Address:
Frowen Farm, Whitland, Carmarthenshire
Farming
59ha inc 14ha woodland + 45ha rented
Innovis flock
100 Abermax and 400 Aberfield breeding ewes
Additional enterprises
Christmas turkeys and chickens, 30 bee hives, two suckler cows
Farming background and objectives
Started farmed at Frowen in 2010. Since then we have changed and developed our sheep system several times; initially we produced finished lambs from a predominately Texel cross ewe flock, we then started using Abermax rams which worked well but felt the ewes needed improving so we tried and liked some Tregaron Welsh cross Aberfield ewe lambs. We have since changed our ewes again to become an Innovis breeding partner producing forage fed rams.
Business strategy
Our aim is to keep up with genetics as they move forward, ensuring our flock continues to improve its performance.
Interesting fact about your farm
Winners of British Farming Awards Sheep Innovator of the Year and RWAS Sir Bryner Jones Award runners up. Currently diversifying into free range egg production.
When and why did you become an Innovis breeding partner?
We became a breeding partner in 2017. We signed up for Abermax followed by Aberfield two year later. We already did a lot of the recording work on our commercial flock so becoming a breeding partner seemed a natural progression particularly since we wanted to add value to our original sheep enterprise.
What do you enjoy most about your role with Innovis?
Seeing an increase in flock performance on a solely forage-based system – including scanning % and Index, as a result of focused data management and significant selection pressure. It is rewarding when you can see your flock improving especially when you use the data you have collected to influence your breeding decisions.