OUR SHEEP

Pasture fed

Our sheep are outside on pasture year round, gaining everything they need from the forage. Our sheepdogs move them regularly onto fresh pasture, allowing the plants time to recover before it is grazed again.

During the winter, much of our flock is moved onto dairy farms where the cattle are inside for winter. They eat the grass and fertilise the soil on these other farms, giving our fields time to recover and regrow ready for lambing.

Lambing Outside

We selectively breed our sheep so our ewes can lamb unassisted outside. It means we do not have to intervene often which helps to minimise stress. We also choose to breed from ewes who's lambs are born strong and healthy: getting up quickly and eager to feed with mum's encouragement. In this natural environment surrounded by the flock, both ewes and lambs can feel safe when they're at their most vulnerable.

Hardy breeds

Our sheep are hardy breeds; a mix of Highlanders and Exlanas. Exlanas are wool shedding sheep with high levels of disease resistance whereas Highlanders were developed as a breed in New Zealand, with a more traditional wool fleece.

Both Exlanas and Highlanders are bred to thrive on a pasture based system, and have good maternal characteristics for lambing unassisted outdoors.

Independence

We wean our lambs at around 4 months old, giving our ewes a few months to recover before they go back the ram in early winter. The lambs are ready for independence, no longer needing the milk provided by their mothers.

After weaning, our lambs stay in large groups, moving frequently. They grow slowly, reaching maturity at a natural pace on an all pasture diet. We often grow cover crops for our lambs to eat over winter while they need extra feed to keep warm and grow.