We are passionate about sheep! We keep several pure breeds (although I won't say exactly how many in case Ian reads this); we sell registered ewes, lambs and rams for breeding, and unregistered stock for fattening or for customers who want a few pretty sheep to brighten up their holding. Read on to learn about our Balwen, Shropshire, Coloured Ryeland, Blue Texel, Black Blueface Leicester and British Lavenders.
We try to honour the sheep by using all of their products, so also sell raw fleeces for craft use, balls of knitting yarn, luscious lamb skins (all available by post) and fresh meat boxes for collection from the farm or nationwide by overnight courier – we are passionate about keeping things local, so encourage customers to come to us to collect their meat whenever they can so they can see where and how the animals are raised and to hear our story.
Balwen Sheep - Category 4, At Risk on the RBST Watch list
See: Balwen Sheep Society and the Southwest Balwen Facebook Group
The De Dwr flock of registered Balwens at South Yeo Farm East; Flock number 313
When trying to decide on a native breed of sheep that would suit our needs, we were immediately taken by the attractive little Balwen from Wales. We wanted a versatile rare breed that was ‘different’, pleasing to look at, small and easy to handle, whose wool could be used for spinning / felting and whose skins could be made into lovely rugs. Each registered flock is given a flock name by the Breed Society, usually Welsh in origin; ours is ‘De Dwr’ which is Welsh for ‘South of the Water’ from our farm name ‘ South Yeo ’.
At present there are fewer than 1500 breeding ewes known to the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. Most flocks are still based in the mountains of Wales so it is vitaly important for the preservation of the breed to spread them around the country in case of future disease outbreak. Balwen sheep are often mistaken for Zwartbles, a breed from Holland which is much larger and has big mule-like ears – not that we’re biased...
The Balwen fleece is black but the tips fade throughout the year to a deep chocolate brown; when they are shorn in the spring, the black under-wool is revealed once more. Well marked registered animals have a white blaze on the face running from the poll of the head down to the nose, four white socks, and a half-white tail. Other variations of these colourings – fewer or missing socks, no white in tail, broken blaze etc – mean the animal cannot be registered or shown, but they make excellent eating lamb with a small carcass that is more than made up for by an exquisite succulent flavour - even thought they are small, Balwen lamb is our favourite to eat of all our breeds. Rams have classic curling horns while the ewes are naturally polled.
Animals which conform to the breed standard are inspected and registered by the Breed Society's inspectors at annual inspection days (most are held in Wales, but we also have one here in the Southwest). Each registered animal is given a unique number and white ear tag and recorded in the annual flock book along with details of its dam and sire. Balwen lambs can only be registered if they are born to registered parents, even if they are well marked.
We have found Balwen to be excellent mothers, having very few lambing problems, they have excellent feet but are inclined to be a little flighty if not regularly handled – hailing back to their hardy mountain dwelling roots; fields need to be well fenced. We have been very pleased with them and they will continue to live here at the farm for many years to come!
Category 6, other Native Breed on the RBST Watchlist (teetering on the brink of going back in to category 5 'Minority').
See: Shropshire Sheep Breeders Association
Having done well with the Balwen, we looked around to find another breed that would fit in to our management system and ethos. We learned that Shropshires had been used successfully on the continent to graze in conifer plantations and orchards as they don’t seem to be attracted to eat the bark of the trees, thus providing a natural weed control without use of chemicals or need to install tree guards. As we have a replanted orchard and Christmas tree plots, this seemed like an excellent idea and so they were added - and started me on the slippery slope towards my sheep addiction...
Shropshires are a downland meat breed, also coming from the Welsh borders and West Midlands. The breed society was the first to be formed in Britain in 1882 and it overseas registrations of both ewes and rams. The sheep are medium sized, rams reaching 120Kg and ewes around 75Kg. Both rams and ewes are hornless, have a creamy white fine fleece, a black face with wool covered forehead and legs, their skin should be cherry pink. We have found their fleece to be much in demand by craft people as it is soft and bouncy, easily worked and can be dyed. They are a stocky breed with a deep muscular body and the lambs finish quickly (around 4 months) and make excellent eating. Shropshire rams are also often used as ‘terminal’ sires on other breeds.
Classed as ‘Other Native Breed’ by the RBST as their numbers are not currently of concern
See: The Ryeland Flock Book Society
Absolutely my favourite breed of all those we have kept. The cuddly 'teddy bear' Ryeland is growing quickly in popularity amongst smallholders.
Ryeland sheep originate from the rye growing lands around Hereford and are one of our oldest breeds. They occur as both white and ‘coloured’; in the past, whites were more numerous and the odd coloured sheep was born to white parents owing to the presence of a recessive gene. Initially shunned, the coloureds are now growing in popularity and are registered alongside whites within the breed society. Both colours are a stocky lowland breed with excellent fleeces.
Ryelands are terribly easy to keep, and as such are the breed I always recommend to people new to sheep keeping. They are easily tamed, follow a bucket, are excellent mothers and seemingly ‘do’ well on fresh air! They are a little food driven to say the least… They are exceptionally woolly, a shearers least favourite breed to clip as they take so long with wool on every part of their bodies, even their ears. During the year they may need a little trim around their eyes so they can see where they are going.
We’ve kept Coloured Ryelands now for nearly a decade. Initially we started with a few unregistered ewes with lambs at foot but as our love of the breed has grown, so we have switched to keeping and showing registered stock. We have still never eaten any though, as every year we manage to sell any castrated males to smallholders wanting attractive cuddly lawnmowers or pony companions.
See: The Blue Texel Sheep Society
Blue Texels are our only breed of sheep classed as 'commercial'. On renting some ground from a neighbour, we needed to increase our sheep numbers in order to keep up with the additional amount of grass. Rather than going for everyday white sheep, we stuck with our coloured passion and initially started with a Blue Texel ram to use on our 'odds and ends' mix of sheep used on sheep courses. We subsequently fell in love with them and now have a small pedigree flock alongside some non-pedigree texels and crosses. They are am excellent meat breed, producing carcasses that grade exceptionally well at the abattoir. Their 'blue' colouring is from a recessive gene, so when crossed with other breeds, most often results in a white lamb, more favoured at market.
Black Blueface Leicester
