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Beltex Deliver to Expectations in Dungannon
Part time sheep producers can generate a positive balance sheet if they carefully
monitor their inputs and adopt a business style approach to the enterprise,
according to Stephen Watt who is among a growing number of part time farmers
in the province.
 “In the last three years I’ve stripped out labour and feed costs,
adopted an easy care system and started to produce added value high performance
Beltex cross lambs. Nowadays, I lamb off grass and kill off grass and it
is proving to be the solution for me,” he says. “Our Beltex crosses
are born outdoors in mid April, we’re finishing an average 1.7 lambs
per ewe off grazed grass to 21kg target deadweight, selling them on to a
rising market from October onwards and achieving premiums with the vast majority
grading in the U2, U3 bracket”
Stephen is the third generation to take over the family farm based near Dungannon,
however like many others, the unit lacks the potential to achieve the economies
of scale required for sustainability. “I’ve had to take on a
full time job in farm building construction. At the same time, I faced the
dilemma of wanting to continue to farm, yet income had to be greater than
the sum I could achieve from conacre. Basically, I’m not farming for
hobby purposes; I have to run a profitable enterprise,” he explains.
“Firstly, we decided to improve lamb quality – it costs the same
to produce a lamb that grades within the top specification bracket as one
that is average or below average,” he says. “We had been impressed
by the Beltex as a terminal sire and its ability to produce lambs with very
good carcases, so we decided to introduce the breed three years ago.” Since
then, Stephen says that the Beltex has delivered to his expectations to the
extent, shortly, he plans the Beltex to be the sole breed of terminal sire
used to cover his entire 500 ewe flock of Suffolk cross and Texel cross ewes.
“We also decided to reduce input costs by introducing an outdoor lambing
system,” he explains. “Lambing mid April outdoors has enabled
me to mange the job myself; previously lambing indoors required me to employ
a full time person and assistant. The rams’ keenness to work is reflected
to a degree in the fact the majority of ewes are lambing in a tight three
week period. Furthermore, we find that the Beltex cross lambs are extremely
conducive to the system; they’re narrow on the shoulders and tend to
slip out, they’re also lively lambs with that will to live and they’re
soon up and sucking.”
Lambs are weaned at 12 weeks and grazed on to 21kg target deadweight. “Apart
from routine treatments, there is no further cost involved, and we have deliberately
cut out feeding meal,” he says. “I firmly believe in holding
back my lambs over the summer when the market tends to be glutted, and selling
them on to the traditional rising autumn market.
“The great thing I’ve found out about Beltex cross lambs is they
can be kept on to achieve the weight without getting fat. In fact, we’re
really pleased that the vast majority are grading U2, or U3 with the remainder
in the R3 bracket. Overall, we’re now achieving one grade better and
the accompanying premium, simply by changing breed of terminal sire.”
Countering soaring input costs and achieving a sustainable part time enterprise
for the future, is achievable, says Stephen Watt. “I’m confident
that the mix of genetics, featuring the Beltex as the flock’s terminal
sire, will make a significant contribution towards achieving my goal, to
operate a profitable low maintenance, low cost high output enterprise.”
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