For something that started as a hobby, breeding and rearing Beltex shearlings has become an important part of the Taylor family’s livestock enterprise at Heatheryhall, Lanarkshire alongside finishing lambs and store cattle.

The family has built a reputation for shearlings that are 'fit and fit for purpose’ and for the last three years, Heatheryhall has topped the Beltex trade at the national breed sale at Lanark.

“We are very appreciative of the numerous repeat purchasers, many of whom are willing to spend up to and over four figures for shearlings.” says Alfie Taylor who concentrates on the sheep side of the business. “They are buying tups because they know that they’ll do okay and not fall to pieces after a few weeks.”

Two generations of the family run the business, mother Jean who is still heavily involved and sons Alfie and Tommy and their wives, Ann and Elaine respectively. The next generation is expanding too – Alfie and Ann’s son is 18-months-old and Tommy and Elaine’s son and three daughters are aged from three to 10 years.

Some 40 pure Beltex ewes form the backbone of the flock with a similar number of recipient ewes used as recipients for embryos. A further 40 pure Texel and Charollais ewes are also put to the Beltex tup with resulting cross-bred shearlings aimed at the finishing market and sold at Kelso.

Having fed the flock using Harbro feeds since 2014, providing value for money – especially the creep feeds – is one of the reasons that Alfie continues to use them.

“Previously, we have had creep feeds which went very powdery in the feeders, resulting in a high level of wastage. The physical quality of the Harbro creep is very good.” says Alfie.

“You can buy cheaper feeds but the tups don’t turn out so good. We use Harbro for the quality of growth and fleshing they put on the sheep.”

Lambs are creep fed from two weeks and continue to be fed throughout the winter.

Closer to sale time, shearlings transition to Maxammon Kelso Tup and Lamb from July for eight weeks. In the final four to five weeks, they also receive Olympic Mash. “They flesh up well yet stay active at the same time which is what we want, they certainly don’t go slow.”

Heatheryhall Fireman Sam sold privately for £10,000

Heatheryhall Fireman Sam made £10,000 privately

The farm comprises some 1300 acres and ranges from 700-1000ft above sea level with 350 acres used to grow barley and wheat. Tups have access to grass at all times.

“Ideally, they are not brought inside at all, but we will bring them in if the weather is rough.”

The Taylors sell their pure Beltex at Lanark and Kelso with cross-bred tups destined for Kelso. However, it was all change last year when the sales were cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Alfie added: “The absence of shows meant that we lost our ‘shop window’ so we held a socially-distanced tup viewing day and promoted the sheep on social media. Under the circumstances, this went well and we got them all sold, with our 40 shearlings averaging just shy of £1000.”

The Irish tup Quarrymount William Wallace has made a significant mark on the Heatheryhall flock and continues to do so, having been used for seven years. One of his shearling rams Heatheryhall Campbell topped the Scottish National breed sale at Lanark with the hammer falling at 3800gns in 2018. Furthermore, it was Campbell that went on to sire the lamb which sold for a record price of £30,000 at the breed sale the following year.

In 2019, the family sold their highest priced shearling at 3600gns in Heatheryhall Derek. A new bloodline was purchased that same year for £30,000 in Buckles Dark Dawn, which has proved to be a valuable asset. The first four ram lambs sold from him averaged £8000 and included the 2020 sale topper, Heatheryhall Famous Grouse ET, a ram lamb that sold for 4500gns.

Ewes are fed on Harbro Premium Ewe 18 with silage, dependant on how many lambs they are carrying, the weather and what ‘fettle they are in’.

“Beltex ewes are AI’d and we embryo transfer (ET) from the best breeding ewes, six per year. These ewes lamb at the start of March whilst Texel and Charollais ewes are tupped naturally, lambing at the end of March into April.”

“In 2020, we had two very good lambs which we had thought about selling in Carlisle at their August sale. We’ve held back from selling there as we think our lambs might be too young having been born in March.”

Heatheryhall Fast and Furious was also sold privately at £12,000

Heatheryhall Fast and Furious was also sold privately at £12,000

In the end, they both sold privately, Heatheryhall Fireman Sam sold for £10,000 to Grant Maxwell, for his Faughhill flock and the other, Heatheryhall Fast and Furious, for £12,000 to a consortium of four breeders. Both were sons of Buckles Dark Dawn bred from home-bred ewes by William Wallace.

With the experience of having a long lasting tup such as Quarrymount William Wallace, Allan knows the importance of rearing stock that will do a good job and last the pace. He highlights the fact that their sheep – 50 shearlings this year – are fed but not pampered, making them ‘fit and fit for purpose’.

When not looking after his ‘hobby’ sheep, Alfie and his brother Tommy are kept busy running their finishing cattle and sheep business assisted by a staff of two. A large number of lambs are bought in September-October, keeping them until spring when the bulk of them are sold through the live ring at Lanark.

Anything from 1500 to 2000 head of store cattle can be on the farm at any time and these are finished on a TMR diet of Prograin-treated home-grown barley, straights and Harbro’s Rumitech minerals. Tommy looks after the cattle which are mostly sold deadweight with a large proportion go to wholesale processors including Macduff of Wishaw, Highland Meats and Kepak.