The top quality Texel rams currently being bred on the farm are the product of a sophisticated performance recording programme and a testimony to the selection against disease policy we adopt not just with our Texels but with all our stock.
We began regularly carrying out FEC’s (Faecal Egg Counts) back in 2009 to both determine if a group of sheep need drenching and to test the efficacy of various drench groups. We also individually sample all ram lambs intended for breeding. We have now selected lines of sheep within our terminal sire breeds, which consistently show significant resistance to internal parasites. For several years we have been part of a network of 26 farms involved in regularly monitoring worm egg counts as part of the Zoetis Parasite Watch Scheme and recently featured in an article commenting on Egg counts Farmer Guardian. For the last five years we have also been selecting rams showing resilience to worm challenges by maintaining fast growth rates and reduced levels of dagginess.
Coming from a commercial background, we look to produce pedigree animals which perform well above average for growth rate and carcass traits, but equally importantly, they must be able to survive, thrive and perform, fed solely on grass with only minimal strategic cereal supplementation.
Click Texel Shearlings July 2024 for the full list of our Texel Shearling Rams from this year.