Beatbush Organic Farm
The Sheep Flock

The sheep flock was formed in the autumn of 1999 with the purchase of 34 ewes, 34 ewe lambs, 1 ram and 6 ram lambs. We had decided to try and work with a pedigree breed so that we could breed all our own replacement stock and not risk bringing in disease with new stock each year.

We were attracted to the French breed INRA (National Institution for Agricultural Research) Breed 401, because of their ability to breed outside the normal lambing season without the use of veterinary help. We would therefore be able to produce 'new season lamb' all year round in an organic system.

The only problem was finding suitable sheep to buy to start the flock. We went to France to look at some flocks there and bought our sheep from a retired Englishman who was finding the sheep and a vineyard too much work, so the sheep had to go.

The sheep travelled from Gindou near Cahors in South West France with a stop over near Paris without any problems. They had already been visited by the ram and produced a good crop of lambs the following spring.

We maintain five separate female lines in the sheep flock breed so that we can breed our own rams without any risk of inbreeding.

The sheep spend the autumn, winter and spring at Brook Hall Farm and the summer on the marsh at Joyce's with the cattle. Lambing always takes place at Brook Hall, inside in the winter outside in the summer, where we can keep a close eye on anything that needs help.