Sheep
Agribusiness News October 2024 – Sheep
Store and breeding sales have continued to hit the headlines, with record breaking prices being made across the country this Autumn. This has been in response not just to the decrease in the global ewe flock, but also to the positivity surrounding the sheep sector with strong prime prices and a growing Muslim population. While…
Parasites in Sheep
Parasites in Sheep A range of internal and external parasites affect sheep including roundworms, fluke, mites, lice, flies, and ticks which can lower flock productivity. Climate change and emerging resistance to treatment pose increasing challenges to parasite management in Scottish farms. Useful links: https://www.scops.org.uk/ Liver Fluke Top Tips for Liver Fluke Control Identify habitats The…
Stock Talk – Graham Lofthouse
In this episode, host Robert Ramsay speaks to Graham Lofthouse, beef and sheep farmer from Bankhouse Farm, in the Scottish Borders, and winner of the AgriScot Scottish Sheep Farmer of the Year award 2016. Robert and Graham discuss the strategies and challenges of rotational grazing systems, lamb growth, flock efficiency, genetics and how Graham established…
Monitoring Flock Performance Vlog Series
Throughout 2024 and 2025 we followed three sheep farmers in Scotland to discover how they monitor flock performance, and how data helped them make future decisions on breeding and management. Farmer Vlogs Michelle Bruce, Meikle Tillyeve (Ellon) Weaning & Driving Flock Decisions Michelle starts to think about the next breeding year at weaning time, with…
Agri Culture – Fred Swift & Stella Stewart: From Sheep to Shop – Increasing the Value of Wool
Mary-Jane Lawrie is joined by Fred Swift from South Clunes Farm and Highland Clip, and Stella Stewart from Anta. Fred Swift farms South Clunes Farm near Inverness in the Highlands with his wife Sofi and his father. They run a traditional upland farm with cattle and sheep. Fred and his family have transformed the farm…
Selecting Finished Lambs – A Practical Guide
It is important to know when your lambs are ready for sale so that you can maximise returns from your flock. There are two main routes for finished lambs: selling liveweight through a livestock market or selling deadweight direct to an abattoir. The specifications for each route vary slightly and there are pros and cons…
Selecting the Right Ram for the Job
Rams are responsible for 50% of the genetic pool in any sheep flock and therefore have a large influence on the overall performance of the flock. Selecting the right ram for your system is imperative to ensure that any lamb born into the flock fit the system and breeding goals required. Making a good choice…
Agribusiness News July 2024 – Management Matters: Bluetongue
Update on Bluetongue Virus Serotype 3 (BTV-3) There is a very high probability of a new introduction of bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV-3) in livestock across Great Britian this year. The disease is spread through infected biting midges, with a high risk of them being blown over from badly affected countries in Northern Europe. They…
Agribusiness News July 2024 – Sheep
Wool trade As shearing gets well under way across the country, it is always interesting to follow the global wool trade. Wool is currently trading similar to last year, with Merino remaining the premium in the market. The Australian price has shown the greatest increase; however, this had fallen -10ac/kg in the month. Figure 1:…
Preparing for Sustainable Farming – Sheep Interventions
Scotland aims to become a global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture. By improving general animal health, it will result in better production efficiency and welfare. Preparing for Sustainable Farming (PSF) funding is available to help identify future risks/threats and to provide an opportunity to review current practices with your vet/adviser which can then feed…