The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Land Management => Topic started by: Pallyando on April 12, 2026, 11:51:56 am
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I'm looking for advice on store lambs, and potential breed suggestions as I'm looking for something fairly specific from a timing and land management point of view.
Based West Devon, and I manage my land in a wildlife first fashion...a small scale wilding project if you will, where any stock I keep is to help in habitat creation and management, diversifying the sward/meadow creation etc, but will end up in the freezer (don't want to breed). Have used weaners to good effect in past years, but this year am looking for some lambs to graze the late summer meadow growth and aftermath.
They would have access to about 3 acres of grazing, about half of which will have been cut over the summer, and the rest will be a summers growth (quite long) plus field fringes of woodland and scrub/Bramble/Gorse etc.
From a timing point of view would be looking to get 2-3 store lambs from no earlier than August, to finish/slaugher
from anywhere between December and February (no later) so a breed with a slaughter age of 8-10 months.
looking for hardy breed suggestions that will be mostly self sufficient and ok with minimal supplemental haylage. We tend to get a good flush of grass growth in the autumn and the land can be quite wet through winter but always good dry areas.
Hope this makes sense and thanks for any advice suggestions.