Focus on sheep – as we flock(!) to Yorkshire for a busy week
AUTHORS: The ruminant revival team
Mid-November 2025 offered a rare chance to stand back from the day-to-day and look closely at what actually keeps a sheep enterprise on its feet. With the National Sheep Association’s Sheep Farmers’ Conference running in the middle of our own series on practical flock resilience, the timing could not have been better. Much of what we published at Ruminant Revival echoed the same messages that came through in the conference sessions – sound grazing, careful breeding, steady observation and decisions grounded in the long view rather than the temptation of quick remedies.
A reminder that “resilience” is earned, not wished for
An opening workshop from SRUC on Maedi Visna set a sober tone. No cure, no vaccine, and silent spread through nose-to-nose contact. It was a useful jolt at 9 am, driving home that some problems have to be managed by vigilance and honest testing rather than any new product. The formal welcomes by the NSA’s Chairman, Peter Delbridge, and Chief Executive, Phil Stocker, followed, with a theme that came up repeatedly throughout the day – real progress in the sector comes from steady work and clear thinking, not chance.
That same theme underpinned the ‘Roots to Resilience’ panel chaired by Emily Symonds from AHDB. Farmer, Matt Jordan, spoke about the risk of treating software outputs as if they were gospel. Numbers matter, but they only serve you if you understand what sits behind them. His point about the danger of endless tinkering (when a larger rethink might be the real need) was well made.
Farmer, Rich Oglesby’s contribution was more personal. Most of his early progress came through people, not money. Structured discussions, open networks and a willingness to ask questions had opened doors that would otherwise have stayed shut. It echoed something many farmers know but rarely say aloud: resilience isn’t just a matter of grass covers and growth figures, it also rests on the company you keep!
A Ruminant Revival workshop – practical worm control
Our vet consultant, Ed Hill’s afternoon workshop on worm control that fitted neatly into the wider theme of the day which was “strive and thrive”. He emphasised patience, discipline and grassland management first, and treatments second. His core message was that if lambs are grazing short, they are most likely grazing larvae. The lowest few centimetres of a pasture hold the bulk of the infective challenge, and no drench in the world can compensate for poor grazing management.
Rotational systems, leader–follower grazing, and longer rest periods can all interrupt the worm cycle if given sufficient time. The role of alternative forages, from chicory and plantain to sainfoin and lucerne, also played a significant role in the presentation. Deep-rooted plants bring up minerals that ryegrass cannot reach and often support better growth with fewer inputs. The point was not to chase fashionable mixes but to use plants that genuinely suit the farm and soil.
Putting our published work into context
Our own articles during the week reflected similar principles. A breeding case study from Tony Martin shows the value of selecting for sheep that actually suit the ground they are run on. Their mix of Soay, Castle Milk Moorit, Wiltshire Horn and other native genetics has taken time, as they’ve focused on hardy stock, outdoor lambing, late lambing to match the grass, and lower dependence on inputs. Problems with heavier fleeces and poor shedding are being addressed through further selection. The approach to hedges, willow planting and small-field rotation is already delivering gains in health and hopefully, wildlife.
Lahra Harcourt-Brown’s piece on shelterbelts added another angle that deserves more attention. While firm UK data are lacking, there’s sound, practical evidence that lambs lose heat fast, and ewes will seek shelter if it is available. Well-placed tree and shrub cover can reduce interventions, limit losses and support both flock welfare and soil condition. As with much in livestock farming, none of this is new, but the industry may have become a bit too used to bare fields.
Ed Hill’s technical note on weaning used the HACCP framework to bring order to a process that often relies on habit. Monitoring growth rates, body condition, forage availability, trace elements and worm pressure before setting a weaning date may sound laborious. However, the alternative (fixed dates and hope) tends to cost more in the long run. Good weaning lays the foundations for the next breeding cycle as much as it does for the current one.
The sector conversation – profit, policy and patience
The closing sessions at the NSA event widened the lens. Baroness Minette Batters’ call for farming to be recognised as an economic force rather than a bolt-on to environmental policy struck a chord. Her argument that the UK lacks a unified voice and that this weakens the sector was echoed by many in the room.
The panel that followed reinforced a straightforward conclusion that results come from good management. Researcher and farmer Grace Kempthorne stressed that most farm performance is determined by how farms are run. Devon sheep farmer, Liz Griffiths, spoke plainly about keeping systems simple and resisting the urge to complicate things. Farmer and entrepreneur Kate Drury reminded the room of the untapped value of British wool, which other nations promote far more confidently than we do.
Closing thoughts
What tied the week together was not grand theory but steady practice. Whether it was breeding sheep suited to the land, managing pasture with more discipline, or weaning based on evidence rather than the calendar, the direction of travel was the same. If the sector wants to thrive, it will be through the sort of clear-headed husbandry and long-term thinking that farmers have relied on for generations.
