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www.beltex.co.uk
Beltex Sheep SocietyShepherds View,
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The Shape for the South West!'The shape for the South West of England is Beltex, and it's taking hold!' That's the view of Beltex breeder Judith Lapthorne and partner Robert Darke who run 40 pedigree Beltex ewes, 100 pedigree Texel ewes, and around 500 Texel and Beltex X ewes on 250 acres at Halwell Farm, Southpool, Kingsbridge, on the coast of sunny South Devon. The couple are tenants of The National Trust and they own around 50 acres adjoining the main holding. They rent additional land, including a block right beside “The Lost Village” at Hallsands where they away-winter the 120 ewe lambs that are not going to the ram. Judith bought her first Beltex after the 2001 FMD outbreak, when half her flock was culled. At the time, she was living with her parents at Higher Challonsleigh Farm, so she took the name for her Challonsleigh flock of Beltex and bought her foundation ewes from the Whatmore, Beachy, and Parkland flocks. She still has her first Parkland ewe today, still going strong at 7-years old. Judith and Robert are both keen competitors at the summer shows where they first met. Judith shows the Beltex, and Robert takes charge of the Texels. It all helps to publicise the Beltex breed which is gradually gaining a foothold in the Southwest, thanks to breeders like Judith and Robert who promote the breed at shows. Christmas primestock shows are also a feature of the couple's calendar of events and last year their lambs took Champion and Reserve tickets at the local Christmas show at Kingsbridge and also at Dartmouth Show. They exhibit at Exeter where they have been frequent winners of the championship. The publicity from shows and farmer-to-farmer recommendation help to boost the sale of their Beltex rams, most of which are sold privately, with some entered at the NSA at Exeter. The partnership has a junior shepherd in the form of 3-year-old son Troy, who made his debut in the show ring at the very early age of 19 months when he showed his Beltex ram, Parkland Jasper in the Young Handler class at their local show, coming 4th in a class of seven. Jasper is the stock ram at the moment, he and Troy are best mates!! Judith and Robert provide a year-round supply of lamb to a local butcher, Mark Gribble which meant that they had to change their lambing pattern. The lambing now starts in mid-January with 100 commercial ewes and the pedigree Texels. In February, it's the turn of the Beltex and the rest of the commercial flock, finishing up with 100 ewe hoggs in April/May, lambing to Beltex and Beltex X rams. The January lambers are housed around first week of December, with the remainder coming indoors by Christmas, giving the fields a chance to rest. The ewes are scanned and penned according to results. The Beltex are penned together and are fed round bale silage and feed blocks pre-lambing, and after lambing the daily ration includes cake. Depending on weather conditions, single lambs are turned out straight away, while the twins spend an extra day or two indoors. They are all tagged at birth, and a record is kept of birth size, ease of lambing, mothering ability and any problems. The butcher's preference is for 18kg - 20kg carcases but target for the lambs is 20kg deadweight, with the first lambs ready for slaughter at around 10 weeks. It may be the lush Devon grass, or the sunshine and sea breezes that give their lamb that special 'melt in the mouth', quality which keeps satisfied customers coming back for more. 'It's a constant round of hard work' says Judith, ' but when we get feedback telling us how good our lambs are, we know that all it's all been worth it.' |
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