My dream to have a Beltex judged the overall Great Yorkshire champ

ONE of the Beltex breed’s biggest fans is Henry Jewittm of Gracie’s farm near Romaldkirkm who has set up a separate business that is linked to his sheep enterprise.

The Jewitt flock of Beltex sheep was established in 2006, which is relatively young in terms of livestock breeding, but it has already made its mark on the show circuit, following rapid genetic progress which has been accelerated by embryo transfer.
Notable achievements in 2016 include a first, a second and two third prizes in the breed classes at the Great Yorkshire, as well as a couple of third places in the Beltex line at the Royal Highland, along with numerous local wins.
Tup sales are the bread and butter of any pedigree flock and about 30 leave the farm each year, after being sold either privately or through the Beltex breed society sales. Henry has sold up to 2,600gns to date.
He makes an annual trip to Belgium to look for new bloodlines – both male and female – and has a clear picture of the type he is looking for.
“Carcase quality and good mobility are two essential traits,” says Henry. “In a tup, I also like a nice head, excellent width and deep, hard gigots, plus plenty of power.
“Belgian pedigree sheep are only sold off the farm and not through an auction mart system. Therefore, breeders are always very willing to host visits from potential buyers and they always give me a warm welcome.”
Henry also has a pedigree and a commercial Lleyn flock, with surplus commercial females mated with the New Zealand Suffolk to produce recipients for use at home and to sell to other breeders.
The Lleyn has been chosen for its milkiness and good quality carcase, while the NZ Suffolk offers the opportunity for early lambing.
Meanwhile, the wether lambs resulting from this cross mating will achieve finishing prices just above the market average at Kirkby Stephen. A proportion of finished lambs are sold either as stores or finished to supply a local farm shop.
“The latest NZ Suffolks were bought on my behalf at a sale held by John Scott of Fearn farm in Ross-shire, which featured in the TV series This Farming Life.
“The early lambing capability of the tups means that recipients are ready in time to lamb in January, with the lambs well grown in time for the show season.
“NZ types have less bone, compared with traditional Suffolks, so they generally have a higher killing out percentage and they have lived up to my expectations.”
Henry has amassed considerable experience in ET work and considers that good nutrition and keeping stress to a minimum are the two factors required for high embryo flushing numbers and satisfactory retention figures.
A combination of fresh and frozen semen is used – fresh from the current batch of tups and frozen from tups that are no longer on the farm or semen brought in from other flocks.
“My ewes give an average of six to seven embryos, although numbers vary and some will give 30, while others will not produce even one,”says Henry.
“High embryo number production is hereditary and tends to run in families. They go into the recipients as singles and the current hold rate is about 50 per cent, although it is not an exact science and the results vary from year to year.
“Four to five weeks before flushing, I aim for a condition score of three to four for the ewes, with the aim of reaching a score of four to five by the time they are flushed.
“A similar management programme is used for the recipients and both groups must be fit and sound on their feet. It is particularly important to keep the recipients quiet for a couple of weeks to improve the implantation success rate.”
Henry has his sights firmly set on winning a breed championship at one of the three most prestigious events in the Beltex breeders’ calendar.
“One day, I would like to have the overall champion sheep at the Great Yorkshire, the Royal Highland or the Royal Welsh,” he says. “But that won’t be easy, because the Beltex classes are very competitive and there can often be as many as 30 or 40 individuals in each class. Showing provides a shop window for my sheep but I also enjoy it and consider it a hobby,” he says.

ANIMAL GROOMING SUPPLIES BUSINESS
GIVEN Henry’s devotion to sheep and showing, it was inevitable that any new business would have to be related and Show Winners, which markets animal grooming products, fits the bill perfectly.
Launched in 2014, sales have grown consistently and the range now covers own-brand livestock shampoos and setting lotions, combs, brushes and clippers, with some products sourced from the US. There is also a range for equines.
“Most of the business is conducted through the website, but I also attend several major events, including the Three Counties Show, the Great Yorkshire, Royal Highland Show and the Royal Welsh Show and in winter, Agri Expo and the winter fairs. I also have a shop based at the Borderway Mart in Carlisle,” explains Henry. “Show Winners complements my sheep enterprise and fits in well with the farming calendar, because the main activity takes place during the summer, when lambing is over.”
l Visit www.showwinners.co.
uk for more details