3 minute read
Texels deliver weight without compromise
Farming across 600 acres, including 120 acres of salt marsh on the Severn Estuary, Ben who farms with his father, Len, runs 200 ewes alongside a beef finishing enterprise which sources suckled calves from across the UK.
“We’re aiming at a 50kg liveweight lamb, killing out at a 23-26kg carcass, with all our lambs sold to one abattoir and then sold on by them to butchers. The aim is to produce heavier carcasses which suits the butchers’ shops, with chops with a decent eye of meat on them.
“All the lamb is finished on the salt marsh, giving an extra selling point for the retailers who sell it, although we don’t take a premium on the lambs themselves,” he explains.
Timed to fit around the other farm enterprises, including on-farm diversifications, the flock lambs in midJanuary, with ewes and lambs staying inside for several weeks after lambing before being turned out to graze the salt marsh.
“We keep the nutrition simple, which helps keep costs in check and ensures we aren’t too reliant on bought in feeds.”
Pre-lambing ewes are fed a mixed ration comprising grass silage and brewers grains at a ratio of about 8:2, with a bespoke mineral mix included too.
“After lambing we introduce maize silage into the mix to help keep milk yields up without having to push intakes. It’s a simple feed mix, but it works well. Lambs are a good size when born and ewes lamb down with plenty of good quality milk and continue to milk well throughout lactation,” he adds.
A keen advocate of knowing every inch of his business, Ben works closely with the abattoir to supply the type of lamb required and works on a bespoke payment arrangement based purely on carcass weight. “The lambs aren’t graded, but I can be sure if we weren’t producing what they wanted we’d soon know about it. In all the time we’ve been dealing with them they’ve always taken every lamb we have available and paid for every kilo they’ve had.
“We could, potentially, get a higher price/kg elsewhere, but it might come at an unseen cost. Price is important, but selling lambs when they’re fit is equally important to our business, particularly in a year like last year when grass was at a premium.
“I try to be equally as fair when drawing lambs. I won’t send a lamb if it needs another week. There’s no point trying to be clever, we’ve built a long-term relationship and it has to work both ways.
“Last year every lamb we sold, including a few tail end lambs that went as stores, averaged £147. That speaks for itself in terms of the type of lamb we’re selling and allows us to re-invest in the flock in both replacement ewes and quality rams.”
Ben sources his females as ewe lambs from the Scottish borders, with Texel tups bought at either the English National Sale, Worcester, or the Main NSA Ram Sale, Builth Wells.
“I’m looking for rams with the stretch and size, but carcass traits, including depth of loin and gigot shape are equally important and I pay close attention to the texelplus figures too, as these give extra backing to what I’ve found when I’ve been looking through the rams myself. I don’t buy solely on figures, but I prefer to buy rams with figures behind them.
“I’ll happily pay up to £1000 for rams which I believe will do the job we want of them. It is too easy to scrimp on rams and then find they don’t perform as they should. But I’m looking for those rams with the genetic potential to produce the right lambs for our customers and I’m prepared to pay for the right ones.”
Ben says this is something he’s become increasingly convinced of in recent years as he has spent more time analysing the performance of cattle on the farm.
“The difference we’re seeing in how cattle perform is amazing. Those with the genetic potential to produce a heavier carcass are leaving about £500 more than those without. That’s a big difference when the cattle have been on the farm the same time and had the same treatment. It comes back to their potential and the same is true in the sheep.
Farm Facts
Ben Attewell, Magor, Monmouthshire
• 250 ewes
• Lambs sold deadweight
• 190% scanning
• Grazing saltmarsh
Previous rams have come from flocks the length and breadth of the UK, with Ben regularly returning to the same breeders when rams perform well. “Fit, able, fertile rams are key to our system, with a desire for a compact lambing period to ensure workload can be balanced with other enterprises.”
Twin and triplet carrying ewes are offered a mixed ration from about a month ahead of lambing, with triplet bearing ewes housed in early to mid-December and the remaining ewes coming inside about a fortnight ahead of lambing. “Singles are only offered feed blocks at grass before lambing, moving on to a mixed ration at housing.
“We aim to wet foster triplet lambs across to singles wherever possible, so we need all ewes to have the potential to rear two lambs.”
Flock health is a priority alongside good management, with ewes vaccinated for both enzootic and toxoplasmosis abortion, as well as against clostridial diseases and footrot. “Getting as many of the details right is essential to a productive, profitable flock. We aim to start drawing our first lambs in mid-April and to have sold every lamb before we put the tups back out in midAugust,” adds Ben.