The Farmers Mart Oct-Nov 2018 - Issue 59 | Page 34

34 HALFPENNY HOUSE FARM OCT/NOV 2018 • farmers-mart.co.uk 75824 - RDAnderson - 8TH.pdf 1 12/09/2018 10:05:18 C M Y CM Foot trimming with roll over crush Large bulls no problem Freeze branding RDA CATTLE SERVICES LTD 31, The Springs, Middleham, North Yorkshire, DL8 4RB MY CY CMY Tel: [phone] | Mobile: [phone] K R D Anderson Hoof Trimmers would like to wish Bob Dixon of Half Penny House Farm good wishes for the future. Where Swaledales generally make a good deal more than a ha’penny Chris Berry talks with Bob Dixon of Barden Moor. NFU MUTUAL NORTH RIDING IS PROUD TO SUPPORT J T DIXON & SONS Taking the time to offer you attentive, personal, local service for your insurance, pensions and investments. Call or pop into your nearest office. Leyburn Unit 3a Herriot Court, Leyburn Business Park Harmby Road, Leyburn, DL8 5QA Tel: [phone] | Email: [email protected] Northallerton 3 Thornfield Business Park, Standard Way Northallerton DL6 2XQ Tel: [phone] | Email: [email protected] SWALEDALE sheep make up the lion’s share of the farming operation at Halfpenny House Farm at Barden near Leyburn. Bob Dixon has a flock of 850 pure Swaledale ewes and a suckler herd of 45 Limousin X and Belgian Blue X cows. ‘My family has been here 101 years since moving from Barnard Castle and we’ve been members of the Swaledale Sheep Breeders Association since my dad Jack and uncle Joe joined in 1943. We try to breed quality tups and ewes and although I sold a tup at £10,500 eight years ago it’s generally easier to sell a pen of ewes or gimmer lambs than a tup that isn’t quite right where nobody bids at it, whereas everybody will bid at a ewe. It can be a lonely place if you’re stood at Hawes with a tup that doesn’t go.’ ‘You need a bit of a knack and a bit of luck to get high priced quality tups. We buy around four new tups a year at Hawes and Kirkby Stephen, but some years we man- age to get away with just buying a couple. It all depends on the rest of the rams we have.’ Bob counts scanning ewes as one of the best management tools they have on the farm. ‘We scan late January and early February which means we can separate and feed those with twins a bit better and at lambing time at least we know what to expect. We lamb the pures from April 1 and the older ewes that produce the Mule gimmer lambs starting March 20. We’re usually about done by early May. Our lambing is currently around 170 per cent but I prefer it around one and a half lambs per ewe. You get a Stokesley 23 College Square, Stokesley North Yorkshire TS9 5DW Tel: [phone] | Email: [email protected] Agents of The National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Society Limited. 75808 - SwaledaleSheepAssociation - 8TH.pdf 1 11/09/2018 11:58:08 C SWALEDALE SHEEP BREEDERS’ ASSOCIATION M Y CM MY CY CMY K Proud to be associated with The Dixon family of Half Penny House For further informa�on please contact: John Stephenson (secretary) 01833 650 516 / 07751 439 363 [email protected] | www.swaledale-sheep.com WE DO BUSINESS WHERE IT MATTERS MOST TO YOU Duns 01361 883488 ▪ Alnwick 01665 603231 ▪ Newcastle 0191 605 3480 ▪ Wolsingham 01388 527966 ▪ Barnard Castle 01833 690390 ▪ Bedale 01677 425301 ▪ Shiptonthorpe 01430 876010