New ewe project to look at rearing
THIRTEEN SHEEP farmers from across the country have been recruited to help track the impact of the rearing phase on the performance of ewes on their farms.
Ian Wilson of Searchlight Farm, just over the North Yorkshire boundary with Middlesbrough in Nunthorpe, has been chosen for the seven-year ‘Challenge Sheep’ project devised by industry body AHDB Beef & Lamb.
More than 4,000 replacement ewes entering 13 flocks this tupping season will be tracked at the start of the project, which aims to understand how the rearing of these ewes impacts upon their lifetime productivity.
Participating farms will host regular events to give farmers the chance to share their findings with other sheep producers.
The project gets under way this month and a free introductory meeting for farmers will be held at Mr Wilson’s farm – home to a flock of 500 Texel X Mules – on November 22, 11am-3pm.
Hayley King, the project’s manager at AHDB, said: “Feedback from both research and producers shows there are improvements to be made in the management of replacements entering the national flock. Currently up to 10 per cent are not retained after their first breeding season due to premature culling or death.
“The data generated by the project will help us to develop new guidance to help manage ewe replacements in the future. As part of this, each of the farms will have access to cutting-edge information and ways of interrogating data.”
To register for a place at the event at Mr Wilson’s farm next month, call 01904 771212.