Burnfoot in the Ewes Valley north of Langholm in the Scottish Borders has seen a major change in sheep genetics in the last 12 months. Andrew & Gill who now run Burnfoot having taken over from Andrew’s mother Anne & the late Douglas who farmed Burnfoot prior now look to make there mark on 100 years of Elliot family ownership.
Having previously dabbled with a few Wairere UK Romney’s on the flat around the house (Burnfoot is 50 acres of fertile river flat & 3000 acres of Borders hill country with mostly fern & millenial grass with some Peaty Heather tops). Andrew came to look at the Wairere Romney Tups sold ex Jim Logan’s Pirntaton Farm north of Galashiels in 2020. Having decided prior to seeing the Rams that he would probably buy 3 or 4 rams, however on inspection liking the open faced deep bodied sheep, much like he’d seen in New Zealand while shearing there, Andrew described it as a “stuff it” moment, if I’m going to do this, let’s do it & subsequently purchased 15 Wairere UK Rams, enough to cover his entire flock of Hill Country Cheviot Ewes. Andrew did confess to wondering what he was going to tell Gill when he got home!
“Having decided prior to seeing the Rams that he would probably buy 3 or 4 rams, however on inspection liking the open faced deep bodied sheep, much like he’d seen in New Zealand while shearing there, Andrew described it as a “stuff it” moment, if I’m going to do this, let’s do it & subsequently purchased 15 Wairere UK Rams, enough to cover his entire flock of Hill Country Cheviot Ewes. Andrew did confess to wondering what he was going to tell Gill when he got home!” Andrew Scott
Roll on 12 months & with one of his best lambing percentages ever, the lambs looking bigger and meatier than he’s used to Andrew is hoping to kill some of the best male lambs off the mothers & has decided to mate the first cross ewe lambs aswell.
When asked “why the change?” Andrew says to stay the same would have meant gradually going backwards. I’m banking on the Wairere UK Romney’s to lift production & in turn profit without having to expand outside the farm gate. Tongue-in-cheek he adds that if he’d made the change a little sooner he may have more hair than he’s got now! As for Anne, as she looks down the Ewes Valley and looks at the Wairere UK Romney cross lambs now roaming the hills & the new covered yards for handling the sheep, she wonders what Douglas would be thinking.
Given that Anne & Douglas were extremely well travelled looking at what other farmers were doing on the world stage, I’m sure it would have his tick of approval!
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