News

12th April 2011

Texel Flock ‘Falicon’ Wins Top Award

Improved Flock Awards 2011
Norman Johnson – Falicon Texel Flock
21 March 2011

The Texel breed winner of the EBLEX Improved Flock Awards for 2011 is the Falicon Flock, owned by Norman Johnson who farms near Longridge in Lancashire.

Handbank Madoc

Organised through the Sheep Better Returns Programme, this award is presented to the performance recorded flock that has shown the most impressive improvement in genetic merit over a 12-month period, within the breed.

Norman Johnson and his late wife Katie, bought the 12ha (30acre) Falicon Farm in 1979, when Mr Johnson was still a full-time farm vet, running a practice with his partner Glyn Davies, in Woodplumpton, near Preston.

Starting with a small flock of mules, the Johnson’s were impressed with lambs sired by a Texel tup bought to produce commercial crossbred lamb. The Falicon flock was established in 1991 when Mrs Johnson purchased three in-lamb ewes from the Carlisle sale. The mules were sold and replaced with purebred Texels, and the flock built up to 20 breeding ewes with rams bought-in. The aim was to produce a purebred carcase sheep. All lambs not retained for breeding are killed, aiming for an E3L classification. Shearling tups have been sold since 2002.

In 2007 the Johnson’s started recording birth and eight-week weights. As a vet, Mr Johnson admits he is more scientist than stock judge, and found the information on Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) he received back very useful in deciding which animals to keep. The following year some of the lambs were ultrasound scanned and in 2012 some will be sent away for CT scanning.

In the first year of recording the overall index for the flock was 150, rising to 278 last year. Out of 20 ram lambs, 17 were in the top 10% (highest index 336); out of 26 ewe lambs, 23 were in the top 10% (highest index 343).

Four years ago, the Johnson’s invested in a new stock sire ‘Handbank Madoc’, bought privately from pedigree breeders Bob and Anne Payne who farm near Sheffield. Previously they had always purchased rams based on looks and feel at pedigree sales.

The key traits they wanted to improve were growth rate, muscle depth and mature size. ‘Handbank Madoc’ has delivered improvements in all these attributes. His index has increased from 315 to 388 since being on the farm, and he regularly throws lambs with eye muscle measurements of 34-35mm or more.

In recognition of his success so far, Handbank Madoc has been nominated for the EBLEX Ram Linkage Scheme, which means other Texel breeders can now benefit from his superior genetics too.

“Katie would have been very proud of the genetic progress the flock has made and would have been delighted to win this award,” says Mr Johnson. “Much of the credit has to go to ‘Handbank Madoc’, and for that we have Bob and Anne Payne to thank.”

Most of Mr Johnson’s breeding stock is sold to commercial farmers, both off farm and through pedigree sales.

“My objective is to produce consistent commercial shearling tups that will deliver genetic gains when mated to commercial ewes,” Mr Jonson explains. “The ultimate aim is to help my customers produce more lean meat per hectare per day, as well as getting the lambs finished quicker.

“I will continue to try and improve growth rates, muscle deposition and gigot size – hopefully muscle depths will move towards the 40’s in the next few years.”

Recording performance is vital

“This is the fifth year Sheep BRP has made these awards,” says EBLEX sheep breeding specialist Samuel Boon. “The progress made since then has been significant, and many more producers – pedigree and commercial, are using tools like EBVs to help make their breeding decisions. This in turn is making their businesses more profitable and the industry more competitive as a whole.

“Norman is to be congratulated for his continuing commitment to improving the Texel breed.
Performance recording forms the backbone to his success, and he and his customers benefit from this more informed approach to breeding.”