Heidi M Sands considers the Suffolk sheep. 

Most of us will have seen Suffolk sheep at some time or another, even it we aren’t aware of it. Suffolks are large sheep with solid looking black heads; not to be confused with ‘Blackfaced’ sheep that are lighter built, usually horned and hill sheep, whereas Suffolks are lowland sheep.

South West Farmer:

The Suffolk breed came about by crossing Norfolk Horn ewes with Southdown rams in the area round Bury St. Edmunds. These sheep became known as ‘black faces’ or Southdown Norfolks. Towards the end of the 1790s the name changed to the Suffolk and the breed was regarded as producing mutton of the very best quality. By the end of the 1880s the first flock book was published, the breed society formed and the breed as we know it had begun.

These first Suffolks were used in the early farming systems of East Anglia being perfect for rotational grazing on stubble or clover depending on the season. They were often grazed on local salt marshes and during the winter were kept on turnips on which they were ‘folded’ and moved as necessary. Lambing took place early in the year and where feasible the ewes were lambed out of doors in hurdle shelters or strawed yards.

The breed ultimately took hold of the home sheep market in a big way, and also made in-roads overseas becoming the leading sire of top quality prime lambs. In short the Suffolk of today is recognised everywhere as being one of the UK’s top crossing sires.

Suffolk ewes are acknowledged as being good mothers. They are milky and prolific, commonly giving birth to twins although triplets are not unknown. In days gone by the breed was acknowledged for having trouble during lambing with a high percentage of ewes needing assistance, today this has largely been addressed by breeding ewes with wider pelvic dimensions. The breed also suffered from foot problems in the past, particularly when kept on wet ground, but this has improved over recent years too and the breed is now recognised as having good hard feet.

The Suffolk is a hornless breed with a moderately short fleece. He’s also a strong sheep and relatively tough; he can live out in most weathers, especially if he has shelter available to him in the form of a hedge or a wall to shelter behind. He will winter out in temperatures down to about minus 10 degrees so long as he is well fed; be warned though he can eat, and he will always have room for bucket feed or hay.

During the summer months the breed will need good grazing especially if the ewes are feeding growing lambs but on the smallholding can be kept in paddocks through which they can be rotated to make best use of the growing grass. They are perfect ‘follow on’ grazers, utilising the grass left behind by others grazers including cattle.

South West Farmer:

As a smallholder’s sheep Suffolks and their crosses make perfect additions to the holding. They are easily managed, are nice to have around and are aesthetically pleasing. Be warned though although the ewes move well before a trained sheepdog, rams can be more resistant to this approach and may well stand their ground in the face of anything but the most determined sheepdog.

Depending on where you are in the UK, Suffolk sheep can be lambed outside if in the warmer areas of the country or, more usually, indoors, especially if a cold snap is expected. Lambs should be on their feet within twenty minutes of birth and sucking shortly after. Ensure that your lambs get a good intake of colostrum but as the Suffolk is such a ‘milky’ ewe it should be possible to draw some colostrum off one or two ewes and keep it in the freezer to have on hand for supplementary feeding to any lambs who don’t have access to colostrum.

If lambing early in the year, for example in January, lambs can be expected to be ready for marketing in late spring or early summer. This gives the producer the opportunity to take advantage of better lamb prices. Any of the better ewe lambs that have been kept back to add to the flock should be well grown by the end of the year and in some cases have been known to have been bred from or run with the ram before they are a year old in order to lamb themselves for the first time around their own first birthday. However, it may be better to leave ewe lambs to grow on into their second year before breeding from them.

The Suffolk is one of the best known sheep in the UK, he’s also one of the most numerous and therefore one of the easiest to find, learn about and ultimately purchase.

South West Farmer:

If you are contemplating keeping Suffolks on the smallholding take a good look at what’s available in your area. Local smallholders groups and farmers should be able to point you in the right direction, failing that go along to your nearest agricultural show and peruse the best of the best in the show ring.

When choosing your own sheep make sure that the udder on any ewes is in good condition; this is paramount for feeding future lambs. Ensure too that your sheep have good hard feet and that they’ve been kept in good condition by correct trimming. They should also be healthy and free from parasites; any sheep that are coughing, itching or that have a nasal discharge are best avoided. Suffolks are usually docked, this keeps their rear ends cleaner especially during grass growing season when good grazing can make for loose droppings, but when buying sheep always ensure that tails are not too short.

With care Suffolk sheep can live until around 8 –10 years old; they may not still be capable of breeding at that age but by that time they will more than likely have re-paid the smallholder back for their initial cost over and over again.

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This article was first published in Smallholder magazine. Get your copy by subscribing here or from your local newsagent.