The Donegal Pedigree Wicklow Cheviot Breeders’ Group is set to host its annual show and sale at Stranorlar Mart, Co. Donegal.
The pedigree sale is set to take place this Wednesday, September 29. Viewing will commence at 2.00p.m., with the sale kicking off at 7:30p.m.
All the sheep on offer at the sale are performance recorded through Sheep Ireland and have full parentage, with star ratings available in the catalogue.
The sale will consist of pedigree:
- Shearling rams;
- Ewe lambs; and
- Hogget ewes.
A spokesperson for the Donegal Pedigree Wicklow Cheviot Breeder’s Group said: “Sheep farmers are consistently looking for a breed that requires low maintenance and produces good-quality offspring which is suitable for the current market.
“The traditional Cheviot breed ticks all the boxes and, this year, throughout the country, the Cheviot and Cheviot-cross ewe are consistently achieving top prices at breeding sales.
“Furthermore, the Cheviot and Cheviot-cross ewes are renowned for their hardiness; top-class mothering ability; and their capacity to produce fast-growing lambs with good conformation.
“Many farmers who are using Cheviot-cross ewes consistently comment on their ability to lamb down easily, produce an abundance of milk and the lambs are quick to get to their feet and suckle.
“The females on the day offer new or existing breeders the opportunity to acquire superior females from some of the top Cheviot flocks.”
Rams
The group has invested heavily in scrapie genotyping rams over the last few years.
The spokesperson added: “All the rams on offer have been scrapie genotyped and scrapie ARR rams are eligible for export.
“The pedigree Cheviot rams for this upcoming show and sale have been selected for their tight skins, for being good on their feet and great emphasis has been placed on their conformation.
Many sheep farmers are now selecting a Cheviot ram to cross with their Suffolk and Texel lowland ewes in order to produce quality replacements.
“This Cheviot-cross Suffolk ewe – known as the Borris ewe – produces a lamb with a high growth rate, low-fat cover and good conformation when crossed with a continental ram.”
For more information, check out the Donegal Pedigree Wicklow Cheviot Breeders Facebook page here.