The Savernake Flock

Flock No. 86W

             The Savernake Flock was founded in 1977 by the purchase of 15 ewes from the Burbage flock of M J French which had been largely based on Perrinpit and Whichford females.

             Further ewes were added over the next ten years, notably from the Chebsney, Williamstrip and Perrinpit flocks. No females have been purchased since 1988.

             Rams have always been selected for correctness and confirmation, with particular emphasis on growth rate and fleshing.

             We are founder members of the Suffolk Sire Reference Scheme and have been selecting for performance and muscling for over 20 years. This has shown up in the National Suffolk Breeding Evaluation with a good number of lambs in the top 10% of the breed for performance.

             Since the late 1990’s we have been undergoing a period of farm expansion, and as such time has become increasingly scarce. This has caused us to look at the Suffolks, and how to reduce their labour requirement.

             In 2003 we imported semen from several New Zealand tups, and inseminated 70 ewes. We discovered that the lambs produced were more alert, with greater vigour at birth. Since then we have imported more semen, and pleased with our results we intend to have N.Z. genetics in every ewe by lambing 2008.