With a growing sheep business and jobs off the farm too, Ian and Fiona Andrews are delighted to have won a new bit of kit that will potentially save them time when working with their flock at Cattistock, Dorset.

The couple are the most recent winners in the NSA membership recruitment draw, which is giving away 12 Shearwell EID stick readers this year. Entry into the draw is automatic for new NSA members – but as existing members, Ian and Fiona qualified by recommending a friend to join the organisation.

“We were at the South Counties Texel Regional AGM and dinner, where the guest speaker happened to be NSA Chief Executive Phil Stocker,” says Ian. “While having a chat with him we discovered that one of our friends on the table was not a member. We encouraged them to join NSA – and are really glad that they did!”

Ian and Fiona started their own pedigree Texel flock in 2009, having taken to the breed when they helped friends during the showing season. They have already built up to 50 ewes and have ambitious plans for a strong flock of good quality commercial and show sheep.

Ian also works as a self-employed agricultural worker, setting aside a couple of days a week to work with a commercial flock of 1,600 ewes, as well as additional season work, fencing, hedging and other jobs. Fiona has a full-time job as an equine nurse, so the time-saving potential of being able to use their prize to read eartags and record management information appeals to the couple.

Ian continues: “When we heard we had won the Shearwell EID stick we were thrilled. It will be very useful and save a lot of much needed time that was spent fulfilling movement recording requirements. The whole process will now be much quicker and records will be kept up to date in a more manageable way.

“I have been a member of the NSA for about five years, as I have always thought they are good supporters of the sheep industry. We have found NSA a very useful organisation to belong to. It keeps us up to date with all the top news, new products, market prices and anything else we need to know.”

Ian and Fiona plan to keep expanding their flock, with the help of Ian’s father, who helps with feeding and checking sheep where he can, and the support of other family members. Fiona parents’ and sister-in-law having an interest, and nephew Toby (9) and niece Phoebe (4) are keen young handlers.

Ian says: “We both hope that our flock continues to thrive and keeps growing and producing good quality Texels. We have been in our farm cottage for about four years, and luckily our landlords Robert and Nicky Atkinson are friends and have always been very good about us having the sheep. We have been able to put sheds up so we can lamb at home, which makes life a lot easier. We started off with around 10 acres and have built it up to around 100 acres. The long-term plan was always to build the land up first and then keep expanding the sheep. We think Texels are a good breed for us because, as a big carcase sheep, there will always be a good trade for strong commercial rams.”

NSA is giving away a total of 12 readers between December 1 2014 and November 30 2015. Full terms and conditions and membership application forms at www.nationalsheep.org.uk/draw.