Campbell Tweed will host an EasyCare open evening at his Ballycoose farm, near Carncastle in Co. Antrim, on Tuesday, August 1.
This annual event represents a unique opportunity to gauge directly the developments that are taking place at Ballycoose farm with regard to the use of wool shedding and easy care genetics in commercial setting.
Speakers taking part will include Sam Boone, manger of Signet Breeding Services from Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and Ann McLaren, an animal breeding and genetics specialist with the Scottish Rural College (SRUC)
EasyCare sheep
Campbell Tweed has said that increasing numbers of farmers are now actively seeking comprehensive performance figures when it comes to deciding which new bloodlines best suit their flock development needs.
The Ballycoose enterprise comprises 3,000 EasyCare breeding ewes. The flock is totally self- contained with all lambs not going for breeding brought through to finishing weights.
Every lamb born within the Tweed flock is performance recorded from birth.
The entire enterprise is managed by three full-time staff. This, in itself, is a very powerful illustration of what ‘easy care’ sheep management is all about.
Campbell took the decision of going down the self-shedding route after the wool price crash of 1999. So he has had almost 25 years’ experience of working with this particular type of sheep.
“Visitors will have the opportunity of seeing a selection of ewes and rams,” he said.
“EasyCare sheep have a key role to play on sheep farms of all types. They are particularly suited to flock owners who work out from 9:00a.m to 5:00p.m between Monday and Friday.
“To a large extent, the sheep can manage themselves.”
Tweed is currently selling both breeding EasyCare ewes and lambs to flock owners throughout Ireland and the UK.
“We are offering fully recorded stock that can add significantly to any sheep enterprise. Demand for EasyCare bloodlines is on the up and this trend shows no sign of diminishing,” he said.
The open evening event gets underway at 6:00p.m on August 1.