Rushall Farm Is Now Part of a Share Farming Agreement and Steve Waters the New Farmer Has

Lambing 2017

Rushall Farm is now part of a share farming agreement and Steve Waters the new farmer has to maximise the margins on each lamb sold and also the crops grown.

In 2017 the first flock, likely to be in the region of 400 ewes, will lamb from February onwards. These will be our commercial flock of Lleyn ewes crossed with Texel rams to produce a stocky lamb. As we did in 2016 we’ll be using Teaser tups. These are vasectomised rams that get the ewes synchronising in their menstrual cycles. What this means is that when the intact rams (tups) meet the ewes most should get pregnant on their first cycle which results in a tighter lambing period which reduces the amount of time the lambing shed needs to be staffed. The early lambing than in recent year means that we can potentially sell the lambs when there are fewer lambs on the market meaning that each lamb achieves a better price.

In terms of schools visits we think the main lambing period will be after the half term from 20th of February to the 10th of March. There will also be some lambs in the week starting the 6th of February. Overall we’ll be lambing more ewes so this lambing period will be longer than in 2016.

The second flock will be fewer ewes, probably in the region of 350 and will lamb from very late March to mid-Apri. These will be a Lleyn ewe crossed with a Lleyn ram. The ram lambs in this flock will also go to the market but many of the ewe lambs will be kept as replacements. As above we’ll use teasers tups with this flock which should result in a tight lambing period. Also as above we’ll be lambing more ewes than in 2016 resulting in a slightly longer lambing period.

Most of this flock will lamb over the Easter holidays but the week commencing 27th March should see some lambs being born. The summer term starts on Tuesday 18th April. We’d expect the vast majority of lambs to have been born by then but it should be a good time for pre-schools and nurseries to visit the farm as they’ll be many small lambs to hold and the weather should be much milder.

The split lambing period gives the farm staff a chance to recharge their batteries, maximises prices for lambs and also allows us the opportunity to plough and then drill our spring crops at what should be the optimum time.