Sheep News

Farmer and broadcaster Adam Henson will be leading the 2025 Sheep Drive over the River Thames, the Worshipful Company of Woolmen confirmed. 

Defra is being urged to ensure the SFI supports farmers in the face of a changing climate, as it develops the next round.

The Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) is advising farmers on the importance of using Group 4-AD (monepantel) and Group 5-SI (derquantel) wormer actives in lambs as a mid-to-late season dose to help manage resistance and support optimal growth rates. 

Graziers running short of keep this summer can now apply for adjustments to a range of stewardship options through the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) review process.

Farmers running public lamb-feeding events have been advised to avoid offering close contact with animals, such as holding, cuddling and kissing lambs. 

The National Sheep Association (NSA) has responded to Chris Packham’s column published in The Guardian, which claims that sheep are “destroying Britain’s upland habitats”, by calling for a more evidence-based and balanced conversation around the complex issues affecting protected landscapes. 

Sheep farmers have been urged to remain vigilant Haemonchus contortus infection as reports suggest the parasite is spreading across the UK.

The National Sheep Association (NSA) has highlighted the urgent requirement to grant a temporary derogation for grazing certain environmental land options that are part of the Countryside Stewardship scheme, considering the exceptionally dry weather currently experienced by many parts of the UK.

A three-year industry project has more than halved lameness levels across 10 Welsh sheep farms, saving £54K per year.

A 27-year-old Welsh shearer, Huw Jones, has broken a record after he sheared 663 ewes in eight hours.

UK sheep farmers are being encouraged to take part in a survey carried out by Nettex that explores mineral supplementation practices across the sector.

As temperatures have been very high across the UK in recent days, AHDB has issued practical guidance to help farmers protect cattle and sheep from heat stress.