Page 14 - Commercial Suffolks 2021

grazing throughout the year. Lambing starts from 5th March
for ewes and the hoggs start from
The business is based solely on 26th March. All sheep are lambed
sheep farming with a flock of 2,700 indoors and Suffolk x mule lambs
North Country Mule ewes which will be up on their feet suckling
are crossed with Suffolk rams. In very quickly. They are turned out
addition, the best and strongest within twelve hours of being lambed
1,300 Suffolk cross mule ewe lambs straight to fresh grass and will
are retained each year and tupped stand the weather better than other
with a Charolais with approximately breeds.
600 sold as Hoggs and lambs each
spring, and the remainder sold as By mid-April lambing is finished and
yearlings in the autumn. all the flock will be out on grass.
The big wether lambs will receive
The ewes and lambs are kept on
grass in the summer and autumn,
with winter roots and dairy grazing
used in the winter. Ewes are housed
from February ahead of lambing
within the straw pens. They are fed
good quality ewe rolls with an ME
in excess of 13.6, provided ad-lib
haylage and straw and extra energy
mineral buckets.

12 COMMERCIAL SUFFOLKS | SUMMER 2021