THE oldest flock of Charollais sheep are making their way to Liskeard after they were sold in a lock, stock and barrel sale.

The Crogham flock of Jonathan and Carroll Barber, Wymondham, Norfolk, was founded from the original importation by the family in 1977. The Crogham flock has been sold in its entirety to young breeder Will Whiting and family of Liskeard.

Will Whiting said the opportunity to acquire such a unique and well-developed flock was too good to miss: “The reputation of the Crogham flock needs no explanation to anyone within the Charollais breed. Being able to buy the flock as a going concern to add to our already established Fursdon flock will give us a headstart in terms of genetic progress.”

The Crogham flock of Charollais sheep which has recently been dispersed in a private deal from East Anglia are now heading to the South West with the Whiting family in Cornwall
The Crogham flock of Charollais sheep which has recently been dispersed in a private deal from East Anglia are now heading to the South West with the Whiting family in Cornwall ( )

Commenting on the sale Carroll said the couple had made the difficult decision to sell the flock for a number of reasons.

She said: “Ultimately, it was the right time to give another generation the chance to progress with our genetics.

“There have been many highlights for the flock over the years, including top priced ram sales of Crogham Frankie, Crogham Hannibal and Crogham Cannon and winning all lamb classes at the Royal Show in one year. Breeding top performance animals and seeing significant increases in muscle and growth while maintaining good looking stock has also been a satisfying achievement.”

Jonathan added: “Both our children are pursuing successful careers away from farming, so it made sense to offer the opportunity to another youngster.

“Will is a passionate supporter of the Charollais breed and firmly believes in many of the same principles in breeding as we do, including the use of performance recording technologies to progress the flock forward.”

In selling the flock the Barbers hope they have enabled a young breeder to take a leapfrog in the breed, something they felt was appropriate, given the family’s long-standing relationship with the breed.

Included in the sale were 30 flock ewes, 26 shearling ewes and the entire 2024 lamb crop of 50 lambs at foot, sired by Edstaston Bodhi.

They added: “We wish Will and his family the best of luck with the Crogham ewes.”