Published in the Jameson Journal August 2026

 With Jameson Rapid Lamb Pencil & Supagain Pencils

A Hill Farm Focused on Performance

At over 1,000ft above sea level, Richard Woodsworth of Brown Hill Farm runs a flock of traditional Swaledale ewes, with the majority put back to Swaledale rams and a small number crossed with Leicester tups.

Lambs begin in April, producing hardy hill lambs suited to the challenging hill environment.

With scanning percentages improving from 189% in 2024 to 193% this season, Richard has focused on getting the best possible performance from his finishing lambs. Once lambs are weaned, all Swaledale lambs are retained for finishing.

A Proven Feeding Programme

In 2024, lambs entered the shed at around 36-37kg liveweight and were introduced straight onto Jameson Rapid Lamb Pencil, fed twice daily alongside quality second-cut haylage.

The highly palatable Rapid Lamb Pencil encourages intakes from day one, helping lambs settle quickly onto concentrates and maintain steady growth. Once they are eating confidently, Richard transitions them onto Jameson Supagain Pencils, where they continue to thrive on an ad-lib feeding system.

During the 2025/26 season, a dry summer meant grass supplies were limited and water had to be carted to stock, resulting in lambs coming into the shed lighter than usual at 32-34kg liveweight. Even so, the W.E. Jameson feeding programme helped lambs regain lost ground and continue growing efficiently through the finishing period.

Managing Lambs for Market

A key part of Richard’s finishing system is drawing finished lambs every week. After previously finding that lambs were becoming over-fat and exceeding the preferred 22kg carcass weight, he increased drafting frequency from fortnightly to weekly.

Regular weekly drafting allows lambs to be marketed at their optimum weight, improving specification and reducing penalties, while the combination of Rapid Lamb Pencil followed by Supagain Pencils provides the consistent growth needed to keep lambs flowing through the system.

Delivering Results

The results speak for themselves. Finished lambs have averaged around £143 per head, while feed costs have remained tightly controlled at approximately £20.44 per lamb, delivering excellent feed efficiency and a strong margin over feed.

At W.E. Jameson, we’re proud to support farmers like Richard with practical feeding solutions that deliver results. Starting lambs on Jameson Rapid Lamb Pencil before transitioning them onto Supagain Pencils provides a simple, effective feeding programme that encourages intakes, drives daily liveweight gain and helps produce well-finished lambs ready for market at the right time.

Find Out More

Whether you’re finishing store lambs, managing a breeding flock, or looking to improve performance from your current system, our Jameson Advisors are here to help. Get in touch to discuss the right feeding programme for your flock and explore our range of lamb feeds and nutritional support services.

Call 01765 689666 to speak to a Jameson Advisor for professional feeding advice and tailored nutritional support to get the best from your flock