Following numerous telephone and email enquires we have now uploaded the initial list of stock that we will be selling during 2017.
It can be found on the For Sale page located at the tab above.
Please note that this list is subject to change, plus if you cant see exactly what you are looking for please call as we may still be able to help.
Our The list will be updated on a regular basis as animals are sold as our preference is to sell direct from Farm.
We have received the results from the first BLUP run of the year (the run that produces the performance recording figures) and the flock has performed strongly producing the top ewe lamb (see last post) as well as a number of very high rated ram lambs.
This first run for the lambs is largely based on weight to 8 weeks of age (adjusted to 56 days) plus parentage information. It should therefore be considered a marker of a lambs performance however it is not until the data from ultrasound scanning and CT scanning are included that you get a rounded picture reflecting actual (rather than predicted) carcase information.
The most pleasing aspect for us is to see the Top Stock Sires list as this is the list that takes into account when a Ram has progeny on the ground. Rams from the Kimbolton flock make up 30% of the front page which is satisfying as most of these have been sold and it shows they are performing for their new owners.
Helped by the kind weather and also by the fact that we have managed to secure additional grazing, the lambs have been growing on strongly.
We completed the 8 week weights and the best rather surprisingly was a single ewe lamb who weighed 44kg at 56 days. This is equal to an incredible growth rate of 630g per day!
The ewe lamb is PPK1700719 and she is by a home bred Ram called Kimbolton Yabba Dabba Doo who was our stand out Ram lamb last year. The Dam is one of our best breeding female lines who also have scored well in the Mastitis projects we have been participating in as they have been found to have a higher genetic resistance to mastitis. Perhaps this is why the growth rate has been so high?
Kimbolton Yabba Dabba Doo has continued to grow out well and he is pictured below relaxing in the sun. Semen is available for sale for UK use.
Lambing for the 2017 season started on 12th February and continued until 23rd March.
We were fortunate with the weather and the lambs are growing on rapidly with some exciting prospects in the pipeline.
Seen below is the last ewe to lamb, PPK1500526 who was everyone’s favourite when on the Texel Sheep Society stand at NSA Sheep 2016. We like her a lot and hope her lambs turn out like their Mum.
Lets hope the weather continue to be supportive!
The leaves are busy falling from the trees and we are rapidly heading towards the festive period, therefore I thought it was time to provide an update on the flocks activities over the second half of 2016 as things have been hectic!
Our sheep enjoyed great success at the two local shows we attended in the Summer. There is a separate post to cover the details but I think it will be some time before we have another day like the one we enjoyed at Burwarton Show! The trophies have now been engraved and look fantastic for all our visitors to see! This proved to me that you can win shows with high index, performance recorded sheep taken from the field a few days before the event. This is a refreshing change to many of the shows I attend where the “show team” are selected early in the year and then fed to the hilt with the Judge then being expected to “choose the fattest with the most breed type”!
From a sales perspective the season has now concluded and we have been delighted as we have sold more animals from home than previously. This is our preference as it is a lot less stressful on both the animals and the breeder, but just as importantly it gives the buyer the opportunity to see the system that the animals are produced in.
It never ceases to amaze me how many people buy their next Tup(s) (which will represent up to 50% of their flock) by just looking at the animal on sale day when in “sale condition”. We all know someone (or perhaps its happened to us if we are honest) who have had the experience of purchasing something that “melted”. Visiting the breeder is a great way to reduce this risk as you can make your own judgement about how the animals have been produced and stand a better chance of things working out.
Sale highlights included:
A massive thanks to all of our customers and everyone who has shown interest in what we are trying to achieve. It seems that more and more people are wanting to maximise their returns and are now realising that using the right genetics can make a huge impact on their bottom line.
PS – Happy Christmas!!
We are pleased to say that the breeding season has today concluded for the Kimbolton Flock as the sweeper Rams have been removed.
Rams used this year have included:
Kimbolton Yabba Dabba Doo who is the highest index Ram lamb we have bred to date.
Kimbolton Yeoman a Goldies Supreme sired lamb from Warriors dam
Kimbolton Warrior who bred sons to 1700gn in his first season
Hollyford Vroom Vroom a Goldies Supreme sired lamb
Kimbolton Va Va Voom an Avon Vale Real Deal son who sold privately to John Elliot for a significant undisclosed sum
Avon Vale Real Deal who needs no introduction!
Wallington Special Brew who has sold sons to 2,100gn
We eagerly await lambing time as there should be some exciting prospects
Customers have travelled from near and far to purchase Kimbolton genetics this year.
We have seen exceptional demand for our stock and have already sold a significant number of animals from home as well as at the Welsh and English National Sales. We even sold our entire entry of animals for the Shropshire & Border Counties Club sale which is on today at Shrewsbury in advance without leaving the farm.
If you are looking for something to improve the performance of your flock please get in touch as we can still help with either Rams or frozen semen. The latest list of animals and semen for sale can be downloaded from the “for sale” page.
Even if you can’t see what you are looking for, feel free to contact us as we may still be able to help.
This summer saw the Kimbolton Flock attend Burwarton Show and Tenbury Show achieving very pleasing success on both outings.
At Burwarton Show we took six sheep and they truly provided a day to remember against some very strong competition!
1st Prize aged Ram
2nd Prize shearling Ram
1st Prize aged Ewe
1st Prize shearling Ewe
1st Prize Ram lamb
1st Prize Ewe lamb
Champion with the Ewe lamb
Reserve Champion with the aged Ram
Interbreed Champion Ewe lamb
Reserve overall Interbreed Champion with the Ewe lamb
For the outing to Tenbury Show we took four sheep and we enjoyed a very warm day. Prizes included;
2nd Prize Ram over 12 months
1st Prize Ram lamb
1st Prize Ewe over 12 months
1st Prize Ewe lamb
1st Prize Group of three
Reserve Champion with our Ewe over 12 months
Pictured below is PPK1600612 the ewe lamb who stole everyone’s heart!
The Kimbolton Flock was proud to be asked to provide four gimmers for display on the Texel Society stand this year at this key Industry biannual event.
Of the ewes selected three were by Kimbolton Va Va Voom and one by Cambwell Viceroy II. They displayed all of the key characteristics of the modern commercial Texel, functionally correct, easy fleshing, with narrow heads. They were performance recorded, with all of them easily being within the top 1% of the breed.
The stand was incredibly busy throughout the day and a competition to win a weigh crate by judging the sheep in order, received over 600 entries!
We would like to thank everyone that came by and spoke to us, your comments and positive feedback was very much appreciated.
Next stop – Burwarton Show and Tenbury Show!
A busy week saw not only the completion of ultrasound scanning for all of our lambs to measure backfat and muscle depth but also ten Ram lambs were selected to go to the mobile CT scanner for a full body scan.
This is completed to provide vital information on the quality of the carcass and the use of the CT scanner is the only way to know how the animal would kill out without actually killing it (a bit of a problem for passing on its genetics!).
Each lamb is sedated and when relaxed is loaded into a harness where it is then scanned in the same manner as human beings are.
The resulting images can then be analysed to provide information on muscle/bone/fat rations, spinal length, muscle and gigot measurements and an overall killing out % calculated.
Once all of the data has been analysed it is used to enhance the accuracy of the data used to create Estimated Breeding Values (EBV’s) and the overall performance recording index.
The data gathered is so valuable that new EBV’s are expected to be created for spinal length and lean meat yield based on the area of lean meat in the carcass. These two traits are of significant interest to processors as it is estimated that there is around £15 per animal additional lean meat yield on top performing animals.
By completing CT scanning you can clearly identify which animals have these superior carcass traits – something that is impossible to do by the human eye. This enables farmers to make informed breeding decisions to ensure that their lambs can be produced to the right specification reducing waste and carbon dioxide production.
Feel free to make contact to discuss how the use of performance recorded Rams could help you achieve better grades and reduce the risk of your production system.