COMMERCIAL progeny of the Beltex will be monitored by the Moreton Morrell Centre of Warwickshire College, near Stratford, following the first donation of a ram to the college by the Beltex Sheep Society.

The college will be using the ram on its commercial flock to provide quality lambs, which are mostly sold locally on a dead-weight basis.

The Moreton Morell Centre dates back to the immediate post war years and has undergone recent radical changes, yet is still committed to demonstrating good commercial practices.

The farm's main enterprises are a 200-cow dairy herd, 800 breeding ewes and a small herd of Simmental cattle.

Wheat, barley, beans and maize are grown.

The sheep flock is managed in three groups.

The 44-ewe pedigree Suffolk flock lambs in January with the aim of producing good commercial crossing tups.

A further 200 Suffolk cross Mule ewes also lamb in January to produce prime lambs for the early market, with 600 Mule ewes put to the Suffolk and Charlottes rams to lamb in March.

"We were interested in using a Beltex tup on the main flock of Mule ewes to provide quality lambs," said lecturer Andy Tuffen who, along with farm manager Richard Price, will be involving students in monitoring the performance of the Beltex cross lambs alongside -other terminal sires.

"We will be looking at traits such as ease of lambing, birth weights, daily liveweight gains and carcase classifications," Mr Tuffen said.

"This will be a useful comparison for our students who are tomorrow's farmers and stockmen."

He added: "We are grateful to the Beltex society for sourcing the sire and we are looking forward to assessing the results."