How young farmer’s breeding plan underpins flock expansion

This year looks to be a big one for Farmers Weekly 2024 Ag Student of the Year Logan Williams as he combines knowledge from university and his new career in the supply chain to start making changes at the family farm.

His parents purchased the business just over a decade ago and, in 2024, took over the management of Logan’s late grandfather’s holding a short distance away.

This year, Logan plans to double ewe numbers with a new breeding plan and begin improving the grassland across the farms.

See also: Farmers Weekly Awards 2024: Ag Student of the Year

Time to expand

Now back at home, Logan can start expanding the flock to progress towards the 200 ewes he aims to lamb in a few years’ time.

He’s currently running 200 sheep in total, with the ewes due to lamb early in March to Texel tups. He trialled a Texel on half the flock last year.

“We used to put a Suffolk on the North Country Mules, but I wasn’t that keen on the lambs,” says Logan. “The Suffolk-cross lambs would get to 48kg and not be fat, but a Texel-cross will be ready to go at 40-42kg.”

From last year’s kill sheets, he is confident the Texel-cross will grade well and provide some good ewe lambs to retain for breeding.

He now has the added insight of working “in the trade” as a graduate in the agricultural team at Dunbia, which has given him a broader view of the supply chain.

“I was definitely guilty of not thinking about what happened beyond the farm gate, so it has been really interesting seeing all the different areas, from the abattoir and boning room to the sales department, and where different carcasses go.”

Grassland diversification

Alongside expansion and keeping an ear to the ground for land to rent, Logan will be looking at improving the grassland across the two units he and his parents run.

“We are not the biggest of farms – we need to use every acre to the best of its ability,” Logan says.

Part of that will include soil testing this spring, looking to diversify grass leys to increase grass growth and facilitate a greater stocking density.

On a study trip in his final year at Aberystwyth, he visited Northumberland where several farmers he met “swore by multispecies swards” and explained they were incentivised by government schemes.

“I’d like to see incentives to use multispecies leys from the Welsh government – I think it could be a good way to increase grassland resilience and decrease the carbon footprint,” says Logan.

Government sector support

In the early stages of his farming career, Logan hopes the Welsh government will support agriculture with schemes that farmers are willing to take up, after the initial suggestion 10% of their farm would have to be allocated to tree planting was abolished late last year.

“I think that productivity and efficiency grants for equipment and support are extremely important and need to continue to be available – not just subsidies based on environmental factors only,” he says.

“Consumers are demanding more from farmers, so we need schemes that work for the farmer while the public get what they want.

“My concern is the big corporates buying land for carbon credits if Welsh farming is not supported. But we have to stay positive and do the best we can.”

When not working full time and farming in the evenings and on weekends, Logan has continued to trial sheepdogs, enjoying a good “nursery season” through autumn with the younger dogs after retiring his main competition bitch last year.

Training and selling the dogs helps expand the farm’s income sources.

The farm’s other diversification, a holiday let, should beready to open to visitors this year, and will offer them a chance to experience life on a Welsh farm.