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A bit more about the Heritage flock
About the Heritage Flock
Currently there are c. 25 ewes in the Heritage flock. It is run alongside the Webb Ellis flock and to all intents and purposes is managed in exactly the same way. The only real difference is in the selection of sires and the general breeding policy which is looking for a traditional type of Southdown and avoiding Modern French genetics.
Origins
My first Southdowns came from Lindsay Dane's Great Fen flock. Lindsay is a great enthusiast for maintaining the genetic purity of the original Southdown from the 1960s and earlier. This meant excluding stock with any Modern (born after 2000) French genetics (a number of other breeders feel this way). From my experience of performance recording I could see that the commercial trend was for longer legged and larger Southdowns, a clear conflict with the picturesque (not cute, definitely not baby doll) traditional Southdown.
As I too enjoyed the traditional type, the Webb Ellis flock had been somewhat schizophrenic in both breeding strategy and looks so when my friend the late John Hawtin and his son Mark decided to give up their very traditional Spratton flock (308) which itself came from the long very lived Broadreed flock (5). I bought their remaining stock and decided to migrate in relevant ewes from the Webb Ellis flock and give myself and others clarity by founding the Heritage flock
Current Sires and Breeding
I am trying to maintain/develop a consistent type of Southdown similar in style to the Spratton flock though possibly slightly larger, as I would like my lambs to weigh 34kg at killing rather than 30kg.
I currently have three sires used in the Heritage flock, none have any Modern French in their pedigrees
- Webb Ellis Sheppard (left) a very good and surprisingly well muscled home-bred ram sired by Spratton Wren SB out of an outstanding and long lived East Dean ewe
- Sheepcote Everard a larger longer ram sired by Holly Bar Rascal out of a Sheepcote ewe with Holly Bar and Lincwold breeding has a very dark nose
- Ladywell Samson a chunky fellow out of a Ladywell ewe and a Gunton ram
New for 2024
- Great Fen Marty a ram lamb and son of Caer Owen A5 (bred by AI) and may be used as a sweeper