ATV and side by side.

Argo cat.

360 excavator 3 ton to 25 ton.

Tract and tractor mounted post drivers.

Agco Challenger MT875B with 8m Vaderstad rapid drill and 14 furrow Gregoire Besson plough.

Claas Lexion 570.

Although sheep are my passion, I have been driving tractors and combines from a young age and am competent in executing any machinery tasks. Over the years I have gained experience in operating 360 degree excavators from road building to river bank repairs and I am proficient in fencing and stone walling. I am mechanically minded, I service and repair tractors and ATVs, am a capable welder and have engineered numerous trailers, loader attachments and sheep handling facilities.

As an experienced shepherd with a varied and extensive background in this industry since childhood, I have developed a particular passion for hill sheep. Throughout my years as a stockman I have developed a keen eye for spotting health issues early and have developed strategies and resourcefulness that I believe will bring value and productivity to any flock.

I was brought up on a mixed arable and livestock farm and showed a keen interest in sheep from the age of 10 when I started my own flock. Being a farmers son I have been taught from a young age the importance of treating every aspect of the farm as a business. I understand cost of production, market trends and I respect and appreciate the value of money and the value of hard work.

By adapting my knowledge of arable operations I view grass as a crop; viewing soil structure, organic matter and trace elements as key parts in producing lamb and beef, and also in keeping the longevity of breeding stock.

I have a thorough and comprehensive understanding of the sheeps differing needs throughout the whole year and use forethought in planning ahead for excessive grass growth, lack of grass, and condition scoring to ensure breeding ewes/shearlings are at peak condition ready to enter the next stage of their cycle.

My daily rounds are very important to me and I carry out my rounds without excess stress and excitement to either the livestock or myself. This makes the rounds a more efficient, calm and productive process and I am able to carry out tasks independently, very rarely requiring assistance. Over the years I have developed an effective method of approaching my rounds which allows me to catch, diagnose and treat health issues, for instance I have a keen eye for spotting the very early signs of mastitis before it takes hold and causes the ewe visible distress. Early treatment can reduce medicine usage by up to two-thirds, saving medicine costs and ensuring the ewe does not lose too much condition. The result is having a fit, well-framed animal ready to cull at weaning; turning a potentially dead animal into a saleable animal.

I find outdoor lambing to be more preferable and is one of my favourite times of the year. Colostrum and love are key players at lambing, if the ewe loves the lamb and its full of colostrum its winning from day one. I have found that applying extra effort and attention to detail at lambing, tailing and ringing, makes a huge difference in the overall quality and appearance of a finished lamb, reinforcing both the owners reputation in the marketplace, and the shepherds reputation for producing quality lamb. Ewe health and hygiene are paramount to me at lambing time. Pre-turnout is a wonderful time to ensure not only that the lambs are fit, healthy and mothered-up well but also the ewes are in good condition to not only look after their lambs, but also to ensure they produce viable eggs ready for their next tupping season.

Throughout the course of my career, I have gained experience in many different settings. I worked for 12 months travelling throughout Australia and New Zealand, where I learnt new and different ways of executing tasks. I was very impressed with their attitude towards sheep behaviour, and the calm and collected way they move mobs of 5000+ with minimal stress. This made a day in the drafting yards vaccinating 5000+ sheep seem very easy.

I have a good team of working Border Collies who work very hard for me and Im very proud of their ability to single out and catch lambs or ewes in a precise way as well as pushing large mobs across open ground.

I would say my main strengths and values are attention to detail, a passion and drive in producing quality lambs whilst maintaining the health, longevity and productivity of the breeding stock. I take great pride and satisfaction in this.

As well as using tried and tested methods I am open-minded to new developments in the industry, I find it valuable to attend veterinary talks and meetings as I always learn something useful. Also attending open farm walks, as I am always interested in how other farms tackle problems and move forward to stay ahead of the game in the current climate