The premium for the superior carcase qualities of Beltex-sired lambs is now an established feature at prime lamb sales in auction marts up and down the country.
This includes Forfar Mart, where David and Helen Smith, Scobshaugh, Kirriemuir, regularly top the trade with their Beltex X lambs which are proving to be ideal for the high street butcher.
Scobshaugh is a family-run arable and stock farm involving three generations of the Smith family, David and Helen with their son, Steven, and David’s father.
The farm carries suckler cows and sheep, along with grain and potatoes and, including the area farmed under contact, the Smiths farm 1,500 acres in total.
David and Steven handle the grain and potato growing between them, while David’s father is in charge of the feeding regime for the farm’s 100 Limousin and Simmental sucklers which run with Limousin bulls.
A Shorthorn bull has recently been added with the aim of producing replacement heifers for the herd.
The Smiths prefer to support their local auction mart, and everything is sold on the hoof through Forfar.
Helen happily admits that the arable side of the farm business holds no attraction for her, and is content to be in sole charge of the commercial flock of 120-130 Beltex X and Texel X ewes.
Lambing starts in early February and she is left to get on with it.
“It’s a busy time for David and Steven so I’m on my own.
“To make life easier at lambing time I sponge the ewes to synchronise tupping and to tighten the lambing period.
“This year there’s been a slight change of policy and I’ve brought in a teaser tup to run with the gimmers.
“I really don’t like sponging gimmers, and we’ll see whether the teaser gives the same results as sponging.
“The Beltex X ewes are great mothers, and the lambs are so vigorous. You often see them trying to suck before they hit the ground!
“The lambs are hardy and are quick to get up and get their bellies full. The difference after a week is amazing when they start to fill out and get the Beltex shape.”
She aims to start selling lambs by the end of June and, as usual, has been topping the Forfar trade most weeks throughout July and early August, selling to £2.40 per kilo for 44kg-47kg butchers’ weight lambs.
“Joe Greenhill of meat wholesalers AP Jess is a regular buyer of our lambs, which go to independent butchers.
“A few years ago there were only a few folk selling Beltex X lambs through Forfar, but the Beltex has fairly caught on around here and now there’s a lot of good quality lambs coming through the mart.
“The recent drop in lamb prices has been quite painful for some, but if you’re selling Beltex X lambs they are still making a premium. It all adds up.”
Stock tups are bought at the Beltex Premier sale at Carlisle.
Steven has his own small flock of Beltex ewes under the ‘Scobshaugh’ prefix, and takes time off to help Helen with selecting suitable prospective sires.
“We have no preference for any breeder in particular,” Helen said, “but we prefer to buy tup lambs.
“A lot of folk think a Beltex lamb will never tup big ewes, but they manage fine and get on with the job with good results.
“Tup lambs have done very well for us over the years.
“At Carlisle we go around the pens and mark those tups in the catalogue which have the muscle, look the part, have the potential to breed the type of lamb we want and can be bought within our budget limits.
“We usually have a few picked, which increases our chances of getting something we like.
“Also, this year, we decided to try something new and we bought a Bleu Du Maine tup which is intended to put some scale into the commercial flock.
“We’ll have to wait and see if it works out the way it’s supposed to.”
Helen is a keen supporter of her local shows, and for several years pens of Beltex X lambs from Scobshaugh have been regular winners of prime lamb championships at Kirremuir, Alyth and Angus.
“A couple of years ago she decided to enter lambs at the Thainstone Christmas Classic.
“I was delighted to come away with the red, white and blue ticket for the best pen of butchers’ lambs,” she said.
“The Classic’s a really friendly show and they make you feel very welcome.”
It is set to become a regular event in the Scobshaugh calendar.
Helen knows that quality pays in the mart and in the show ring.
Beltex tups are proving to be consistent at delivering the meaty lambs that maintain the Scobshaugh reputation for quality.