"A sheep is in good health when he carries his head high, when the eye is of clear azure, quick and open eyestrings, and gums ruddy, teeth fast, the face and muzzle dry, the nostrils damp without being mucous, the breath free from any bad smell, feet cool, dung substantial, the mouth clean and of a lively red, all the limbs nimble, the wool firmly adhering to the skin, which ought to be red (especially on the brisket), soft and supple, a good appetite, the flesh reddish, and particularly with good veins, and the hams strong. To know the two latter perfections, the shepherd places the sheep between his legs, and grasps the head with his two hands: with the thumb of the right hand he raises the eyelid from above the eye, and with the thumb of his left hand pulls down the under eye-lid. He then looks at the veins of the white of the eye; if they are very apparent, if he finds them of a lively red, if the flesh at the corner of the eye, and at the side of the nose, is also of a lively hue, it is a sign that the animal is in good health. To know if the ham is good, the sheep must be seized by one of his hind legs; if he struggles much to get back the leg, if much force is necessary to hold it, it is proof that the animal is strong and vigorous in that part."
"Sheep are often seen in the market with nose and eyes running or, as we should say of a horse, almost glandered. This happens in consequence of wet layers during their travel in cold windy seasons; a continuance of such weather, with perhaps subsequent neglects, contribute to lay the foundations of diseases, of which afterwards the cause is not suspected. Great caution is necessary during drifts that the flock be not suffered to rest on wet and boggy layers, and that they are provided with dry lodging and sufficient keep to support their strength; and if, on their arrival at home, any sinister appearances should be visible, it will be a great saving to nurse and recruit the sheep a while, in a good dry sheltered yard."
27th of January, 1778 - In memory of the shepherds of yesterday who bred the sheep of today
Since taking over the Eartham flock in the mid-70s we have picked up much knowledge from other more experienced shepherds and through my own trials and errors.
Here are a few points you may find interesting - the first one is that you should make sure that your ewes do not become too fat, especially in the late summer or early autumn. Some people would say this is a drawback, but it is one of the breed's advantages. It is simply a case of stocking the ewes tightly enough, enabling you to keep more sheep per acre than some other breeds. If you do get some sheep on the good (fat) side, don't be afraid to put them in a barn on straw and water for a few weeks before tupping. It will do them some good and also the flush will be better.
It is a good idea to flush your ewes before tupping if possible, but it is not essential. Unlike some breeds, a grass flush is sufficient and I personally would not recommend feeding a concentrate at this time, but do make sure there is an adequate supply of minerals available to the ewes. A few weeks before lambing, start to feed your ewes a concentrate feed as the lambs grow a lot in the last few weeks of pregnancy. This should also improve the ewes' milk supply. However, bear in mind that the Southdown is a small ewe and does not need as much concentrate feed as other ewes. Over feeding can result in big lambs, difficult lambing and even prolapses. The amount and quality of the feed you use will depend on the quality of the forage available. However, we find that an oat, sugar beet, flake maize plus minerals combination is usually adequate.
Keep a close eye on your flock at lambing time in case problems arise. If you think a ewe is in difficulty, give her a little time before intervening (don't rush in). If she does need help, you will need to catch and assist her. I will not attempt to write here about all the misrepresentations you may experience, but there are many good books on this subject available. Do not be afraid to "have a go" since a lot of problems are small and easily dealt with. Ensure you can keep your hand on the lamb while it is inside the ewe. Do not remove the lamb too quickly, since the shock is not good for it. The exception to this is if the lamb is coming backwards, in which case you will need to remove it as quickly as possible to avoid drowning. If you do assist a ewe, it is always a good idea to ensure her milk is flowing, as the nipples can become blocked with dirt.
After lambing, pen the ewe and lamb/s for a period of 24-72 hours, depending on the number of lambs she has, to make sure they are all well. After a week to ten days you can start to offer creep feed to your lambs to help them onto solid food.
If you intend to show your sheep, take the lambs you intend to show and push them on a bit by offering them more food, etc. (This may not be necessary if the flock is small). Early lambing can be advantageous to showing as it gives the lambs more time to go. However, early in the year the weather can be bad and heavy feed costs can be incurred, so late lambing can be attractive. Personally, we usually lamb in mid-February.
Wean the lambs you intend to show quite quickly, i.e. at about 10 to 12 weeks, and feed them on trough food. Other lambs can be left on the ewes until the end of June (14 to 15 weeks old). Ewes which have had their lambs weaned early may tend to become over good (fat) on the early summer grass if not stocked tightly.
I hope this has been of some interest to you. May I wish you all a successful year with your Southdowns.
STEPHEN HUMPHREY
The Southdown Sheep is thought to have inhabited the eastern range of the South Down hills for many centuries. In the 14th century, when wool constituted England's main export, the bulk of Sussex wool was produced within 10 leagues (about 15 miles) of Lewes. In fact, in 1353 the East Sussex wool merchants petitioned for the wool staple (official centre) to be shifted from Chichester to Lewes. There was a marked concentration of sheep between Shoreham and Beachy Head - most of them being wool-producing wether flocks on the chalk downs. About the middle of the Eighteenth century (1750) England's human population began to increase rapidly and their foods with it. It was then that the Southdown sheep sprang into fame, producing the large flocks needed to operate the classic mutton-and-cereals farming system. The Southdown's mutton producing ability soon overtook their former role as wool producers. In addition, they exhibited great fold-tolerance, which meant that they could be crowded into relatively small acres (folds) of turnips and other crops at night time. During the day time they grazed on the downland turf allotted to each farm. The treading and manuring of the turnip-fold land meant that wheat for bread could be grown the following year. As this system produced both mutton and bread concurrently, it extended to a large part of Eastern and Southern England - where there was much light land. The Southdown sheep spread with the system until they were replaced with larger sheep, which, nevertheless, were developed from the Southdown basis. This resulted in the Suffolks, Dorset Downs, Shropshires, Hampshire Downs, and Oxford Downs.
This famous farming system never foundered from inherent weakness - in fact, sheep folding on arable crops can still be found. The system declined for two reasons. The first was the Great Depression, which started in the late 1870s and continued until the late 1930s. Cheap imports from abroad of both cereals and chilled meats meant that neither of these commodities could be profitably produced in Britain. Much of the arable land in the United Kingdom went out of production and the Southdown flocks dwindled accordingly. The second reason was the increase in farming technology. Fertilizers made an impact and the combine drill (which sowed both seed and fertilizer together) meant that sheep folding became increasingly unnecessary. The farming industry survived in a hapless condition - due only to the development of the dairy industry and the introduction of sugar beet and market garden crops. In addition to this, Britain was known as the stud-farm of the world. Southdowns contributed to the export trade. From the end of the Great War (1918) a healthy export business was built up. In 1937, for example, 459 Southdowns went abroad. This was helped by the breed's continuing successes in the Fat Stock Shows, which won champion and reserve champion prizes on a regular basis both at Smithfield and Chicago venues.
The Second World War dealt a further blow to the Southdown sheep. By 1945 only 575 flocks remained, with some 9700 breeding ewes - a flock average of 130 ewes. Even so, Southdowns won the Supreme carcase (and the reserve) at the 1956 Smithfield Show.
Regrettably, Southdown breeders had been slowly but surely destroying themselves. Never a large bodied sheep, the Southdown was becoming diminutive. Volume LVII (1939) of the Society's Flock Book shows the First Prize Two Shear and Champion Ram and winner of the Northumberland Cup at the Royal Show, Cardiff, Luton Hoo 673, as a most handsome creature but reminiscent of a large Buck Rabbit.
By the time the slender 1975/6 Flock Book was published, only 23 flocks had sent in an annual return and only 12 comprised 50 or more ewes. Now a rare breed, the day was partially saved by breeders like Mr. John Craig of Ringmer, who could see only too clearly that Southdown rams had become too small for use in commercial ewe flocks. Four years later, with the threat of inbreeding becoming large, the Society imported 14 New Zealand rams selected from leading breeders there.
There has been a small but successful revival of the Southdown since 1980, with some fine sheep being bred. Careful selection of larger specimens, combined with French importations by Mrs. Colman of Steepdown, and the pure New Zealand bloodlines of Mr. Whitcombe of Greencross, have helped matters along. Mr. Clark of Moulton has twice had to up the size of his sheep baths in the history of his flock breeding.
It would be pleasant to end on this cherful note in Millenium Year, but all is not well. There is a strong minority of breeders who firmly but erroneously believe that there is a "traditional" Southdown. This Southdown, we understand, is a "Smallholder's Sheep", which about says it all. The "large" Southdown is, apparently, not "traditional". The "medium" Southdown does not exist at all - as the "smalls" deny the "larges". The net result recently has meant that judges at the major shows are in a quandary and nothing can be deduced from the final line-ups as to where the Southdown is going or what the judges are looking for.
But we will end on a cheerful note. Many breeders are successfully selling lamb to butchers and private customers - which is the only way forward for a commercial future - and the ewes must be of medium stature, long and well fleshed, producing juicy joints of lamb free from an overload of traditional fat.
P. WAKEHAM-DAWSON, M.A.,Dip.Agric.(Cambridge)
There are two factors in particular which will determine the future of the breed:-
These factors do not necessarily coincide.
The value of the Southdown to the industry is not at present appreciated. This is because commercial flock-owners unfortunately consider that Southdowns are too often too short and Southdown-cross lambs are likely to be too light and too fat to meet modern Supermarket demands, this despite considerable success in carcass competitions. Over the years other terminal sires have supplanted the Southdown, mainly Suffolks, but also Texels and Charollais; so that, whereas in 1949 Allan Fraser, a recognised authority, could write in the book "Sheep Husbandry and Diseases" - "the real purpose of the Southdown breed of today is not the production of mutton and wool on a commercial scale, but rather to produce rams for crossing with other breeds", nowadays it is only a few dedicated breeders who still sell Southdowns as terminal sires. These are usually the longer, stronger type, some of which will bear the influence of New Zealand breeding, and very likely are sold to flock owners who have established a trade locally with High Street butchers, supplying a discriminating market, appreciative of the taste and quality of Southdown lamb. If breeders can keep supplying this market, then the numbers of Southdown-cross carcasses produced will increase and perhaps in time be sufficient to attract Supermarket buyers.
Latest news from Australia is that Geoff Baker, with his flock bred on New Zealand bloodlines, had already in December, 1999 had orders for 70 Southdown rams on top of the 60 rams he sells at his annual sale in January. Last year demand outran supply and he had to rely on other breeders to supply 40 additional rams for his customers. Conditions are not the same in Australia, but it is heartening to know that Southdowns still have an acknowledged position there.
However, in this country there is another possible opportunity for a revival of interest in Southdowns, i.e. in the organic field. Some supermarkets are already selling small quantities of organic lamb, and the market is bound to increase as more farms make the change. Southdowns are particularly suitable for organic farming, the rules of which stipulate the banning or strict control of chemical treatments. As a breed they are generally healthy and resistant to disease, and survive successfully without recourse to regular dosing and injections. Certainly, Southdowns of New Zealand breeding running on the same farm as Border Leicesters, which are particularly susceptible to pneumonia, suffered no losses from the disease. They are also more resistant to worm infection, and without ever being vaccinated against clostridial diseases, never suffered from these. They are good converters of grass, and should not require too much bought-in feed, which under organic rules is very expensive.
So, one way or another there should be opportunities to increase the commercial value of the breed. However, the majority of flocks are now kept in small numbers and are not part of a principal farming enterprise. The most recent Flock Book reveals that only 23 flocks put 25 or more ewes to the ram in the years 1996 and 1997.
For the small Southdown breeder, commercial considerations are not necessarily so important. For them Southdowns are preferred for their ease of management and often because they are not too big and heavy. There has been a steady increase of membership of the Society in recent years, and the majority of these new members keep small flocks, which are often used principally as an economic way to keep down the grass in paddocks, in some cases in conjunction with horses, which, at least in the South, are more popular than ever.
Wool used to play a significant part in the profitability of sheep, and the Southdown has the finest wool of any British breed. Unfortunately, now the market for wool is very depressed and too often the cost of shearing is barely covered by the sale price of the wool. However, there can sometimes be a profitable outlet for small quantities for spinners and weavers.
For flocks large and small, then, there can be a bright future in Southdowns. Particularly in the difficult circumstances which farming is facing, the low cost of production of Southdowns should enable the breed to compete with any other in the market for quality lambs. They may not make you a fortune but they should economically do the job for which they are kept - and on the way make you many friends.
PHILIP WHITCOMBE
What is the future of the Southdown sheep in the new Millennium? Farming is in crisis; we have an urban based Government which believes the notion of self-sufficiency is irrelevant in the modern world of global trade, supermarkets and cheap imports.
It seems that farms will become ever larger, mechanised industrial businesses to compete on the global market, with many of the small family farms disappearing, becoming part-time or leisure interests.
There are constant food scares and a move away from eating red meat. The urban public of our country are constantly bombarded with facts which are out of context, untrue, or just propaganda from single issue pressure groups.
This is the background to which the Southdown Sheep Society enters the new Millennium. How are we as members of our Society, farmers, breeders, shepherds going to secure the future of the Southdown sheep?
There has been a steady decline in the numbers of Southdowns during the past one hundred and fifty years. From a sheep which was run in large pure-bred commercial flocks in the mid-1800s and was used to improve the majority of British breeds (for example, the Suffolk, Shropshire, Hampshire Down, Dorset Down, and Oxford Down all contained Southdown blood), developed into a terminal crossing sire used around the world, but flock numbers and size continued to fall until the Southdown became a rare breed.
The last twenty years have seen a mini revival in the Southdown under the Rare Breeds label. Membership of the Society has grown, mainly due to the Southdown sheep being the smallholder's sheep par excellence. Docile, easy to handle, does not jump fences, easy to fold, produces fine, soft, crimpy quality wool, and, most importantly, a lean fine-boned carcass with superb leg joints and a fine textured quality meat. This small revival has in turn produced a small internal market within the breed for replacement pedigree breeding stock.
I may have over-simplified matters but this is roughly the point at which we must move forward into the new Millennium. So where do we go from here? Should we (the Society) produce guidelines, a policy for the way forward into the next century? Or do we allow individual breedersto find their own path forward? How long will our breed be classified as a rare breed? When will the bubble burst? Will we be able to continue selling our sheep if local livestock markets close or your local slaughterhouse shuts? Should the Society produce a marketing and advertising strategy which would benefit all members? Do we trade on the Southdown traditional quality, free range, rare breeds meat label, etc.? Or does future survival lie with getting commercial sheepmen interested in the breed? Should we have a sire reference scheme and recorded flocks?
History of sheep breeds shows us that without a commercial market, i.e. a sheep without commercial characteristics, that breed will have an uncertain future.
So which route do we take? I personally believe our sheep are great assets: fast maturing, high muscling, good conformation, docile, hardy sheep. With the right marketing the carcass, pedigree, and commercial markets can all be developed.
What are your views on the future? I have posed a lot of questions in the hope of generating some debate on the above issues and the future development of the Southdown Sheep into the new Millennium.
NEIL STAINTHORPE
The business of showing sheep starts not just two weeks before the first show but from the time when you purchase your first animals. Try to visit a few flocks and determine the type of Southdown you feel would best suit you. The Traditional English Southdowns are more docile and easier to handle for the novice, whereas the French and New Zealand types are aimed more at the Commercial farmer for producing prime lambs. Remember, you will be looking at your sheep for 365 days per year, so make sure you get the type that you like and feel comfortable with.
Always buy your sheep from a reputable breeder. The Southdown Sheep Society will be able to advise which breeders are in your area. Once having purchased your stock, be sure to keep up-to-date with worming, vaccinating, fly control, foot trimming, etc. There are some excellent handbooks available which cover these topics, but remember there is no substitute for watching and learning from an experienced shepherd.
If you have bought ewe lambs, you could show them next year as Shearlings; that is, if you don't wish to wait to show your own home-bred lambs.
Feeding can be a matter of individual opinion. Talk to different breeders about their feeding regimes. No-one is necessarily right or wrong, but look at the availability of different feeds and make up your own mind. In particular, listen to the breeder from whom you purchased your stock. Presumably you will have bought them because you liked the look of them. Therefore, if they are good sheep that have done well, then the breeder must have been doing something right with the feeding! Personally, I feed my lambs from about one week old on a mixture of coarse ration, lamb pellets, flaked peas, sugar beet pellets (soaked when the lambs are young) and linseed flakes. An example ration would be:-
1 bucket of Coarse Mix
1 bucket of Lamb Pellets
1 bucket of Flaked peas
½ bucket of Sugar Beet
Double handful of Linseed
Given the opportunity, the lambs will also eat the ewes' food. I feed equal proportions of 18% cake and coarse mix and ad lib hay.
Selecting Rams
Again, talk to other breeders, but always choose the type that you like. Refer to the breed points list, but the basic points to look for are - two testicles (sometimes overlooked!), good legs (one on each corner), sound feet, straight back, short neck, sound in the mouth (neither overshot nor undershot). It doesn't always follow that a small ram with excellent conformation put on to a big ewe with poor conformation will produce a big lamb with good conformation - it could turn out the other way round! This is where skilfull breeding comes in.
Pre-tupping
It is advisable to purchase your ram/s six weeks or more before tupping. This is to allow for a period of isolation. I would always advise a Dectomax or similar injection, paring of feet, and footbathing, worming, fly control, and a general check over. Look for signs of orf, abscesses, etc. CLA is becoming a problem, so be especially careful if purchasing at markets or sales where sheep are in close contact with each other. Of course, this all applies to the ewes also.
At the same time (six weeks before tupping), condition score the ewes, separate the fat ones from the thin ones, and feed them accordingly. If you intend showing, it is advisable to try and lamb early, i.e. January/February. However, it seems that if you lamb later it is more natural and they tend to be slightly more prolific. 150% is average but I have had between 140% and 171% with natural service. Keep your hand frequently on the ewes during pregnancy and adjust feeding if necessary.
Lambing
Cleanliness is extremely important. Pens should be kept clean and fresh bedding used after every ewe. However, if the same pens are to be used then copious amounts of bedding straw should be added daily. Cleanliness with buckets is often overlooked and is very important.
If a ewe requires assistance, then cleanliness is of the utmost importance. Use arm length gloves and plenty of slip gel and, if necessary, give antibiotics.
After the lambs are born, with CLEAN hands ensure that the "plug" is out of the teat and that the colostrum is flowing. Ensure that each lamb has a good feed as soon as possible.
Correct feeding is essential from about one week old. Also, within a couple of days of birth the lambs will have to be "tailed", making sure that the tails are not left too short.
Selecting Your Show Sheep
Show sheep should be selected primarily on the basis of being true to type and conforming with the breed points, i.e. good legs (one on each corner) and feet, correct in mouth, two testicles (rams only!), a good broad head with mouse coloured hair and short ears, black nose, good muscling, white wool, a level back and, in particular, a good full back end - this is what Southdowns are all about!
Having chosen your show sheep, halter training should ideally be started early (i.e. 6-8 weeks prior to the first show). The more the lambs are handled from birth, the easier they will be to train and so stress is minimised (for sheep and handler).
Personally, I prefer leather head collars to rope halters, because the leather does not chafe. Having placed the head collar/halter on the sheep, tie it up close to a hurdle or something similar, using a quick release knot - just in case! Leave the sheep tied up for 10-15 minutes, but never leave it unattended. It will probably struggle initially, but will soon settle once it accepts that it cannot get away. Ideally you need to do this daily for 4-5 days to get the sheep accustomed to being on the halter before attempting to walk it.
When starting to walk sheep on the halter, they often have a tendency to try to run forward, throw themselves on the ground, or pull backwards. Very occasionally the odd sheep will be perfectly well behaved.
To save your back in dealing with those having a tendency to pull backward, take a loop of baler twine and hook it under the sheep's tail. The sheep will find this strange and will move forward in order to try to rid itself of the discomfort. If it doesn't, you can pull on the baler twine, but do make sure you use a non-slip knot in your loop. If there are two people involved, one can lead the sheep on the halter whilst the other walks at the back of the sheep (diagonal to the handler) and this should "spook" the sheep into moving forward. There are several other techniques for walking and training too numerous to mention here but, again, seek advice from experienced shepherds, and be prepared to experiment to find out what works best for you. Having said that, it is not reasonable to expect any two sheep to react in the same way to something which, initially, is really quite alien to them. One more tip - if you walk your trainee show sheep away from the flock, instinctively it will want to return to them, making the walk back much easier.
A well behaved sheep is a joy to handle, although sometimes they can be so "well behaved" and laid back about being shown that they won't want to walk around the show ring and that can be very frustrating!
Trimming
This is far too complicated a subject to attempt to write about in such a short article as this. However, there are reference books on the subject of showing sheep which cover trimming. I would particularly recommend a book by David Turner entitled "The Showman Shepherd" but, better still, there is a video available by John Randall specifically on the subject and entitled "Preparing Sheep for Show". Also, talk to breeders at shows about their trimming techniques and watch how they do it. Like anything else, practice makes perfect.
The Show
I always like to arrive at the showground the day before the show to allow the sheep (and shepherd) time to settle in their new surroundings, and recover from the journey. This allows plenty of time for unloading, finding out where all the facilities are (water, bedding, toilets, etc.) and for final preparation of the sheep ready for the show ring.
In the Show Ring
Experience has taught me that it is better to give the sheep only a small feed on show day and to restrict the amount of hay until after showing, in order to avoid the bloated belly which would result from a big breakfast and no exercise.
Normally, your class will be called by the steward. Exhibitors will be asked to stand in line, each to the left of their sheep (which will be facing away from the sun so that the judge doesn't have to squint when inspecting them from behind).
When showing Southdowns, it is better to crouch down rather than towering above your sheep. Keep your eye on the judge at all times and be prepared to move around in order not to obscure the judge's view of your sheep, taking care not to obscure other people's sheep, too. Another reason for keeping a close eye on the judge is that, if you are fortunate enough to be moved foward, he/she doesn't have to try to attract your attention. If you are asked to walk your sheep, walk it where the judge asks you to. Then return to your place and wait patiently until all the other exhibitors have walked their sheep. It displays a lack of etiquette toward the judge and the other exhibitors if you go and talk to people outside the ring or go and get drinks or ice cream whilst judging is in progress.
Whilst on the subject of show ring etiquette, when the judge has placed the sheep in order of merit, he will give out the prizes. If you are not one of the fortunate ones, do not walk out of the ring (this is very bad manners but, unfortunately, it has happened), but wait until the first prize winner leaves the ring, followed by the other prize winners, then the unplaced exhibitors. It is customary to congratulate and shake hands with the winner, regardless of your personal views about the judge's decision. Remember, as in all other spheres of competition, the judge's decision is final. If you are not prepared to accept defeat with good grace, then you should not enter competitions.
The winner of each class will go forward to a Breed Championship. A Champion will be chosen, then the animal placed second to the Champion will be asked into the ring so there is again a full complement, i.e. if the Breed Champion is a shearling ram then he will step forward and the second placed shearling ram will come into the ring and the Reserve Champion chosen from the remaining sheep.
The Social Side
Whilst the showing is very competitive in the ring, outside of the ring most breeders are willing to assist and encourage one another, particularly newcomes to showing, and a lot of very good friendships are forged among the show fraternity. There is usually quite a lively social scene amongst breeders at the shows. So come and talk to us, because most of us don't bite!
SHARON POND
Over 70 years ago, the well-known breeder John Langmead wrote an article in the "Southdown Sheep", a book produced every so many years at that time, in which he stated that there was no better way of obtaining and maintaining a good uniform flock than by entering the flock competition, because in the early stages one had the opportunity and benefit of getting useful help and advice from senior breeders if one was prepared to accept it. From early 1950 to 1997 I followed that advice, with no small amount of success, as past records will show.
No amount of work will change a poor flock into a good one overnight, but ones aim should be to present what you have got in the best possible manner.
Do - clean any soiled rear end, square tails, etc. If possible have the flock running on, or penned on, a clean piece of pasture, have a pen available for closer inspection. Choose the site for this pen carefully, preferably on visiting ground, with a good background - not a muck heap, or scrap iron, or similar rubbish if it can be managed. The sun should be at the Judge's back and therefore on the sheep - don't have the pen at a lower level than the viewers. Be prepared to hold, or provide someone to hold, sheep for the Judge's closer inspection.
Have the shearlings separated from the flock ewes but not running with some other mixed breeds - which is not unknown.
The rams, if not still running with the ewes, should be close penned and, if indoors, bedded with clean bright straw - but with provisions for being able to be led on a hand service for inspection of feet.
Always be available at the appointed time. Your time is probably valuable, but the Judge's on this day is more so.
If it so happens that one lot or all the sheep are miles from the address given, consult with the Judges as to which direction he or she is coming, so that it might be possible to meet on site. I once travelled 14 miles past the flock, only to have to return, which turned 14 miles into 42 miles.
On completion, an opportunity to wash ones hands is always appreciated.
HUGH T. CLARK
A day with the Wool Board recently really opened my eyes. We all suffer from the current farming depression, but we don't often stop to think what will have happened to organisations like the Wool Board, which derives its income from a percentage of sales at its auctions. They are coping marvellously well, but the change must have been traumatic.
The one thing that really stuck in my mind and is something I want to follow up, is that all the Southdown wool is bought by one buyer for export to Japan to fill Futons (the thin mats they unfold on the floor to sleep on). There can only be a kilo or so of wool in each, but the genuine Southdown futons sell at £1,000. Even allowing for a pinch of salt over the price, there is obviously scope to make the pedigree wool production even more exclusive by sourcing and identifying, plus a little bit of P.R. to get more money for it. The Wool Board and the Merchant both work on percentages, so would be happy to co-operate.
Wearing another hat, I have been to two French agricultural shows in the Massif Central this autumn. It is a little shattering in rural France to find everything 25 per cent cheaper than in the U.K. and, wherever I went, that the French farming community were charming to me. However, again one thing hit me between the eyes: at a small show between Poitiers and Limoges, devoted solely to sheep, with every breed on display accompanied by their cross breeds and a butcher to expound on the merits of each breed, the centre piece promotion was by the French equivalent of Signet. They were expounding the merits of sire selection and A.I. Both were sophisticated. Perhaps more so than general here.
If we believe that all the modern terminal sheep sires have predominantly Southdown genes in their ancestry and we look at the success the French have with their white-faced sires, we must question where we are going with the dwindling numbers of the modern British Southdown. On the hook, my Smithfield butcher friends say, they are very little different to the Texel. Given a better "gigot" at the back end, we would be highly competitive! Their ram prices would be nice, too.
I know we are all broke, but when you are down and out it is time to look for a hand up, and I believe we have to talk to Signet about a sensible improvement scheme, at a sensible and affordable price. To that end, I hope Signet and, for wool, Liz Ambler, will give their views.
SIR RICHARD COOPER