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Beltex – The Key Terminal Sire
Prospects for sheep farmers are looking positive in a strengthening marketplace
for lighter lamb, according to Isaac Crilly. However, if these producers
are to counter soaring input costs and achieve a sustainable enterprise for
the future, then he says they will have focus on maximising output per ewe
from low input systems.
“Sheep farmers are currently at a crossroads wondering how to respond
to the latest changes and achieve a margin,” says Isaac, who is the
NSA’s immediate past chairman. “I believe producers have to make
a conscious decision to consider going down a route that focuses on finishing
more lambs to the lighter weights currently being demanded by supermarkets.
And they should be reared on a grass based system without creep, however
it’s one that will require meticulous attention to detail to achieve
success.”
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| Isaac Crilly |
Isaac speaks from the success he’s already achieved on his holding
based at Laslaird, Mournebeg, Castlederg, County Tyrone which carries 550
ewes and is one of AFBI’s three lowland research farms and a former
Focus Farm; part of their brief is to compare various sheep genetics. Findings
from his flock trial this season using the Beltex over replacement Texel
cross Belclare ewe lambs confirmed his intentions to introduce the Beltex
as the key terminal over the flock and build up numbers of prolific Texel
cross Belclare as its main damline.
“We achieved 170 Beltex cross lambs reared off 138 ewe lambs, they’re
reaching 17kg to 19kg target deadweight from 14 weeks off grass, they’re
killing out at 50% and grading within the U specification or better. What’s
more, we had a terrific lambing; 92% of the ewe lambs lambed unaided, thanks
to the Beltex’s lower birth weight, and the Belclare’s wider
pelvis,” he explains.
“While the Beltex has scored very highly here leaving progeny that
are easy to lamb, particularly over the ewe lamb replacements, I believe
the Beltex and Texel cross Belclare combination of genetics to be the future
enabling us to retain stocking at six ewes and lambs per acre.
“The Beltex is the meat machine, while our prolific Texel cross Belclare
ewes are targeted to improve output from 1.55 to 1.8 lambs reared per ewe.
Furthermore, the Beltex cross lambs have the ability to finish quickly off
grass to the market’s current lighter requirements, yet they still
kill out at 50% plus and within the top specification grades. To us, it appears
a win win situation towards achieving maximum output per ewe.”
Furthermore, Isaac believes that as a member of Tyrone Quality Livestock
Marketing Group, which last year marketed 16,000 lambs on a deadweight basis,
it provides himself and his fellow members with more negotiating power to
achieve best price, regardless of the scale of their flocks and purchasing
power.
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Beltex was introduced to Laslaird more than 15 years ago. “We
recognised it was the breed that carries the meat. We buy rams in Dungannon
and Ballymena and search out those with length and good hind quarters, they
must also be good on their legs,” says Isaac. “However it’s
good news to me to hear that Beltex breeders have started to performance
record their flocks, so in future their rams will be accompanied by Estimated
Breeding Values for the key performance traits. EBVs give a true idea of
a ram’s potential and
subsequently offer more confidence in what we’re going to buy.
“I firmly believe that all pedigree breeders should performance record
their flocks; in turn all commercial producers have to understand and take up,
just like suckler men have done in the beef sector. EBVs help us to determine
what’s under the wool and select the sire that will deliver the highest
performance, and ultimately the highest returns.”
When it comes to damline, Isaac says his current decision is not set in stone. “If
I can find a breed of ewe damline that has greater prolificacy and growth then
I’ll consider in order to improve overall ewe output. I remain very flexible.
However, one thing is for certain, we are so tightly stocked that we can’t
carry any passengers here.”
Isaac took the decision more than 10 years ago to phase out his beef enterprise
and to focus solely on sheep which he identified as the most profitable of
the two enterprises. “Yes, the unit is intensely stocked, however the flock
is closed and the use of a FEC pack enables us to maintain one of the lowest
worm burdens in NI according to AFBI,” he says. “We avoid resistance
building up by limiting dosing the ewes at lambing time, and the lambs only
when required. We tend not to have any foot problems and medication is minimised.”
To the future, and Isaac Crilly remains confident that his mix of genetics,
featuring the Beltex as the flock’s terminal sire, will make a significant contribution
towards achieving the farms’ ultimate goal towards sustainability,
to maximise output per ewe and, in turn, the amount of kilos of meat per
acre.
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