hill sheep farming
TRANSCRIPT
Hill sheep farming is commercial, pastoral and extensive, and is used to produce wool, lamb and mutton.
There are three areas for hill sheep farming to take place, the Fell, the Intake, and the Inbye.
FELL
INTAKE
INBYE
Farm house
CASE STUDY: LAKE DISTRICT
The Fell
The fell is found at the top of the hills, at over 300m in altitude. The sheep graze on this open land in the summer.
The Intake
The intake is found in the middle of the hill, and is divided into fields by dry stone walls. Some of the pasture is improved by adding drainage and fertilisers to the fields.
The Inbye
The inbye is the small area of land found on the valley floor, close to the farm buildings. The soil in the inbye is far more fertile and sheltered than on the fell and the intake. The inbye is used for lambing, shearing, ect., and also can be used for growing some winter fodder, such as turnips and hay.
Inputs, Processes and Outputs of hill sheep farming.Physical Inputs:
Relief, soils, climate, over 2000 mm annual rainfall and short growing season
Human and Economic Inputs:
Difficult accessibility, market, subsidies and grants, little labour and fodder crops
Processes:
Dipping, lambing, fertilising and shearing
Outputs:
Profit, wool fleeces, money from B&B, tourism, lambs and little profit to reinvest.
Problems with hill sheep farming
Foot and mouth disease has restricted sheep movement and sales. Hill sheep farming is not
always profitable.
Costs of things like fuel,
machinery and fodder have all
risen. Lamb prices in the
late 1990’s fell.
The threat of the removal of subsidies by the EU.
Fewer young people want to carry on sheep
farming.
Changes and improvements to hill sheep farming
Subsidies and grants to improve farm environment
Farmers are continuing to leave the land or take part time jobs in nearby
towns, if available
New breeding stock to improve
quality and quantity of meat
and wool
Greater use of fertilisers to
improve quality of pastures
Grants for new farm buildings so lambing can be done indoors.
Some farms that could not survive and have been sold, often as
second homes.
Thank you for watching my PRESENTATION
By A. Cole