David & Sarah Steven
Redhouse of Barra,
Old Meldrum,
Aberdeenshire
David Steven's sheep enterprise was constricted by the labour requirement of indoor lambing. With fertile traditional breeds scanning in the 220 - 230% range, and various housing related animal health losses he was not getting enough lambs out the farm gate.Especially considering the high fixed cost investment, labour and concentrate feed cost.
David decided that to have a viable sheep business, he needed to grow the scale of his sheep flock to reduce fixed costs and labour per ewe, without a drop in productivity. He believes he needs to get to 1000 ewes capable of being run by ½ a labour unit. To do this he needed to source genetics with high maternal and survival qualities, suitable for outdoor lambing. He has changed to New Zealand type sheep initially with the Romney and for the past 2 years Rissington Breedline Highlander maternal and Primera terminal breeds.
Why the Rissington Breedline genetics? The Highlander (a composite of Romney, Finn and NZ Texel) offered fertility and high quality milk on a moderate frame size and still suited to trouble free outdoor lambing. They also offered a good option to mate ewe lambs to lamb as a hogget. The Highlander breeding index selects for efficiency to maximize lamb output per kg of feed (grass) eaten.
While building flock numbers the Highlander is mated to all ewes and only in lamb ewe hoggets are retained. Ewes are culled heavily based on weaning performance. An average lambing date of 18 April achieved an average lamb growth rate of 275g/day over 107 days to wean at 33.5kg. The weaning draft killed out at 21kg at 50% yield which was higher than expected. Interestingly twin lambs on the improved grass (1-5yrs) grew @ 299g/day to 36kg. Twins off old pastures grew @ 252g/day to 31kg. The 630 ewes ran on 90 acres at a stocking rate of 7 ewes/acre up to weaning. The extra production from the improved grasses recouped the re-grassing cost in one year, based on lamb produced, plus giving earlier saleable lambs.
The ewe lambs were mated to terminal Primera rams for easy lambing and fast growth. The Primera is a composite of traditional British meat breeds. The ewe hoggets weaned 256 lambs (84%) from 305 mated (49 were barren). 100% based on hoggets wintered, which was the goal. The lambs grew @ 242g/day to wean at 29kgs @ 107 days (not too far behind the ewes).
The sheep are worked in complimentary to his other enterprises and with other farmers with grazing options especially over winter made use of. Improved grasses are down for 5 years prior to 4 years in crop, with benefits to the sustainability of yields in the cropping enterprise. David is now considering pasture renewal on the unimproved grasses unsuitable for cropping, favouring a minimal tillage option via a Kale crop.
David is also part of a Marks & Spencer supply group for Primera sired lamb processed by Scotbeef. The supply contract is seen as a bonus, but the overriding farm policy decision is that the genetics deliver on farm. Once the initial goal of 1,000 ewes has been met there will be the opportunity to mate up to ½ the flock to the Primera and increase overall lamb output from the farm unit.
With improvement in pasture and genetic productivity the sheep enterprise will challenge other (beef & crop) options within his system. To warrant employing a full time shepherd David believes a sheep flock needs to be a minimum of 2,000 ewes to be financially viable. Future decisions to grow his flock will be determined based on sustainable profitability, but importantly he is building a flock model that is scaleable.
With 4 boys under six Harry, Seb, Jamie and Robbie labour should not be the limiting factor!
