rams peaked at 800gns and averaged £369, ram lambs peaked at 750gns and averaged £457, adult ewes peaked at 360gns and averaged £256, shearling ewes peaked at 420gns and averaged £234 and ewe lambs peaked at 360gns and averaged £213. The overall average of the 67 sheep sold was £263.
Sponsors of the traditional and native breed sheep, cattle and pigs show were Halls, Osmonds, Lloyds TSB, Shropshire Sheep Breeders Association: Mrs C. Jakeman, Mr J. B. Hodson, Miss A. Harvey and Blue Merle Animal Health.
Liz Bowles winner of the Shropshire Sheep Breeders Association’s Western Show and Sale overall champion’s trophy, with her shearling ram and (from left) American judges Cody Hiemke and Fred Groverman, sheep section judges Sandra Thompson and Gerald Hayes and Matt Williams from Halls.
Shrewsbury 2nd July 2011 - Results
| Category | First Prize | Second Prize | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult Ram | R T Davies & Co | A Clay | RB & B Higgins |
| Shearling Ram | L Bowles & M Bray | J & P Bowles | E Butcher |
| Ram Lamb | J & P Bowles | P Geddes | A & M Webb |
| Adult Ewe | A & M Webb | S Farquhar | R Webb |
| Shearling Ewe | L Bowles & M Bray | L Bowles & M Bray | A & M Webb |
| Ewe Lamb | M & S Shimwell | P & P Geddes | P & P Geddes |
| Trophy | Winner(s) |
|---|---|
| Champion | L Bowles & M Bray (Shearling Ram) |
| Best Opposite Sex to the Champion | M & S Shimwell (Ewe Lamb) |
| Best Prepared Pen of two or more | A Clay |
| Reserve Interbreed Champion | L Bowles & M Bray |
|---|
Sale Pricing
Top Price (Gns) |
No. Sold | Average Price Pounds |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult Rams | 420 |
4 |
268 |
| Shearling Rams | 800 |
7 |
369 |
| Ram Lambs | 750 |
4 |
457 |
| Adult Ewes | 360 |
10 |
256 |
| Shearling Ewes | 420 |
27 |
234 |
| Ewe Lambs | 360 |
15 |
213 |
IT'S NATIONAL SHOW & SALE TIME
Shrewsbury Show & Sale - 2nd July 2011 (West)
Melton Mowbray Show & Sale - 9th & 10th September 2011(East)
Shropshire Showing Classes
The showing classes at both the Western and Eastern National Show and Sales will be as follows:
Senior Ram (2 shear and over)
Shearling Ram
Ram Lamb
Breeding Ewe (any age, to have reared lambs in the current season)
Shearling Ewe
Ewe Lamb
Rosettes to sixth place will awarded in each class. A champion and reserve champion will be selected from the winners of the above classes, and these will receive special rosettes and a trophy.
NEW AWARD - Best Prepared Pen of TWO sheep or More
This award has kindly been donated by Barry Hodson (Southworth Flock) and is awarded by Barry Hodson for the best prepared pen of two sheep or more so come on flocks get the clippers out !The showing classes at Shrewsbury will be held on Saturday morning (2nd July), commencing at 9am. At Melton Mowbray, show classes will be held at 2pm on Friday 9th September.
Minimum Weights and Upset Prices
Ram lambs and ewe lambs entered at Shrewsbury must weigh at least 45kg and 35kg, respectively. The weights for lambs entered at Melton Mowbray are slightly higher, as the sale takes place later in the year: 50kg for ram lambs and 40kg for ewe lambs. Lambs will be weighed on arrival and must meet the minimum weights in order to be offered for sale.
The minimum upset sale prices for both sale venues are as follows: Ewe Lambs: 100 guineas Ram Lambs: 140 guineas Shearling Ewes: 150 guineas Shearling Rams: 200 guineas (Scrapie unspecified) Older ewes: At vendors discretion Older rams: At vendors discretion
All Shropshire females must be registered with the breed society before being entered in the show and sale. Males must be Birth Notified and eligible for registration. The vendor selling a ram or ram lamb to a Society member will be required to register the animal, if sold.
The transfer fee of £3 per animal will be charged to buyers and collected automatically by the auctioneers. All animals will be inspected by an inspector from the breed society before commencement of the showing classes and the sale. All rams and ram lambs entered in the sale MUST be shown beforehand. Females can be entered in the sale without being shown. Closing Dates for Entries The closing date for entries for the National Show and Sale (West) at Shrewsbury is Friday 20th May. Schedules and entry forms will be available from the SSBA’s Registrar, Alison Schofield. The closing date for Melton Mowbray (National Show and Sale (East) is 29th July (paper) and 5th August (online).Details will be circulated to members in due course.
The traditional and native breed’s sale at Shrewsbury has the full backing of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. Local RBST Support Group organiser, Sue Lawrence, and Richard Broad (Feild Officer), have visited the market and been involved in drawing up the plans for the new event.
Information from the EBLEX Better Returns prorgamme - March 2011
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A group of Sansaw rams last autumn. |
Improved Flock Awards 2011
James Thompson Sansaw Shropshire Flock
Sansaw Shropshire Flock wins top award
The winner of the EBLEX Improved Flock Awards for the Shropshire breed for 2011 is the Sansaw Flock, owned by James Thompson of Sansaw Farms near Shrewsbury in Shropshire.
Organised through the Sheep Better Returns Programme (BRP), this award is presented to the performance recorded flock that has shown the most impressive improvement in genetic merit over a 12-month period, within the breed. The competition is based on the results of Signet records for 17 Shropshire flocks.
Shropshire sheep have been bred at Sansaw since at least 1882, although the current flock was only established in 2007, when it was re-stocked mainly from the reduction sale of the Sidedowns flock in Devon.
The farm, which runs to 408ha, is managed organically and has pig, potato and carrot enterprises, and a small Hereford suckler herd, as well as the flock of 150 pedigree Shropshire ewes.
Mr Thompson remained loyal to the local breed due not only to the historic links, but also because he believes carcasses from Shropshire sired lambs can meet butchers' requirements just as well as those sired by continental terminal sires. Not only that, native breeds can finish off grass without the need for expensive supplementary feeding.
Ewes are tupped in September to lamb from 1 February indoors, and are turned out as soon as the weather allows. Lambs are weighed at eight weeks, and those not already marketed, are back fat scanned at 20 weeks.
Most of the ram lambs not retained for breeding are sold to the trade over the summer, with a quarter carried through as stores. Now that ewe numbers are at the desired level, 20% of the best ewes will be kept, and the rest sold via pedigree sales in summer. Any not making the grade for breeding will be sold for slaughter.
The flock has been recording for just a year and rams have been selected on the basis of their Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) alongside a visual appraisal of their conformation.
"Recording gives credibility to the job we do and provides evidence to back up what we see in the field, such as the fact that the lambs grow well off grass," explains
Mr Thompson. "We also use EBVs when selecting ewes to keep to see how their lambs have performed, and consider the EBVS of all potential breeding rams.
"Our aim is to produce quality rams for commercial producers to use in their flocks, and to create demand for this traditional yet versatile breed."
Commenting on winning the award, Mr Thompson admits he is a bit surprised as he did not expect to make such progress so quickly. He puts the success down to buying in good stock and selecting the right progeny to keep.
Satisfied customer
Mark Dibble runs a commercial ewe flock on a neighbouring farm to Mr Thompson on the Allbrighton Estate. He uses Texel, Suffolk and Shropshire rams to produce crossbred lambs to supply the farm shop. The ewes lamb indoors and the lambs are weaned in August.
"The Shropshire sired lambs perform just as well as the lambs sired by other breeds and take a similar time to finish off grass," says Mr Dibble. "It is also good to have Shropshire lambs available in the shop, as they promote the fact we are supporting a locally sourced native breed."
Recording performance is vital
"This is the fifth year Sheep BRP has made these awards," says EBLEX sheep breeding specialist Samuel Boon. "The progress made since then has been significant, and many more producers - pedigree and commercial, are using tools like EBVs to help make their breeding decisions. This in turn is making their businesses more profitable and the industry more competitive as a whole."
"James is to be congratulated for his commitment to improving the Shropshire breed in such a short time. Performance recording now forms the backbone to his success, and he and his customers benefit from this more informed approach to breeding."
For more information contact: Samuel Boon
Tel: 024 7647 8829,
Mobile: 07887 650355
Email:
Issued by: Sara Gregson
Tel: 01799 530934
Mobile: 07768 764062
Email:
Notes to editors
The Sheep Better Returns Programme (Sheep BRP) is funded by EBLEX and aims to help English sheep producers get better returns from their enterprises by improving their skills in five key areas:
- Better Breeding
- Better Lamb Selection
- Better Feeding and Forage
- Better Fertility and Health
- Better Systems and Costing
Visit www.eblex.org.uk for more information
- EBLEX is a subsidiary of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB). It acts to help the English beef and lamb industry boost its competitiveness and promote its products. Its aims are: to encourage better returns for the English beef and lamb industry, to stimulate a profitable demand for quality beef and lamb, and to champion the development of a sustainable industry through improved profitability.
- For further information please contact the EBLEX Press Office on 024 7647 8835.
NEW PRESIDENT for the Shropshire Sheep Breeders Association- November 2010
Pippa Geddes from Alderton, near Montford Bridge is the new President of the Shropshire Sheep Breeders’ Association (SSBA). She is the first President of the Society for nearly 40 years to actually reside in the breeds home county. The previous Shropshire-based President was Mr S B Whittles from Upton Magna, who led the SSBA from 1971 to 1972.
Pippa and her husband, Peter, farm near Montford Bridge, where they run the Alderton Flock of 50 pedigree Shropshire ewes and a pedigree beef suckler herd of 18 Red Ruby Devon cows plus followers. The beef herd is managed in partnership with a neighbouring farmer.
The Geddese’s sheep flock was established in 1999, when there were surprisingly few flocks of Shropshires in the county. Since then, the popularity of Shropshire sheep has grown considerably throughout the UK due to a resurgence of interest in native British livestock breeds. Shropshires are also in demand because of their unique ability to graze in conifer plantations and orchards without damaging the trees.
Pippa has a degree in agriculture from Wye College (London University). She worked for the Milk Marketing Board and then moved into agricultural journalism, writing for two national farming magazines. In 1990, she won the Guild of Agricultural Journalists annual prize for the best livestock writer. Moving to Shropshire to work for a large agricultural PR agency in 1991, she has been a marketing consultant for many well-known national companies in the farming sector. However, in 2003, Pippa scaled back her full-time PR work to devote more time to the farm and also to use her marketing skills to help promote Shropshire sheep.
Pippa has a very good understanding of all the breed societys activities because she held the post of Secretary of the SSBA for four years from 2003 to 2007. She is also currently the co-ordinator of the Shropshire Breed Improvement Scheme, which encourages Shropshire flocks to record the performance of their sheep with Signet Breeding Services.
Looking ahead to her two-year term as the SSBA’s President, Pippa says:“This is a very exciting time for the Shropshire sheep. We had a record number of 40 new flocks formed this year and most breeders had sold out of stock well before the end of the summer. New markets, such as orchard grazing, are just beginning to open up for our breed of sheep. The Shropshire also produces high quality lamb, so the breed society is in a strong position to ensure that Shropshire sheep thrive in the years ahead“.
2010 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING - November 2010
THE SSBA will hold its Annual General Meeting on 13th November at Sandwell Park Farm, West Bromwich, West Midlands B71 4BG.
The venue is a restored Victorian farm with many interesting breeds of livestock, including a flock of Shropshire’s. The farm is not far from Junction 1 of the M5 motorway.
The AGM is open to all society members.
The meeting is a great opportunity to catch up with old friends and to make some new contacts, including our new secretary (see above) and our two Irish co-ordinators, Jean Jones and Pat Delaney.
The formal business of the breed society takes place in the morning, and will be followed by some interesting presentations: This year we will have a talk from Richard Lutwyche, who many members will know from the
Traditional Breeds Meat Marketing Scheme. Richard has been asked to present some ideas about how we can promote the excellent meat of Shropshire’s to farmers and butchers more effectively.
We also hope to have a presentation from Novartis Animal Health about their products, including the first new sheep wormer available to farmers for several decades.
September 2010: New Society Secretary
The new Shropshire Sheep Breeders Society is Mr Simon Mackay (email:
)
146 Chandlers Way, Sutton Manor, St.Helens. Merseyside. WA9 4TG Tel: 0044 1744 811124
NEW SHOW AND SALE VENUE FOR SHROPSHIRES
THE SSBA’s Council has decided to introduce a new show and sale for Shropshire sheep at Shrewsbury Market, Shropshire on Saturday 3rd July 2010. This will be known as the SSBA’s National Show and Sale (West). The breed society will also continue to support the show and sale at Melton Mowbray Market, Leicestershire on 10th and 11th September, which will now be known as the SSBA’s National Show and Sale (East).
In both cases, the show and sale of Shropshires will be part of a larger traditional and native breeds’ sale, incorporating entries from other breeds of sheep, as well as other farm livestock species. The sale at Shrewsbury is a new event which the organisers, Halls Auctioneers, have introduced to satisfy demand from livestock producers in the region.
“The annual Show and Sale at Melton Mowbray has proved a good venue for selling Shropshire females, but it comes rather too late in the season for breeders who want to purchase rams for early lambing flocks,” explains the SSBA’s Sales Officer, Claire Jakeman.
“By introducing a show and sale earlier in the year at a different, more westerly, venue we hope to be able to assist more members to buy and sell their sheep at the most convenient time.
“Up until 1950, Shrewsbury market was the main sale venue for our breed. We are really thrilled that the growing popularity of our sheep has enabled us to introduce another show and sale date, and bring a sale of Shropshires back to the breed’s county of origin.”
The facilities at Shrewsbury Market, which relocated to a new site just four years ago, were inspected by Claire Jakeman and Pippa Geddes, on behalf of the breed society. Not only does the site at Battlefield, just north of Shrewsbury, offer very modern livestock lairage, it’s also easily accessible from the road network without the need to drive through the town itself. The new Battlefield development also includes a Travel Lodge, offering reasonably priced accommodation for people wishing to stay overnight. Livestock can be delivered to the market the day before the show and sale.
Shropshire Sheep Society exports a record number of breeding animals
August 3rd, 2009
The Shropshire Sheep Breeders’ Association has completed two large export orders to France and Slovenia on behalf of its members. A total of 197 pedigree registered Shropshire females and six rams have been exported this year, breaking the breed society’s previous annual export record by some considerable margin.
The consignment to France comprised 45 shearling ewes, 51 ewe lambs and three rams. These were purchased by one buyer, Benoit Gille in Maizieres, Lorraine. M. Gille breeds Texels but says he requires a tougher meat sheep that doesn’t eat trees. He imported a smaller number of Shropshires from the UK last year.
The consignment of 101 females and 3 males to Slovenia, which left the UK on Tuesday 28th July and arrived at its destination two days later, has the distinction of being the first Shropshire sheep in that country. They were purchased by Branko Lazarevic from Maribor. The sheep will be used primarily as a meat producing flock, but will also graze grass between ground-based solar panels. Electricity generated by this enterprise is sold back to the Slovenian Government.
Mr Lazarevic visited the UK twice this year to view Shropshires on-farm and at the Cheshire County Show. He became interested in Shropshires after seeing them exhibited at the Paris Show a few years ago. He comments that he is very proud to be the first Slovenian to own a flock, and will be joining the Shropshire Sheep Breeders’ Association as an overseas member in due course.
Selecting the Shropshires for the export consignment was a mammoth task for the SSBA’s export officer, Sue Farquhar, and sales officer, Claire Jakeman. Sheep from twelve different flocks had to be inspected on-farm to ensure they met breed standards, before the animals were transported to an EU Approved Export Assembly Centre in Herefordshire. Sheep destined for Slovenia also had to be vaccinated by a vet against Blue Tongue, because they were moving from the UK into a BT Free Zone.
“Keeping up with export regulations and informing our breed society members of the requirements, especially with BTV and Scrapie Monitoring, is very time-consuming. We received excellent support from the new Central Export Department of Defra Carlisle,” comments the SSBA’s Claire Jakeman, who is based near Chester.
“We believe it’s worth the effort, especially as the British Shropshire is building a strong reputation overseas. The breed is now known both as an excellent meat producer and as a means of grazing tree plantations, allowing farmers and growers to control herbage in an environmentally friendly way and produce good quality lamb at the same time.”
For further information, please contact:
Pippa Geddes, Publicity Officer of the Shropshire Sheep Breeders’ Association
Stable Views, Alderton, Near Montford Bridge, Shropshire SY4 1AW
01743 741689
Email:
SHROPSHIRE SHEEP BREEDERS HELP INTERNATIONAL RUGBY STAR TO START HIS OWN FLOCK
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| Unloading the ewes. From left to right: Barry Hodson, Tricia Newman, Jemima and Cameron Robinson, Marion Webb, Pippa Geddes, Jason Robinson with Elijah and Joseph Robinson, Alison Schofield, Claire Jakeman, Richard Spencer and Les Newman. Click the image for a larger version. |
A group of farmers from the Shropshire Sheep Breeders’ Association (SSBA) has helped international rugby star, Jason Robinson OBE, to start his own pedigree sheep flock.
The unusual sponsorship offer was accepted by the sporting legend five months ago, but delivery of the sheep was delayed until Blue Tongue animal movement restrictions were lifted. Ten pedigree Shropshire ewes and a ram lamb were finally delivered to Jason’s farm in Lancashire last weekend (Saturday 4th October). They are the first farm livestock to be owned by the sportsman, who retired from International Rugby after the world cup final last year.
The sheep were supplied by Peter and Pippa Geddes from Alderton, Montford Bridge, Shropshire; Barry Hodson from Croft, Cheshire; Graham and Claire Jakeman from Thornton-Le-Moors, Cheshire; Les and Tricia Newman from Carleton Rode, Norfolk; Paul and Alison Schofield from Sproston Green, Cheshire; Richard and Rosemary Spencer from Alkmonton, Derbyshire and Aubrey and Marion Webb from Gilmorton, Leicestershire.
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| The group with ram lamb Morley Billy Whizz. The man on the left of the ram lamb is Claire's husband Graham |
The Shropshire breeders decided to offer Jason a small flock of pedigree sheep after he announced his intention to take up farming at the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year Awards in 2007. They were surprised and delighted when the offer was accepted, explains the breed society’s Publicity Officer, Pippa Geddes:
“We are all great fans of rugby and have enjoyed watching Jason playing both at club and international level. He has clocked up some amazing achievements in the sport, being only the second man in history to play rugby union for England, having first played rugby league for Great Britain and England.
“When we heard that Jason and his family were going to start farming in the north west, we thought Shropshires would be the ideal breed because they are docile and easy to manage. Shropshires are also very adaptable and do well in a range of different conditions. We didn’t know the Robinsons’ address, so we wrote to Jason’s club – Sale Sharks – and asked that they forward the letter. A few weeks later, I had a surprise phone call from the man himself! He must receive a lot of sponsorship offers, but he was genuinely delighted by the idea of receiving a small flock of Shropshire sheep.
“All the breeders concerned in the project travelled to the Robinsons’ farm to deliver the sheep personally. We were made to feel very welcome by Jason and his large family, who were excited about their new livestock venture. We hope they enjoy their flock and remain members of the breed society for many years to come.”
SHROPSHIRE SHEEP BREEDERS EMBARK UPON BREED IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME
2006
THE Shropshire Sheep Breeders’ Association has launched a breed improvement programme, using the services of Signet and Innovis in Britain, and AI Services in Northern Ireland. The new scheme will identify superior animals within the breed and help SSBA members to improve the maternal, health and terminal sire traits of their sheep.
2007 is the first year of the programme and already there are eight Shropshire flock-owners involved with a total of 240 ewes and their progeny now being performance recorded.
The improvement programme requires participating breeders to record lamb weights at birth, eight weeks old and at the age when they are ultrasonically scanned for carcase traits. Information on ewe performance is also recorded. These data are then used to calculate Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) by Signet using a BLUP (Best Linear Unbiased Prediction) program. Six different EBVs will be calculated: Eight Week Weight; Maternal Ability; Litter Size; Scan Weight; Muscle Depth and Fat Depth, as well as an overall selection index.
“In the 1980s, some members of the Shropshire breed society were involved in performance recording with the Meat and Livestock Commission, and Shropshires achieved some very high scores for muscle depth,” said the Shropshire Breed Improvement Coordinator, Liz Bowles. “Commercial sheep breeders were, however, less interested in such information at that time than they are now, and Shropshire breeders questioned the value of continuing to record performance in this way.
“The climate for sheep production in the UK is now very different with an imperative to produce sheep meat both sustainably and profitably. Producers are consequently looking for ‘easy-care’ animals to reduce labour costs as well as for efficient, productive sheep.
“Members of this breed society believe the Shropshire will measure up very favourably to these requirements and therefore decided we should initiate a breeding programme that would allow us to identify superior animals and to improve upon current performance levels in the areas required.
“It is intended to look at all information produced to identify superior Shropshires and make the best use of those genetics to allow the breed to play its part in maintaining a sustainable sheep industry in the future.
The flocks participating in the SSBA’s Breed Improvement Scheme are the Alderton Flock of P & P Geddes in Shropshire; the Brereton Flock of M & S Shimwell in Cheshire; the Brookmount Flock of C Cleland in Co. Down; the Broomcroft Flock of C & C Taylor in Shropshire; the Greenrigg Flock of J & K Mills in Cumbria; the Hayne Oak Flock of E Bowles & M Bray in Devon; the Sperrinview Flock of A & J Jones in Co. Antrim and the Ushers Flock of A & M Webb in Leicestershire.
WORLD CONGRESS WEBSITE
June 2007
This year’s 125th Anniversary World Congress, which took place in June, was a great success. The finale at the Three Counties Show was a very memorable event, particularly as HRH Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, visited the Shropshire ring during the sheep judging.
NEW BEGINNINGS FOR SHROPSHIRE
SHEEP ON JERSEY
A consignment of 25 pedigree Shropshire sheep from the
Devonshire-based flock of Liz Bowles and Mike Bray was exported to Jersey this
week (30th October). The sheep, which have organic status, will be the
first Shropshires on the Channel Islands. They are also amongst the first farm
animals to arrive on Jersey since the ban on live exports was lifted last year.
The Shropshires have been sold to an organic farm run by John Hamon at St Brelade.
John chose Shropshires sheep because he also has an organic farm shop and was
looking for a traditional breed to provide unique tasting lamb for his customers.
He believes Shropshires will meet his requirements because they produce excellent
quality carcasses whilst being relatively easy-care sheep. As a traditional
breed, Shropshires also qualify for the additional payments, available through
Natural England, for livestock grazed on an SSSI or land adjoining SSSIs.
In order to meet the stringent export health requirements, the shipment of 9
ewe lambs, 15 in-lamb ewes and one ram had to test clear for Borders Disease
and they were also quarantined for 30 days prior to travel. An additional requirement
was that they came from a holding without cattle.
The Shropshire breeders, Liz Bowles and Mike Bray, farm at Butterleigh, near
Cullompton. They formed their Shropshire flock in 1998 and have been farming
organically since 1999.
SALE OF RARE FLOCK BOOKS TO RAISE FUNDS FOR SHROPSHIRE
SHEEP
1st December 2005
Rare, well-preserved flock books dating from 1882 are to be sold this month on
the internet auction site, Ebay, by the Shropshire Sheep Breeders’ Association.
The breed society hopes the sale will raise funds for the promotion of Shropshire
sheep, which are now considered a rare breed in the United Kingdom.
Many of the books in the sale contain good quality prints and old photographs
of Shropshire sheep, a handsome dual purpose breed that was developed in the West
Midlands region. Most volumes are in excellent condition and some are still in
their original paper wrappers and contain the breed society secretary’s
compliment slip, explains Pippa Geddes of the SSBA.
“This sale is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to buy books published by
the oldest sheep breed society in the United Kingdom. The sale includes one complete
set of annual breed society records from 1882 to the present day, and will appeal
to keen collectors and agricultural historians. Five other almost complete sets
and smaller lots are also included in the auction, which commences on 1st December
and will end on the 15th December.
“In its heyday, the Shropshire was an immensely popular breed, and members
of the breed society were very progressive, promoting and exporting their sheep
throughout the British Empire. The flock books contain a wealth of interesting
material about the breed and the society members, who included members of the
British and European aristocracy and even Royalty. The books reflect the great
enthusiasm for British livestock that existed around the world.”
More details of the sale are available on Ebay (www.ebay.co.uk),
by typing SSBA into the search field. Funds raised by the sale will be used by
the present day Shropshire Sheep Breeders’ Association (a registered charity)
to promote the breed at home and abroad.
SHROPSHIRE RAMS GO “ON TRIAL” AT WALFORD COLLEGE
Date: 10th November 2005
One of Britain’s oldest, traditional breeds of sheep is to be evaluated as a terminal sire for cross-bred lamb production at Walford and North Shropshire College.
In a trial that has just commenced at the College, Shropshire rams are being used alongside Charollais tups on a flock of Lleyn ewes. This is the first time that Shropshires have been compared with a Continental breed for commercial lamb production in an independent study.
Commenting on the trial, Adrian Joynt, farm manager at Walford and North Shropshire College said: “Following the recent changes in the CAP, the need to produce high quality lambs that finish without expensive supplementary feed, but still produce the carcase quality the market requires, is paramount The Shropshire was developed in this region, so it should suit the local conditions. The Shropshire Sheep Breeders’ Association says Shropshire lambs finish successfully on grass and produce a good carcass, so the trial will be a timely assessment of the breed.
“In order to fully evaluate the cross-bred progeny from both breeds of ram, we will sell all the lambs direct to a local abattoir, rather than through a livestock market. We will then obtain feedback on lamb carcass grades for conformation and fat class. This, combined with other data about feed use and growth rates, should reveal the relative merit of each breed of tup used.”
Two Shropshire rams were delivered to Walford and North Shropshire College near Shrewsbury, in September. They are now running with around 65 Lleyn ewes from the College’s commercially-managed flock. Two Charollais tups are running with an equal number of Lleyns, with the females for the tupping groups having been selected at random. The two groups of ewes will be managed in exactly the same way up to lambing.
All cross-bred lambs will be tagged individually at birth and records will be kept of the lambing date, lambing difficulty and the sex of the lambs. All lambs will be managed in the same way until they reach slaughter weight at the target level of finish. Results of the trial are expected in the winter of 2006.
The ram trial has the full backing of the Shropshire Sheep Breeders’ Association, as breed society secretary, Pippa Geddes, explains: “Members of the SSBA are delighted that the trial is going ahead, because it gives Shropshires the chance to prove that they can deliver what the market wants.
“The Shropshire was developed as a supreme meat breed, and in its heyday it was exported all over the world for crossing with the indigenous sheep to improve lamb quality. Our members have worked hard to retain the important commercial growth and carcass traits that are essential for terminal sires.”