A SIMPLE but effective feeding regime has helped William Brown achieve a 200% lambing ratio from his 550-ewe flock of Cheviot Mule and Scotch Mule ewes at Hilton of Culsh, New Deer.

Last year, two-thirds of his March-born lambs were sold prime straight off their mothers by the end of July at an average weight of around 45kg liveweight. And, at an average price of £70, the sheep flock achieved the best return per acre of any enterprise on the 500-acre farm.

“We were pleased with the returns from our sheep last year due to the high prices our lambs achieved,” said Mr Brown. “Most were sold through Huntly mart and selling by auction means we are paid for every kilo of weight which is not always possible selling bigger lambs deadweight because of the cut-off point applied by abattoirs.”

But it is important to achieve a high lambing percentage to have enough lambs to sell and Mr Brown goes to considerable lengths to ensure a high percentage of lambs born and a high survival rate.

“We take away one of the lambs from ewes with triplets and either foster them on ewes with single lambs or rear them on a bucket,” he added. “It is a lot of work but it pays off. Our aim is to keep them lambs moving to get them away at an early age.”

Mr Brown admits his management system at lambing time could not be described as ‘easy care’ and it is a case of all hands on deck – mother, Alfreda, wife, Jennifer, son, John (currently at Oatridge College), and daughters, Morag (14) and Grace (12) – to provide 24-hour supervision.

Ewes are lambed inside and individually penned with their lambs after lambing before being grouped in community pens until the weather is suitable for turn-out.

“Our system is probably only possible with family labour but all the members of the family are keen to help,” he said.

A feed regime is also important to make sure ewes are in the right condition at lambing time and have plenty of milk for their lambs. “Once a ewe loses her milk, you never get it back,” he pointed out.

His ewes are scanned in January and those carrying triplets are fed 1.5-2lb of Harbro’s high-energy Clover Tore Ewe 18 rolls, which is stepped up to 2-2.5lb, fed twice per day with a snacker, from February onwards. The rest of the ewes start getting fed in February and feeding continues through lambing until sufficient grass is available in late-April.

“We feed the same ration all the way through and the ewes do very well on it,” he says. “The ewes have plenty of milk and the lambs plenty of vigour.”

The ewe rolls contain more than 50% Scottish-sourced ingredients and are formulated to ensure maximum digestibility and palatability. Feeding a compound is an excellent way of stimulating rumen activity because of the physical form of the ingredients used, he said.

Grassland management also plays a key role in the management of the flock. Cattle and sheep are alternated year by year to keep the grass free of worms and seasonal grazings are rented from neighbours both in the summer and at tupping time in the autumn to conserve grass.

The Hilton of Culsh flock has traditionally comprised Cheviot Mules bought at Longtown and Scotch Mules bought at Castle Douglas, but Texel rams are now being put to the best Cheviot Mules to breed replacement ewes. The Suffolk is used as a terminal sire and the Beltex has also been introduced for use on hoggs over the past year or two.