For quality Suffolk shearling rams and lambs

The Midhope Suffolks flock was formed in 1982 with ewes from the Lightash flock of T Tomlinson, with the intention of producing easy fleshing rams of good confirmation for use in commercial flocks.

Performance recording has ben used for 20 years (and AI for 13 years) to help achieve this aim. Membership of the Suffolk Sire Reference Scheme - renamed Premier Suffolk Breeders - has enabled the flock to source sires with higher genetic merit.

Following the 20 week weighing and scanning of the ram lambs, they are then turned away to grow on steadily over the summer and winter months on clean grazing (following the suckler herd) and only needing supplementary feeding when grass is short or of poor quality.Some stuble turnips are grown for the ram lambs.

The lambs are sheared in January and again in June and continue to graze stuble turnips and clean grass with the emphasis of getting maximum growth from forage.

The suckler herd (visit image gallery for a few photo's!) consists of 70 spring calving Belgian Blue cross and Limousin cross cows which are put to the Limousin and Belgian Blue bulls respectively. Again recorded bulls of high genetic merit are purchased and used where possible. The calves are sold as stores the following spring at 9 to 12 months having wintered on silage and concentrates.