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 75 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 Beltex rams where the lambs have proved very popular with local butchers and we have won many Easter lamb classes at local markets. We then keep some of these crossbred ewe lambs for a small flock that produce lambs for fatstock shows in winter. Some of these crossbred ewe lambs are also sold for breeding. As first crosses they also have the ability to breed all year round.

We have found the Poll Dorsets to be very calm and friendly. 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.