9 The breeding cycle begins using teaser rams in early September across the whole flock. The entire rams are then introduced in the last week of September. Rams are purchased locally and at the Builth NSA Ram Sales. Sires purchased previously include some from the Tawelfa flock and at the recent Flock Visit to the Welsh Region Flock Champion they were impressed with the focus from breeders on producing rams that will thrive in working conditions. The sheep they saw were in fit condition, showing strong breed characteristics coming from genetics and not feed. Ewes are scanned early December, housed and shorn prior to Christmas. Winter feed is self-feed silage, feeding off a 5ft high face, with barriers inched on daily to ensure a continuous supply of silage. Concentrates are introduced to triplet carrying ewe six weeks before the due date, doubles at four weeks, with single bearing ewes fed silage only. The use of the teasers ensures a very condensed lambing period with 90% of ewes lambing between 18th February and 5th March. Freshly lambed ewes ideally spend 24 hours in a 4ft pen, before transferring to mixer pens with up to eight sets of twins per pen. Between the individual pens and the
FARM NUMBERS 620 Acres 70 Suckler cows 1030 Breeding Ewes 75% charollais Rams 86% Graded E or U mixer pens, predominantly disused pig pens, there is capacity to hold 400 lambs, useful when weather conditions are exceptionally poor.
below the 192% in 2011. A tight lambing period enables the Roderick’s to concentrate on drawing lambs hard in May and June.
As soon as they are strong enough twins are boxed to grass. Every opportunity to wet foster triplets onto singles is taken, although it can take a few days to boost milk production.
By the end of May they had marketed 523 lambs at an average weight of 19.2kgs, which demonstrates the speed of growth and excellent grading characteristic of the Charollais lamb. Of the lambs sold in May 30% were graded E, 56% U and the remainder at R.
“By the end of May 523 lambs had been marketed averaging 19.2 kgs, demonstrating the growth of the Charollais”. The lambing percentage scanned for 2012 was 186%, which was slightly
Lambs are predominantly marketed through Livestock Marketing to Waitrose, with the remainder being sold to other dead weight centres, dependent on weight and fat class.
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