Our sheep
The flock
Our sheep are the stars of the show. They are a dairy breed of sheep and at milking time wander into the parlour of their own accord. At present, we only milk 150 sheep. We are not a big farm and this fits with our ethos of keeping things simple.
Grazing
For the majority of the year, our sheep graze outside and eat grass. They are experts at converting simple grass into nutrient rich milk. We firmly believe that they produce the best, most nutrient rich milk when eating a mainly grass-based diet. We only feed small amounts of concentrated feed in the parlour, to compliment the herb-rich grass they graze.
The sheep stay outside for as long as possible during the year. The harsh northern climate means that we do need to house the sheep for a few months in winter, to ensure their welfare and make sure they are in tip top condition.
The Environment
Mansergh Hall Farm only comprises of 174 acres, We farm in a way that makes efficient use of the most productive areas of the farm, whilst leaving small, less productive areas of the farm to grow naturally, encouraging wildlife and bio-diversity. We believe that farming in this way is more sustainable and we are playing our part in contributing to and caring for the beautiful landscape in which we live.
The rest of the farm
We are a traditional mixed farm, with pigs, non-dairy sheep and cattle. We have a passion for farming and are constantly adapting what we do and how we do it. Our aim is to farm without a reliance on government subsidies and we are trying to prepare ourselves for the reductions in subsidy support which will effect farmers in the next few years.