Commercial to the core for Clougher

Every part of our farm system is focused on the commercial market, says David Chestnutt.

With no ET work undertaken all lambs are reared naturally, proving the maternal qualities within the breed.

Commercial to the core at Clougher

Maintaining a commercial focus is the mantra espoused by most Texel breeders, but doing so can be easier said than done, with the temptation to aim for that elusive Lanark topper an easy trap to fall into.

But for Northern Irish breeders Victor and David Chestnutt of the Clougher and Bushmills flocks, that drive for commercial success underpins everything they do across the 500-acre holding with carries both pedigree and commercial sheep, a crossbred dairy herd and pedigree beef cattle.

“The commercial market has always been the focus from the start, with any pedigree sales being a bonus on top. Of course, we’ve enjoyed some great days selling five figure ram lambs, but that is the exception rather than the rule,” explains Victor who was an early adopter of the breed, first starting with Texels in the late 1970s.

With son David now taking the helm, flock numbers currently stand at 70 ewes between the two prefixes, back from about 300 at the peak.

“Ewe numbers have been reduced over the last 15 years as we’ve introduced and built-up dairy cow numbers from nothing to the 200-cow herd we run now. Increasing numbers of Texel flocks in Northern Ireland made selling tups harder and, ultimately, dairying provides a more stable income stream than sheep production and particularly pedigree breeding. So, to ensure the future viability of the farm we chose to pursue that route,” says David.

“Nowadays we’re selling in the region of 30 tup lambs a year along with 1012 shearling rams too, with no ET work undertaken and AI only done for the management benefits it offers.

“Both of these technologies are great tools, but I can’t help but feel they’re being overused by many within the breed at the detriment of some of the breed’s characteristics and abilities,” adds David.

That’s not to say the family haven’t pursued ET in the past, but only to expand family lines from within the flock. “There is a big trade now in gimmers and ewes solely for flushing and I don’t think that’s doing the breed many favours.”

Indeed, while having previously flushed females the family’s best-selling tups have all been the result of natural matings, with the 18,000gns Clougher Lincoln, the 14,000gns Clougher President and the 8000gns Clougher Irishman all being naturally reared on their dams.

“The dams of these have, in some case, been flushed off the back of producing these lambs, but without a doubt the best lambs we’ve bred have all come from natural matings,” he says.

On top of this David says it has been relatively cheap sires which have been behind their best sales. “The sire of Clougher Irishman cost us 250gns, while Clougher President was by a €2100 sire bought in Eire, Ballybrooney Orlando, and out of a dam by the 750gns Haltcliffe Knock On. That tup really stamped his females and left some tremendous flock ewes for us.”

And strong female lines are at the core of the Chestnutts’ breeding policy, with any problem ewes quickly finding themselves heading to the exit. “For us it has to be a commercially viable enterprise and that means keeping costs in check and not carrying any passengers within the flock. A few will get a second chance, but not many do and maintaining strong maternal traits within the flock is paramount in my mind.

“AI is still used to ensure a tight lambing period and make best use of any tups purchased across as many ewes as possible, but even that is up for question as costs increase and margins are being eroded.”

As David explains, with such a range of enterprises on the farm keeping lambing compact is a major consideration. “We do all our own slurry work in the spring, as well as having bulls to prepare for our own sale each spring, so keeping pedigree lambing tight is essential to easing workloads.”

“Ahead of lambing we aim to leave ewes out for as long as possible. We find ewes can get too lazy if they’re housed for too long, so keeping them outside helps keep them fit, making for easier lambings and more vigorous lambs. Pre-housing ewes are offered feed blocks to help build colostrum and ensure lamb development.”

After lambing ewes are out to grass as soon as the weather allows, again to cut down on the work and manage costs. “They usually have the option to run back in a shed if the weather is particularly rough, but I think they actually do better if they’re out 24/7. Lambs are offered creep feed to help maximise the genetic potential they hold, while ewes are fed while housed and for a short-time post lambing. With the family now producing bulls from their pedigree herds on a more natural regime and selling them at their own dedicated sale at Ballymena Mart each spring, there could be a temptation to take a similar route with their Texels. However, David says that the plethora of Texel breeders in Northern Ireland means it makes more sense to stick with producing ram lambs and selling them at the NITBC’s sales throughout the autumn.

The family continue to sell ram lambs due to local customer preference, with just a handful of shearlings sold each year. “Most buyers in Northern Ireland prefer to buy ram lambs, so producing shearlings isn’t that popular and getting them sold as lambs means we have fewer mouths to feed over winter.

“Our bull sale has taken time to build up and we now sell 16-18 bulls every spring between Charolais and Aberdeen-Angus. But buyers have been nervous of bulls which aren’t produced as they’re used to seeing them. Ram buyers are similarly minded and we have to consider that when setting our breeding, feeding and marketing strategies.”

And when it comes to sourcing rams David says he believes it has become harder to find correct rams in recent years, with leg and foot structure something he has concerns over. “I’m looking for fit, mobile tups with good carcasses and skins. These key attributes are what has made the breed as popular as it is and we have to remember this when producing commercial rams.”

Like many Texel breeders the Chestnutts are committed to the future of the breed and both Victor and David cite the social side of the breed as being as bigger attraction as the sheep themselves. “We’ve made many friends and enjoyed many great nights across the UK as a result of breeding Texels. They’re a bit of a drug and it is without a doubt a hard addiction to shake,” adds David, himself a current YDP committee member, while Victor is a former Society chairman.

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