Dorsets Boost Income at Legacairn

Dorsets Boost Income at Legacairn

Modern Farming is all about maximising your resources to provide the best possible return.  Eamonn Matthews has found that by introducing Dorset sheep to the family farming enterprise he is able to do just that.  The Matthews family, farm 180 acres of land in a beautiful setting at Legacairn between Larne and Glenarm on the Co.Antrim coast, but with land rising from 50ft to 1400ft above sea level it presents some farming challenges.  It has always been a mixed farm, combining sheep with suckler herd originally the sheep were blackface and the cattle were crossbred sucklers. 

Within the last decade Eamonn's father introduced pedigree Limousin cattle and has now an established herd of 40 cows all pedigree.  The sheep are Eamonn's particular interest.  He has always admired the docile nature and sturdy frame of the Dorset breed and as he worked as a D.A.R.D official in the livestock markets he got a chance to see many different breeds as they passed through the sale ring.  So three years ago he bought some Dorsets, initially six ewe lambs from John McFetridges, Owencloughey flock.  He chose these as he knew they were accustomed to similar land conditions to his own, and followed this by purchasing two in lamb shearlings from Thomas Wright and two ewe lambs from William & Karen Carson.  He has certainly not been disappointed with his choice and has built his flock up to 35 pure bred ewes, which are run separately from the 150 strong cross bred flock of mules and suffolk mules. 

The Dorsets are lambed mid-November and are usually housed until the beginning of January due to the ground conditions.  The lambs are creep fed and by the time they are 14 weeks old they are ready to sell straight off the ewes.  This means that they are finished in time for Easter Market when prices are at their peak.  Not only does this mean a good return of profit but also spreads out farm income as the cross bred lambs are not ready to sell until later in the year.  As the Dorsets are kept pure bred Eamonn is also able to sell later lambs through the marketing scheme which the N.I. Dorset Club runs in conjunction with Crossgar Meats.  This gives him a bonus per kilo over and above the LMC quote for the week. 

Like other Dorset breeders Eamonn emphasises the importance of the excellent maternal traits of the breed, they lamb easily, are excellent mothers and have plenty of quality milk for their lambs.  Another important feature on this farm is that when the lambs are weaned the ewes can go to the hill ground and make use of the spring grass there at a time when the cross breds have to be closer to home on lower ground.  The Dorset ewes remain on the hill until the rams are introduced in late June. 

Like so many of the younger generation, Eamonn has a full time job other than the farm, he works as a Rural Development Project Officer helping people set up small business and farm diversification projects.  Having studied Agricultural and Rural Development at Writtle Agricultural College in Essex he is well qualified for such a job and enjoys working over an extensive area of Northern Ireland covering Ballymena, Ballymoney and Moyle Council areas.  He has put his expertise in this field to good use by harnessing a natural resource on the home farm into an additional income by installing a water turbine to produce electricity.  The water used rises from a natural spring source at a height of 150 metres where it is collected and flows down a pipe 800 metres long through gravity fed turbine at the lowest point on the land.  This produces 12 kilowats of power which is sold into the national grid.

Eamonn is convinced that the Dorset breed plays an important role in allowing him to make best use of the available land and to spread his farm income throughtout the year and he hopes his association with the breed will continue for years to come.

The N.I. Dorset Club are holding their 22nd Annual Autumn Show & Sale on Wednesday 12th October 2011 at McClellands Livestock Market, Ballymena.  The Club are grateful to the Northern Bank for their continued sponsorship of the show classes, which begin at 5.00pm with the sale following at 6.30pm.  For further information about the sale contact club secretary William Carson on 07841 746705.