Sheep in a Field at Shillahill Farm

Image: © Darrin Antrobus Taken: 20 Apr 2007

Shillahill is part of the 760 acre farming enterprise of the Reid family. According to an internet source: "The fertile Dumfriesshire land, dissected by the River Annan is well suited to a mixed farming operation. All crops are channelled into the various livestock enterprises. The 200 acres of cereals, (mainly barley), are for feed and bedding, a further 200 silage acres provide two cuts, while feeding lambs munch their way through 30 acres of turnips. The Reids produce milk, beef, lamb, hogget and mutton from their pedigree “Bengall” dairy herd of 140 black and white milkers, 60 plus home-bred bull beef bulls, several hundred bought-in finishing steers and, depending on the time of year, over 2,000 breeding and feeding sheep. In the autumn, the Reid’s sheep offer a multi breed display, with and without teeth!. Late autumn 2004, bought in feeding lambs comprised of 1,000 North Country Cheviots from Lairg and 280 Suffolk crosses. In addition there were 100 South Country Cheviots and 280 Scottish Blackface feeding ewes. The in-lamb breeding ewes were 380 Texel cross Scottish Greyfaces (Border Leicester cross Scottish Blackface), tupped by Texel tups to breed ¾ lambs for finishing, plus 100 Scottish Greyfaces, again tupped by Texels, with the best Texel-sired females to be retained for breeding and the remainder finished."

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