Top performance recorded Charollais rams fit the bill for John Martin
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
John Martin, who farms just off the east shores of Strangford Lough, some 18 miles from Belfast, has been running Charollais tups within the 720-head flock for the last 15 years.
Farming 185 acres of both owned and rented ground, John has farmed alongside his father since December 1989 when he returned from college. Along with son Alexander and daughter Carys, John and family previously ran a suckler beef system, but switched to contract dairy heifer rearing alongside the sheep enterprise some five years ago.
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In 2021 John attended a webinar about using performance recorded tups and was approached by Norman McMordie of the Riverdale flock. Following this John purchased a tup lamb from Norman and a further four tups in the last two seasons.


“My selection criteria includes good growth and muscle EBV’s with the highest fat cover figure possible, however, this significantly narrows the choice of recorded tups in an already limited market.”
Some 20 years ago the family introduced Lleyn genetics to the existing Suffolk x Cheviot ewes, this has since been followed with Highlander, Belclare, Aberfield and Charollais. Four Jacob teaser tups are run with all ewes and replacement ewe lambs for nine days before the tups are introduced.
About 160 ewes lamb to maternal tups in mid-January with the main block of lambing taking place from mid-March, to coincide with grass growth. A total of 350 ewes and 150 ewe lambs are put to the terminal sires, with the whole flock normally scanning at 205%, including the ewe lambs.
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Ewes are on the Heptavac P Plus system and Footvax, while ewe lambs receive an abortion vaccination before running with the tups. All breeding sheep receive a four-in-one bolus pre-tupping and pre-lambing which John has found to be a new requirement after identifying a deficiency in selenium and iodine through blood sampling some of the flock. “We have also noticed less feet problems which we believe is due to the inclusion of zinc in the bolus,” adds John.


Melatonin implants are used in the January lambers with them typically scanning at 210-220%. “This has been a recent change from sponges, after having too many barren ewes at scanning,” John explains. Any January lambing ewes that are scanned empty to the maternal tups are then added to the March group of terminal sire tups.
Ewes are split after scanning with concentrates being introduced to the triplets and any poor ewes at four weeks pre-lambing. Feed is then introduced to the twins and singles a week later, but at a reduced rate. All feed is home mixed, based on barley with protein, mineral and molasses added along with extra protected fat for the pre-lambing rations.
Lambs are EID tagged from birth, with John having introduced this in 2010 to monitor lifetime performance of all the sheep including growth rates, calculating accurate dosage rates as well as highlighting poor performing and ewes to cull. “The replacements ewe lambs are selected from multiple bearing ewes that have lambed without assistance and with plenty of milk.”
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This research has given John and his family knowledge on how to understand what aspects affect not only sheep health, but the ground they graze too. “We have been faecal egg counting for 15 years, during the last three seasons we have had a G2 Fecpak unit as part of an Evidence and Innovation Project looking at targeted strategic treatment of internal parasites in sheep.


“As a result, we have cut out a couple of doses and reduced overall use of anthelmintics by about 40%,” John explains. He also has a better understanding when selecting replacement ewe lambs, as those that require fewer doses help with the flock resilience to worms in the long term.
After being awarded Grassland Farmer of the Year in 2019, the passion and dedication John has not only for his livestock, but also his land is paramount. A rotational grazing system has operated on the farm since 2016 and during the growing season weekly plate metering is undertaken and recorded.
A home blend is fed to the January-born lambs once lambs are four weeks old and have been moved onto the redstart. The only other lambs that receive creep feed are the pets or any replacement ewe lambs. From the end of September onwards, or in drought conditions, trough feeding will be introduced to weaned lambs that haven’t done as well direct off grass.
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All lambs are sold deadweight through Strangford Down marketing group to Linden Foods aiming for a carcass weight as close to 21kg as possible. John notes how the Charollais sired lambs grade better for conformation compared to their other terminal competitors.


Looking forward John is always considering different options and ways to develop the farm further noting the three real dry summers he has seen in the last five years. “We have trialled multi-species swards, but with limited success regarding persistence,” says John.