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Sheep

Poll Dorsets

The Lovejoy Poll Dorset flock was established in 2005 with purchases from the English and Ticklers flocks, as well as other locally sourced tegs.

The original plan was to produce high quality boxed lamb, but the merits of the breed soon lead us to produce out of season lamb, meaning we are able to provide lamb all year round, particularly at Easter through our own on farm butchery.

The ability to breed any time of year means the Poll Dorsets are lambed to suit our quiet time and the lamb sales then help to bring in year-round income. Equally, the positive attributes of being an easier care breed that suited our extensive ground and management system were certainly proved and we have never looked back.

We now have 70 pedigree ewes, half of which are bred as pedigree for replacements, with excess females for sale when available with tups being available for sale all year round as well. The other half of the females are put to  a Texel ram where the lambs have proved very popular with local butchers and we have won many Easter lamb classes at local markets. 

As well as making great mothers, they are calm to handle and have proved to be a great hit with our three daughters who all enjoy showing them.

In 2017 we were fortunate to win the medium section of the National Poll Dorset Flock Competition. This was a huge achievement for us with many flocks entered from across the UK and we thoroughly enjoyed meeting other breeders at the AGM and presentation evening.

Romneys

The Oxney flock of pedigree Romney sheep was established in 2020 after going through a grading up period from our commercial flock.

With a shrinking number of pedigree Romney breeders, we thought it was important to add a new blood line in to the pedigree flock. We are looking to breed a Romney with size, a good fleece, presence and correct breed attributes.

The Romney ewe suits our type of ground and grazing management using low inputs.

Currently numbering 100 pedigree ewes, we offer rams for sale from home and at the Society Sale at Ashford Market, as well as select numbers of breeding females. 

Commercials

Running 900 acres of owned and rented grazing across neighbouring villages to the farm’s base at Wittersham, the commercial sheep enterprise currently numbers 1200 breeding females. 

Breed choice is largely two thirds Romney ewes put to Romney and Poll Dorset tups. The remaining third consist of Poll Dorset x Romney ewes which are put to Beltex cross tups. 

Progeny from the commercial flock are sold through our own butchery with the remaining lambs sold through our local market as either store lambs or prime lambs depending on market trends or seasonal demand. 

We have breeding females of all ages available to purchase across our different flocks.