5 Innovis breeding sheep grazing on a field

Innovis is the Future of Sheep Breeding

Innovis – Innovative Sheep Breeding

Innovis breeding sheep environment logo

Perfect environment for sheep breeding

Sheep breeding UK icon

Sustainable UK sheep farming business

Livestock breeding services DNA logo

Best performance recorded for genetic traits

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Top-quality fat lambs bred off grass based system

Explore Our Services

Innovis is the leading supplier of sheep breeding technologies to the UK livestock industry; a young, dynamic and forward-thinking company that is passionate about making a difference. Innovation is an integral part of our DNA!

Our Rams are Bred to Perform

“To become the world leader in sheep breeding technologies”

Innovis is the leading supplier of sheep breeding technologies to the UK livestock industry; a young, dynamic and forward-thinking company that is passionate about making a difference. Innovation is an integral part of our DNA!

Ewes in our sheep breeding UK programme on a field
Our staff are a key ingredient in Innovis’ success

Our geneticists, breeding programme managers and technical sales advisers are experienced industry professionals and our administrative teams provide the infrastructure which enables us to service our customers from an efficient and cost-effective base.

Our technical sales advisers are based all around the UK, sharing their technical expertise and experience, consulting with farmers looking to alter their business and potentially introduce Innovis genetics on farm. If you would like to get in touch with your regional adviser, find them here.

Map of our livestock breeding services areas across the UK
Our Centres

Innovis’ headquarters are in Aberystwyth, Mid Wales from where we operate our centralised administration.

Our nucleus breeding flock is based at Southfield Farm in Hawick in the Scottish Borders.

A UK livestock industry worker in a field
GTC East

An established dedicated pig centre for over 15 years, GTC East operates a large-scale operation, with a capacity for 130 breeding boars on a high health bio-secure site. GTC East exclusively supplies Hermitage, one of the biggest suppliers of Artificial Insemination (AI) to the pig industry in the UK. The GTC East centre, based on the east coast of England, is part of the British Pig Executive (BPEX) and Red Tractor Scheme.

6 sheep from our livestock breeding services
UK livestock industry sheep in a field

Introducing Innovis…

Innovis was first established in 2004 as a spin-out company from Aberystwyth University. Initially set up to offer breeding services such as AI and ET throughout the UK and Ireland as well as delivering government contracts and customer-focused commercial services.

By 2007, the focus changed and Innovis applied all of its technological expertise and experience to generate a selection of maternal ram and terminal sheep breeds. Composite sheep breeding lines that are suited to meet the individual needs and requirements of the modern sheep farmer.

At present, Innovis are the leading supplier of performance recorded, forage-bred rams to the UK sheep industry.

“I believe I’m certainly heading in the right direction building a sheep enterprise that is capable of surviving whatever is thrown at us in future.”

“We are running a closed, outdoor lambing flock that’s low input…It has to produce quality lambs and we firmly believe we’ve found the answer in a breeding programme featuring a three-way cross – the Abertex, Aberfield SR and Lleyn. Hybrid vigour and simplicity are key.”

– Colin Forsyth, Scotland

“We are running the farm as a business; whilst we enjoy the job, we have to make a profit.”

“We introduced a strategy featuring the Aberfield maternal sire to breed our own replacements – we’re heading towards a three-quarter bred Aberfield cross Mule.The Aberfield cross shearling ewes this year scanned an average 177%, These motherly ewes lick their lambs and let them suck without batting an eye lid, they’ve well suspended udders and neatly placed teats that are easy to latch on to saving us time helping out newborn lambs, and they’ve plenty of milk solely from grazed grass supplemented with Magnesium licks”

– Patrick Wilson, Northern England

“I’m focused on maximising output value from my 700 Welsh ewe flock by introducing the Aberfield.”

“Since introducing the Aberfield maternal sire, I’ve a ready market for the ewe lambs. The majority are weaned in mid-July at 12 weeks, an average 30kg, and they’re all sold within a month…the Aberfield cross tup lambs also contribute a significant amount to the business, these lambs are now finishing to target 18.5kg from 12 weeks, the majority are away off forage by November.”

– Iwan Jones, Wales

Robert and Tracy Powell are making more from less having replaced a traditional hill unit with a forage focused system. Introducing Innovis forage bred and reared genetics, and Rob says:

“We have the sheep we want to do the job and they’re enabling us to reduce production costs. “Introducing the Aberfield to our Epynt Hardy ewes and swapping a portion of the Continental rams for the Abermax is enabling us to both finish lambs to target weight one week earlier and reduce ram power. We’re able to introduce the Abermax in a ratio of one to 80 ewes and the Aberfield, one to 100 ewes.”

– Robert and Tracy Powell, Powys

“The Highlander ewes make very good mothers”

“They require very little, if any intervention at lambing and after turn out they take their lambs with them, they are very protective which is one reason why I like the Highlander so much – we run the unit with minimum labour…We’re also achieving more, better quality lambs. Pure Highlander wethers and ewe lambs not kept for replacement purposes are going on to finish off grass at 18kg to 20kg from 14 weeks”

– Dan Balment, South West England

 

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