Walk About with Alister

Virtual Farm Tour

Alister Watson farms at Williamwood, Kirtlebridge, Lockerbie, where a Lleyn flock of breeding sheep is key to this progressive young farmer success. The farm is a low-lying unit with 250 Breeding ewes, 80 ewe lambs and 15 Tup lambs.

Alister said “after leaving college and moving from the east to the west our old stratification system of Blackies and Mules didn’t fit and replacements were having to be bought in annually.  I wanted to start up a self-replacing flock of sheep. I had considered many breeds but the Lleyn seemed to suit the farm perfectly by being both hardy, maternal and having the ability to be crossed with any terminal sire, the Lleyn also possesses longevity and a 7/8 crop ewe is not unheard of in the flock.

Recording plays a huge part of Alister’s sheep business, “between 2017 and 2020 I have been able to reduce average days to slaughter by 52 days by selecting for desirable traits, this means for every 100 lambs this equates to an astonishing 5200 days less on farm, this has reduced grazing pressure and a knock on effect we have more available grass for ewes to achieve full condition pre tupping. 

Walk About with the Wernoog Flock (2021)

Shepherd Ernie Richards gives a weekly update from Wernoog which is situated near Hay-On-Wye, in Radnorshire and owned by Stuart and Helen Morris.  

They run 1,000 registered Lleyn ewes, all put back to registered Lleyn rams.  They also lamb 150 ewe lambs each year. Watch the video clips

Walk about with Dylan of the Lluest Flock (2020)

Dylan & Anwen Jones, Lluest Wen, Flock 599 alongside daughters Megan & Manon gave us a weekly tour of their Welsh hill farm in, Powys, mid-Wales.  They farm alongside Dylan's parents Emrys & Glenys. 

Week by week Dylan with the help of his family provided a weekly video diary of their farming activities.  Watch the video clips.