AUSTIN SHAW HOSTING TEXEL OPEN NIGHT
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Janssen
Texel Flock of the Year winner Austin
Shaw on the family farm at Larne where
the ‘Walk The Texel Talk
Open Night’ will be held. Also
included are Austin’s
eldest daughter Emma and Janssen Animal
Health Ulster and Manx manager Bill Ferris. |
AUSTIN SHAW and family host a ‘Walk
The Texel Talk’ Open Night for fellow
sheep farmers on Tuesday evening, August
2nd 2005 on their award winning farm at Browndod
Road, Larne.
Last winter Austin Shaw won the prestigious
Northern Ireland Texel Club ‘Janssen
Flock of the Year’ Award against very
stiff competition.
Open to all 242 members of the NI Texel
Sheep Breeders’ Club, the largest of
19 Texel clubs in the UK, the competition was
judged by Sean Brennan from Co. Roscommon in
the Irish Republic.
On announcing the results Sean praised
the overall standard of ewes seen across NI
as ‘really good’ and especially
highlighted the consistency of the Shaw family’s
Fairmount Flock.
This progressive farming family have
been breeding pedigree Texels for 24 years
with their Fairmount Flock one of the first
score to be registered in Northern Ireland. Asked
about breeding policy Austin emphasised the
need to retain breed character, which helps
define the breed.
“One must produce a good balanced
sheep and give the customer a consistent product.
At present 80% of our ewes are daughters of
Montalto Gigolo, a Seneirl Arnos son bought
as Ballymoney Show and Sale champion in 2000.
“This ram has really done the
job on our sheep and produced cracking ewe
and ram lambs. Fairmount rams by Montalto
Gigolo have sold to 1,300gns paid at the 2002
NI Premier Sale by Robert Mulligan, Banbridge.
“Now his daughters, our Gigolo
ewes, are producing another generation that
catches the bidders’ eye. A ram lamb
bred from a Gigolo daughter and sired by Brague
Jethro was sold at the NI Premier in Dungannon
for 4200gns to Henry Gamble and David Simpson.
“Another two ram lambs, both from
Gigolo daughters, made 2100gns and 1500gns
in the same sale. At Lanark in 2003 our pen
of Gigolo gimmers topped at 1050gns and returned
a pen average of 500gns.”
PROGRESS
Looking ahead Austin, current vice chairman
of the NI Texel Sheep Breeders’ Club,
is adamant the sheep sector has an opportunity
to make real progress post decoupling of EU
farm support.
“Rather than chasing brown envelopes
sheep farmers, especially those in hill areas,
are free at last to specialise in producing
world class high quality lambs. Unless
langelled by red tape there is no reason why
Ulster cannot become a centre of sheep production
in a similar way to New Zealand.
“As Antrim Quality Lamb Group
co-ordinator I am in meat plants every week
and see the type of lamb that grades. The lamb
consistently sired by today’s British
Texel, which has made tremendous progress this
past 30 years as regards speed of finishing
and overall carcass quality.”
Though most associated with pedigree
Texel breeding the Shaw family also runs a
large flock of commercial ewes put to Texel
tups. Thus the Open Night next Tuesday gives
visitors an excellent opportunity to view a
range of lambs from a variety of ewe types
put to Texel rams.
Sign posted off the Belfast dual carriageway
a few minutes from Larne the ‘Walk the
Texel Talk Open Night’ runs from 6.30pm
until late closing with a charity auction for
which entries are appreciated.
Aside from viewing this progressive
sheep farm visitors will also enjoy a Texel
titans tug of war match and a stock judging
competition under master judge Robbie Mulligan
of Banbridge.
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