Innovis is the Future of Sheep Breeding

“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.”

– 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