RoSA mentors helping the next generation of sheep producers to successfully progress
Five months into the NSA and Register of Sheep Advisers (RoSA) mentoring initiative, valuable conversations have taking place between experienced advisers and ambitious young sheep farmers across the UK.
The scheme, delivered through NSA Next Generation in partnership with RoSA, pairs young producers with trusted industry experts to provide tailored guidance on flock performance, business planning and future resilience. While each mentoring relationship is unique, a common theme is emerging that small, well-informed changes can make a significant difference to flock productivity and business confidence.
In County Durham, adviser Debby Brown has been working with young sheep farmer Sophie Walton on a wide range of flock health and management issues. Discussions have covered everything from foot health and prolapse to grazing management, forage analysis and housing for pet lambs.
A key focus has been understanding the relationship between nutrition, minerals and flock performance. Debby has encouraged Sophie to carry out further soil testing and forage analysis to help identify any deficiencies or imbalances affecting issues such as magnesium deficiency post-lambing and contracted tendons in lambs.
Rotational grazing has also been explored as a way of improving grass utilisation and lamb performance, with suggestions to trial the system in a small number of fields initially to assess the practicalities and benefits.
Debby stresses that Sophie is already running a strong enterprise, meaning improvements are likely to come through careful refinements rather than major changes.
“Any improvements will require small changes, and probably some a bit outside the box thining,” she explains.
Meanwhile in Essex, adviser James Royce has been supporting Hamish Beaton as he evaluates future opportunities for expanding his successful gimmering enterprise.
Hamish currently buys in North Country Mule and Suffolk-cross lambs to overwinter and sell on as gimmer lambs in East Anglia. The business has developed a strong reputation locally, with buyers willing to pay a premium for high-health-status sheep.
This pairing’s mentoring work has centred on how the enterprise could expand without compromising flock health or performance. Together, James and Hamish reviewed historical gross margins and developed future forecasts for business growth.
One scenario looked at continuing the business on its current successful trajectory, while another considered more challenging conditions including increased purchase costs, lower sale prices and potential impacts on flock health.
The exercise has given Hamish a clearer picture of the risks and opportunities associated with expansion and will be reviewed again later in 2026 as more figures become available.
In south-west England, North Devon Farm Vet Rachel Forster has been mentoring Gloucestershire sheep and poultry farmer Kieran Wheatcroft remotely – a new experience for both mentor and mentee.
Using online meetings and a YouTube video tour of the farm, Rachel has been able to assess flock management and provide advice on health at lambing time, ewe nutrition and parasite management.
A major area of discussion has been ewe body condition scoring and the importance of maintaining condition throughout the production cycle. Kieran had identified that drought conditions during summer 2025 negatively affected ewe condition and subsequent scanning percentages.
Rachel also encouraged Kieran to investigate whether underlying disease or parasite burdens could be contributing to reduced reproductive performance.
Preparation for lambing has formed another important part of the mentoring relationship. Discussions covered forage analysis, selecting suitable concentrate feeds and improving rumen health through better feeding management.
Reflecting on the experience so far, Rachel says: “Kieran has a proactive attitude and willingness to collect and analyse flock data to guide future decisions. His careful eye for detail stands him in good stead for the future.”
The mentoring scheme continues to demonstrate the value of knowledge-sharing within the sheep sector. From flock health and nutrition to business planning and infrastructure improvements, the partnerships are helping young farmers build confidence while equipping them with practical tools to strengthen their businesses for the future.
NSA will continue to update on the successful mentoring partnerships later this year.
Find out more about RoSA at www.sheepadviser.org.uk
