National Sheep Association giveaway set to aid growing flock

Young shepherd Cathryn Jones has won £200
Young shepherd Cathryn Jones has won £200

Young shepherd Cathryn Jones could not have been happier on receiving the news she was a winner in an NSA prize draw, taking home a £200 voucher for Cox Agri/Ritchey.

National Sheep Association has teamed up with FecpakG2, Cox Agri/Richey and JG Animal Health to give away three £200 vouchers at a free prize draw giveaway every other month this year.

New NSA members are automatically entered into the draw, as well as existing members who have recommend a friend or neighbour to sign up to the sheep farming association. Cathryn is one of three winners in the penultimate prize draw for 2016.

Shepherding is a growing passion for Cathryn, who lives near Bethlehem, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire.

She has built up her current flock of Welsh Mountain Badger Face sheep, favouring the Torwen type within the breed since receiving a single breeding ewe as a gift from her mum when she was younger.

Cathryn now plans to add more of a commercial side to the flock and recently purchased a number of Welsh Mountain ewes, which she’ll lamb this coming season.

Closed flock

Explaining her system, she says: “I lamb all the ewes outside at the moment, but tend to bring them in for a few days after they’ve lambed to keep a close eye on them.

“Once they’re settled, I’ll tag and record on paper details of the ewe, number of lambs and their sex.”

Cathryn runs a closed flock, which means she keeps a number of ewe lambs back each year to use as replacement breeding females in the future.

The main of her ram lambs are sold at breeding sales, including NSA Wales & Border Ram Sales.

Cathryn continues: “I have been selling ram lambs at the NSA Wales & Border Ram Sales for a number of years now, something I really enjoy.

“Having bought and sold stock there, I think it’s a great sale with good quality stock guaranteed.”

With stock management at the forefront of her mind, Cathryn says she is looking forward to putting her £200 Cox Agri/Ritchey voucher towards various everyday essentials to improve her flock.