Jenkinsons maintain around 150 pedigree Limousin females which produce a significant number of high quality calves each year.
Animals that go to market are in high demand with farms throughout the UK aiming to enrich their own herd with the injection of top pedigree blood into their stock.
As with every area of the Messrs Jenkinson's farming operation, IT plays a valuable role in recording the health, development and history of each animal. Data is stored both centrally, and directly on the animals themselves using an additional chipped tag that is scanned with a hand-held unit to upload or download information instantly.
The Jenkinson system extends far beyond the statutory requirements of modern cattle rearing to give a complete record of medical history, breeding and calving. This total picture is an important factor in planning the nutrition, supplements, treatments and future breeding mix of each animal in order to develop the finest herd possible.
As with so many North Country holdings, sheep farming is a core activity for Messrs Jenkinson. The lush Eden valley is well suited to breeding quality sheep for meat.
The Farm maintains a standing flock of some 3,000 North Country Mule/Texel cross ewes. These sheep are covered by Texel rams to produce around 5,000 lambs each year.
Each year a number of rams are sourced from trusted breeders, refreshing the Farm's stock and ensuring the exceptional quality of the Jenkinson flock is maintained.
Lambing takes place under the cover of a series of purposebuilt sheds that offer spacious, low stress surroundings that keep the young lambs safe from exposure, predators and disease, achieving excellent early development and keeping mortality to a minimum.
The cross-bred stock offers high quality meat, whilst at the same time offering ewes with the excellent maternal instincts of the Mule; helping ensure the lambs go to market in exceptional condition.
During the cold months of early spring, Ewes are brought in off the fields into the well-lit, dry environment of the farm's extensive modern lambing sheds. Comfortably bedded on fresh dry straw, the ewes have easy access to water and feed, and ample space to move around and settle in readiness for lambing. When their time comes, Ewes are moved into individual lambing pens alongside the main enclosures to deliver.