The Farm - Sheep

beef | pigs | sheep | poultry

We run two flocks of sheep to ensure a continuous supply of lamb for the farm shop. Newlyns farm keeps 850 ewes and 26 rams for breeding. The sheep are kept for meat and wool production.

We use traditional Hampshire Down rams on our 150 Poll Dorset cross Mule ewes, which are able to lamb very early at the beginning of January, thus providing new season Easter lamb. The later lambing flock is comprised of a commercial crossbred, the Mule, and continental type breed, which will provide a good meaty lamb. These lamb during March and May when there is plenty of goodness in the grass. These usually produce twin lambs.

Environment
The sheep live outside in the fields all year around. Sheep are herbivores and so eat grass and other plant material in the field. They have thick wool coats which keep them warm. Wool contains lanolin which feels greasy, keeping the sheep dry. Lanolin is used to make lipstick and hand creams.

Lambing Through the Year

	The shepherd will prepare the ewes before he puts the rams into the field with them. We check the ewe’s teeth, trim their feet and check that they are in good condition and not too fat or too thin.
	The rams are put in the field with the ewes so that they can ‘serve’ (mate) the ewes. The rams will stay in the field for approximately nine weeks. The ewes breeding cycle last for 3 weeks, therefore there are three opportunities for the ewe to become pregnant. A ewe's pregancy lasts for 5 months (147 days)
	The early lambing flock come indoors ready for lambing at the beginning of January.
	The main flock of ewes are scanned for pregnacy. This tells the shepherd if the ewe is pregnant and how many lambs she is carrying. The shepherd sorts the ewes into groups according to how many lambs they will have. The ewes are now given extra food supplements such as wheat, barley and oats. These are high in protein which the ewe needs as it nears lambing. The amount of extra food depends upon how many lambs she is carrying.
	During February the shepherd will vaccinate the ewes. This helps build their immune system during pregnancy. The shepherd gradually increases the ewe's food during February. Ewes carrying twins or triplets will be fed up to ¾ kg of supplement food a day. Ewes that are carrying single lambs will be fed up to ½ kg per day. The shepherds will bring the ewes in from the field into a barn approximately 3 weeks before lambing. This gives the ewes time to get used to their new environment. In the barn they will be bedded on straw and have hay to eat and water to drink.
	The ewes will give birth. Once the lambs are born they will be put into a pen alone with their mothers. This is called a ‘mothering up’ pen. This enables the shepherd to keep a close eye on the ewe and her lambs and stops them from getting mixed up with the rest of the flock. The ewe and her lambs are kept in ‘mothering pens’ for at least 24 hours after the lambs are born. The ewe and her lamb will then be put into the field where there is plenty of goodness in the grass. Ewes will finish having their lambs at the end of April. The shepherds will carry on feeding the ewes for about 6 weeks after lambing. This ensures that the ewes have the energy to produce enough milk to feed their lambs. When the lambs are 6 weeks old the shepherd will worm them. He may also spray the ewes to prevent ‘Flystrike’.
	The ewes have their wollen fleeces shorn off. Shearing the ewes help to keep them cool during the summer and can also help prevent Flystrike. The fleeces are rolled up and put into wool sacks which are collected from the farm.
	The ewes and their lambs are separated from one another. This is know as weaning.

Sheep staff: Ron and his wife, Tish

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