Wales Farmer 6 NEWS September 2013


Get rams into shape to help control farm costs


■ Animals must make the grade to boost profitability


By Debbie James


GETTING rams into good shape pre-tupping can have asignificant impact on cost control on Welsh


sheep farms. According to Mair Morgan,


of ADAS,aram thattups 100 ewesoverfour seasons will cost the equivalent of 92p forevery lamb born to those ewes; the cost escalates to £9.17 in apoor per- forming ramthatonlystays on the farmfor one season and serves 40 ewes. “Farmers will reallynotice the


difference in productivity and cost control if they keep rams fit, fertile,active and not overfed at tupping,”Mair told farmers dur- ing apre-tupping management event at Guddr Farm,aFarming Connect demonstration farm near Crickhowell. Toooften farmers will buya


ramand immediatelyturn it in with ewes, butthe correct approach should be to quaran- tine thatanimal and check thatit is fitfor work. Rosie Gibson, of Honddu


Veterinary Practice,Brecon, says rams should be vaccinated, treat- ed forflukeand worms, givena trace elementsupplement and kept apart from the ewesfor as long as possible after arriving on the farm. “A lot of farmers will buya


MUST MAKE THE GRADE: Richard Powell has astrict policy of culling animals that don’t make the grade pre-tupping.


PICTURE: Debbie James.


New rural community champion is revealed


AFARMER whose efforts to save sheep and ponies stuck in snowinspired his local communi- ty to help farmers has been named aWelsh rural community champion. Gareth WynJones,of


Tynllwyfan, Llanfairfechan, is the winner of the 2013 NFU Cymru/Principality Welsh Rural Community Champion Award. The competition recognises the


hardworkfarmers do to help their local community. Gareth has around 300 sheep


and cares foraround 220 Carneddau mountain ponies. Janet Finch-Saunders,Gareth’s local AM nominated him forthe awardand in her application she wrote: “Millions of people watched Mr Jones’ plight and his amazing efforts to rescue dozens of pregnant ewesand Carneddau ponies trapped on the mountains following the tragic circumstances brought about by the severe weather in north Wales.He inspired the community of Llanfairfechan to help farmers in the area.” Gareth is alocal councillor and Mayorof


aformer


Llanfairfechan and uses social media, television,radio and a book, to spread the message about the work of hill farmers. Principality Building Society’s sponsorship and events manager PatAshman said Gareth ‘epito- mises the 21st century farmer’.


ramatthe mart one week and turn it in with the ewesthatsame week, thatisdefinitelythe wrong approach,”she said. Culling ewesthatdon’t make the grade is important too.She


ASSESSMENT: Vet Rosie Gibson and Mair Morgan of


ADAS assess Richard Powell’s ewes pre-tupping. PICTURE: Debbie James.


recommends checking teeth and udders and ensuring feet are sound. Focussing on both rams and


ewespre-tupping can have abig influence on the flock’sperform- ance the following year. Condition scoring should be a


priority.Mair recommends a condition scoreof2.5 forhill flocks,3for those on upland farms and 3.5 forflocks in the lowlands.Just increasing the condition scorebyhalf apoint pre-tupping can increase the scanning percentage by 20-40%, she said. “Atleast 90% of the flock


should be at the right condition scorefor the breed, they should have abackbone and ribs that arenicelyrounded and filled in with abit of muscle,” she said. “The ewesthatfall outside the right condition scoreshould be


split into fatand thin groups and managed accordingly.” Rams should have abodycon-


dition scoreof3.5. And if ewe lambs aretobeused forbreed- ing, they must be at least 60% of their matureweight at tupping. At Guddr Farm,Richard


Powell runs aclosed flock of 1,000 Talybont-type Welsh Mountain ewes. He operates a strict policy of culling anyani- mals thatdon’t makethe grade pre-tupping. “It can have abig impact on


performance forthe following year,” he admitted. Farming Connect, which is


deliveredbyMenter aBusnes,is funded through the Rural Development Plan 2007-2013 which is


financed by the


European Agricultural Fund for RuralDevelopment and the Welsh Government.


Five steps to asuccessful industry up for discussion


THE Wales YFC RuralAffairs committee hosted their annual seminar at the RoyalWelsh Show. The event wassponsored by


the Food CentreWales and the main point of discussion wasthe Wales YFC’s2050 Vision and its five steps to asuccessful Welsh farming industry: 1. Every child in Wales to have


the opportunity to experience first-hand aworking farmbefore finishing primary school. 2. Increased profitability by


promoting efficient farming practices through the embracing the latest developments in tech- nology and bioscience.


3. Strong local supplychains


thatenableWelsh produce to be readilyavailablethroughout the Welsh public sector. 4. Strong rural communities


with access to the global market through afirst class transport, processing and communications infrastructure 5. An improved public percep-


tion of the Welsh agricultural brand making agriculturethe leading long-termsecurecareer choice forall in avibrant Welsh nation. Wales YFC rural affairs chair-


man JonnyWilliams said: “It wasfantastic to debate with other organisations,representing


young people in Wales. “The message wasclear,we


have apositive viewofthe indus- try going forward, butit’svital to reinvigorateitwith newblood and educate everyone about the fantastic food we produce and the excellent career prospects out there.” The seminar waschaired by


MeredyddDavies,principal of Reaseheath College and guest speakers included Elin Havard, Wales YFC junior member of the year,Jonathan Williams, Wales YFC rural affairs chair- man, Darren Williams,FUW; and Russell Carrington, NFYFC rural affairs vice-chairman.


Sheepfarmers speedup task of tagging 4,000 ewes


“He has trulyled by example,


tapping into newcommunication tools to engage and work togeth- er with other farmers and com- munities to improvetheir areas,” he added. NFU Cymru deputy president,


Stephen James said: “This year the awardhas taken on awhole newdimension with Gareth’suse of the social media community to promote his work as ahill farmer as well as his local community.” Thereweretwo runners-up:


Jonathon Harrington, of Penlan Farm,Tregoyd,Brecon, conducts tours of Talgarth Mill, and leads farmwalks at the HayFestival and classes at local schools. Gerwyn Owen, of Pantygwiail,


Dihewyd, Lampeter,Ceredigion, sits on the parish council, is chair- man of the village hall committee, agovernor at Dihewydprimary school and adeacon of the village chapel. Gerwyn farms with his familyonhis award-winning 228 acredairy farm.


ASHEEP farming familyin Pembrokeshirehas speeded up the mammoth task of tagging their 4,000 ewes. D. B. Davies and Sons farmat


Eisteddfa Fawr in Brynberian, and knowonlytoo well the time it takes to taglambs every March and April. “Tagging can be very cold on your hands in spring so speeding


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up the job is beneficial forusand the lambs,” says Berian. “When youhavealarge flock


they arecoming at youvery quickly,”added Ken. The Davieses farm1,500 acres


across on the Preseli hills,using Improved


Tregaron Welsh


Mountain sheep. Three years agothey switched to the Tagfaster system to speed


up the laborious process and it is nowpart and parcel of the farm. They have eveninvited neigh- bours to see the newtechnology availableintagging sheep auto- matically. With


Quicktags Roxan


Tagfaster,20strips can be lined up readyfor tagging. Roxan TagFaster is availableatlocal stockists.


Send your farming news and pictures to: wfeditor@walesfarmer.co.uk


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