The heart of our farm lies with our animals. We are dedicated to breeding quality livestock, carefully selecting and raising animals to ensure the very best are sold as breeding stock. Those not kept for breeding contribute to producing high-quality, locally reared meat—a true testament to our commitment to sustainable farming. Each animal is cared for with respect and pride, reflecting our passion for ethical and responsible farming.
Sheep
Pedigree Performance Recorded Texels
Our pedigree Texel flock was established in 2020, and we began performance recording in 2023. With a focus on improving the maternal qualities of our ewes, we aim to breed animals that excel in their ability to rear lambs to a high standard while ensuring ease of lambing. Unlike the heavily built show-type Pedigree Texels, our flock emphasizes a more functional and practical structure, with a focus on reducing issues with feet, lambing, and overall health. This approach ensures our ewes are both productive and resilient, making them easier to manage and more effective in the flock. This performance recording is done through the TexelPlus program.
Performance Recorded Non Registered Suffolks
Our purebred but unregistered Suffolk flock is carefully bred with a focus on keeping costs down while maintaining high standards of performance. We prioritize a lighter build in our sheep, ensuring ease of lambing and promoting lambs that are lively and quick to get up and go. This allows us to breed animals that are both practical and efficient on the farm. Our performance recording is completed through Signet, enabling us to track and improve key traits in our flock while maintaining the affordability and functionality needed for our operation.
Commercial Flock
Our commercial flock includes purebred Lleyns, Texel crosses, and Suffolk crosses, primarily bred to produce fat lambs when mated with a Texel or Suffolk ram. In addition to this, we carry out our own internal recording within this part of the flock, selecting replacement ewes based on performance. Some of these ewes are also used as recipients for any embryo transfer work we undertake, aimed at improving the quality and numbers of our best-performing Texel and Suffolk ewes and rams. This approach helps us enhance the genetic potential of our commercial flock while maintaining high production standards.
What’s Available:
Ram Sales
Although our primary focus is on breeding a maternal ewe, we also prioritize selecting fast-growing and finishing ram lambs. As a result, we sell a number of our best-performing ram lambs each year, which are highly sought after by both commercial farmers and pedigree breeders. Most of our sales come from repeat customers who appreciate the quality of our stock. For any lambs that don’t sell initially, we offer them for private sale or run them on to be sold as shearlings, which are preferred by some buyers. We aim to use these ram lambs as lambs, giving them the best opportunity to perform well at their new homes. Our selection includes Texels, Suffolks, and the popular Suff-Tex cross, combining the best traits of both breeds.
Female Sales
Once we have selected the top 10% of ewe lambs as replacements in each area of our flock, we offer ewe lambs and gimmers for sale from the best-performing top 25% of the flock. Occasionally, if we are overstocked, we may also sell in-lamb hoggets, gimmers, or young ewes. As with our ram lamb sales, many of these transactions are to repeat customers who trust the quality and consistency of our stock. This approach helps us manage flock size while offering high-quality breeding animals to other farmers.
Berkshire Pigs
We have selected pedigree Berkshire pigs for their exceptional qualities, both in temperament and the quality of the meat they produce. Our breeding sows are sourced from Stonebridge Cottage Farm and are known for being docile and easy to work with, making them a pleasure to handle. The Berkshire breed is highly prized for its marbled meat, which results in a rich flavor and tenderness that is second to none. They grow quickly, and we usually slaughter two pigs per year for our own use: one at around 60-65kg and another at 80-85kg. We do this to ensure we have a variety of cuts and sizes for different purposes while maintaining the best flavor and texture. In addition to keeping some for ourselves, we sell surplus live piglets and occasionally rear pigs for others to go into their freezers once they are ready. This allows us to offer high-quality meat to our customers while maintaining a sustainable breeding program.
Jersey Cow & Calf
We are excited to add a Jersey cow to our family, which will allow us to produce our own milk and create delicious cream, cheese, and other dairy products for our household. Each year, we plan for her to rear a calf, and we’re particularly excited to try her with a Shorthorn bull, as we loved the Shorthorn beef we enjoyed from our butchers this year. Once the cow is in place, we’ll be on our way to becoming more self-sustaining, and who knows, we may even have the opportunity to sell surplus dairy and beef in the future. There are so many possibilities, and we’re looking forward to the journey ahead
Stoneyford Heritage Meats 