Wales Farmer 14 SHEEP March 2013


Young pioneers lookto future with new sheep


■ Show hosts take scientific


approach By Farmer reporter


LAMBING is avery pre- cise science at awest Wales farm preparing to host NSA Welsh Sheep 2013 this spring, with every lamb due in March already scanned, record-


ed, and counted. But at Beili Ficer Farm,


Llansawel, near Llandeilo,ithas to be,because the young couple farming thererepresent avery modern approach to agriculture. Sion and ClaireWilliams are


both first generation farmers at their tenanted farmand have borrowed heavilytoadd to their start-up capital. They have chosen to rear the


newbreed of Aberfield sheep, under contract to Aberystwyth- based Innovis,tomaximise their returns. The project involves Innovis


having implanted 900 Aberfield embryos into 550 of the couple’s Mule and Texelcross Mule com- mercial ewes. Sion and Claire, whohavea


three-year-old son, Harri, will retain the ewe lambs to start their ownAberfield nucleus flock, while Innovis will be sup- plied with the ramlambs to sell at their annual ramsales. Sion Williams said: “It’s


meant alot of work,because implanting the embryos is just one part of the process. “You have to sponge the ewes


NEXT GENERATION: Young Harri Williams with one of the Aberfield sheep at Beili Ficer Farm near Llandeilo. “Our recipient eweshad to be


first and maintain their condi- tion, with 70 ewessponged every dayfor eight days and then each batch of 70 has the sponges removed12dayslater over a period of eight days.


in the same stage as their donors, almost to the hour.They each had to be sponged at the same time every dayfor eight days. “Whatyou try and achieve is


to get the maximum ewesready forthe embryoand if she’snot exactlyright she is rejected.” The Aberfield is anew com-


posite breed, developed by Innovis over the past five years to combine the maternal traits of the Blue Faced Leicester with the improved conformation of the Texel. These rams arethen sold with


the hallmarkofEBVs and the figures thatthe modern sheep producer wants.


Sion and Clairetakepride in


their attention to detail and it pays off. It’sunusual not to have any


rejects and fortwo of the eight days of implanting therewereno rejected ewes–something the veterinary technician had never seen, despite experience in many parts of the world.


Exclusive gene pool deal


ALEADING Welsh-based sheep breeding companyhas secured an exclusive agreement with one of the world’slargest gene pools. Sheep technologies supplier


Innovis,which is based near Aberystwyth, has announced an exclusive sole supplier agreement with NewZealand-based Focus Genetics. “This announcement comes at


an exciting time forthe compa- ny,” says Innovis chief executive, Dewi Jones. “While still young, Innovis is


alreadythe leading supplier of sheep genetics in the UK, aposi- tion which is scheduled to gain further momentum as farmers begin to benefit from the long lead time associated with our biotechnologyresearch. “This agreement, with its


greater product diversity and opportunity to enhance genetic progress,will enableInnovis to catalyse its developments as the established science-led supplier with commercial sheepfarming at the heart of its nucleus opera- tions and offer producersawider choice and morecomprehensive service.” The development will provide


UK farmerswithadedicated sales and technical service forthe Focus product range of Primera terminal sireand Highlander damline. Thatwill


SHAKE ON IT: Dewi Jones, of Innovis with Bayden Wilson, of Focus Genetics. complement Innovis’sown genetics –the


Aberdale,Aberfield, Abermax and Abertex–which have been developed using biotechnology, and bred and reared on grass-


based systems to improveflock performance efficiency. Innovis wasestablished in 2002 as aspin-out from the


University of Aberystwyth. Since 2006 it has attracted signif- icant investment in its ground- breaking sheep breeding pro-


For the latest Wales farming news: walesfarmer.co.uk


grammes and nowoperates the largest performance recorded flock in the UK, supplying more than 450 farmers.


The lambs will be born over a


period of 12 to 16 days begin- ning on March 12th. Half of the ewesare carrying twins and half have had single embryos implanted. It’sone part of the procedure


thatisless precise because the number of embryos availableis onlyestablished on the morning the donor ewesare flushed. Scanning has shown thatthe


eweshaveachievedaconception rate of 75%, and with an average lamb and ahalf each, have a projected lambing percentage of 150%. Clairesays: “One of the main


benefits is the security this con- tract brings.Weknowwhatwe will get forour lambs and that’s what our bank manager wants to hear.” The aim is to build up to a


flock of 800 Aberfield ewesover aperiod of three years and to sell the ramlambs.Meanwhile their flock of Aberdale ewes, another breed developed by Innovis,isalso performing well. The scanning result forthe


Aberdale flock wasmorethan 200% out of the 451 Aberdales, and onlytwo eweswerescanned empty,which waspleasing as they were tupped on poorer ground. They’re conscious thatthe


number of lambs sold, rather than the number of lambs scanned, is the percentage that counts. The couple arelooking for-


ward to sharing their experi- ences with the expected crowds at NSA Welsh Sheep on May 21st.


Ear tag hopes raised


THE hopes of Welsh sheep farm- ers have been raised after plans were scrapped to hit them in the pocket if ear tagtechnology fails. An amendment to the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) removedthe link between electronic identification (EID) of sheep and cross-compliance,so farmers will no longer be at risk of losing apercentage of their single farmpayment when they aredeal- ing with technology thatthey can- not guarantee will be 100% accu- rate.


Phil Stocker,chief executive of


the National Sheep Association said: “Weshould not underesti- mate the work thathas gone on to get us to this position –such as providing evidence of the levelof practical accuracy of EID technol- ogyand convincing keyinfluencers thatcross-compliance penalties based on EID failures is unfair and risks damaging the success of the sheep industry. “This is avery welcome step for-


ward,but we need to keep up our work and we will not get to the fin- ish line until EID is not associated with cross-compliance penalties.” Farmers and farming leaders are


nowkeeping their fingers crossed thatthe amendment to the policy survivesthe next round of negotia- tions and voting in Brussels.


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