Flock History
Robin Archer moved from the family farm at Haltwhistle to Carry House in 1962bringing with him 2 Leicester ewes to set up the original flock.
Mule lambs have been bred from Northumberland type Blackface ewes and homebred tups ever since.
In 1974 a homebred tup was producing particularly good Mule lambs and was used on 2 Leicester ewes – ever since the flock has been split into 2 distinct types but running together. Traditional Leicesters continued to be bred but over the last 31 years the crossing section of ewes has been completely separate, based on the best breeding homebred tups along with occasional purchases and taking ewes to particularly good breeders elsewhere.
The traditional flock has been heavily influenced by Posty X1 (sons to £4,000 (2)), Eliza F3 (sons to £2,900), Walton Highlight (sons to £4,000) and Jerriestown L8 (sons to £6,000).
Carry House P5
The homebred £3,600 P5 (sold to Burndale with a share retained) bred exceptionally well with his daughters now some of the best breeders in the flock.
Gimmers by Carry House P5
When FMD restricted tup sales in 2001 we used our best lamb, S1, extensively but unfortunately he died before being used again. His first 13 tup lambs averaged £1,446, peaking at £6,400 for T4 (a Hexham record) sold to the Myfyrian flock with a half share retained. This is the sire of the females with which Myrfyn Roberts has dominated the Royal Welsh and Welsh Progeny Shows in recent years.
Carry House T4
Cocklaw T1 was purchased at Kelso as a shearling for £3800, with a half share later sold back to his breeders Matt and Nicholas Robinson.As well as a successful show career, which included Male Championships At the Highland and Great Yorkshire, he also bred very well with an outstanding group of ewe lambs winning the Penrith Progeny Show in 2006. Ewes by T1 out of T4 and P5 females now dominate the traditional flock.
Progeny Show winning ewe lambs by Cocklaw T1
After 3 seasons work T1 was sold as a 4 shear to the Learmore and Caoramor flocks for £4000 – a reflection on this influential tups reputation as a breeder and show winner. The best T1 sons in the Carry House flock have all been scrapie type 2s and sold to £2,000 and £1,000 (2) as well as a shearling (X1) sold privately to Robert McTurk's Barlaes flock after being Overall Champion at Northumberland Show as a lamb.
T1
X1 Overall Champion Lamb at Northumberland Show as a 10 week lamb
X1 as a shearling
"Heddonvalley X4, A very stylish lamb bought in Builth Wells, has left his mark, producing the 2007 Hexham Champion which sold to Barry Nicholls for £1900 – the top priced traditionally bred sheep sold that year.
Z1 by Heddonvalley
The crossing flock has been based on homebred bloodlines with up to 15 tup lambs kept to try on Blackface ewes every year. Our most successful purchases have been Shafthill L7, Riddings M23 and Riddings S12 with sons and grandsons having a big influence on the flock. In addition Messrs Gass, Nunscleugh let us borrow their homebred L21 and Riddings K6 after a shearling we bought from them at Carlisle was infertile to A.I. with. Descendants from these 2 tups have also bred well.
Recently Firth X3 (Bull & Cave X Nunscleugh N25) has done an exceptional job on both Blackfaces and Leicesters, and semen from N25 has also been used with a view to some line breeding.
Lambs by Firth X3
In 2006 a homebred shearling christened Xfactor X39 was retained after breeding exceptionally well as a lamb. A batch of Swales were bought to try him on and the resulting crop of Mules out of both breeds are some of the sharpest and cleanest coloured lambs we have ever had.
Lambs by X Factor out of Blackies
Lambs by X Factor out of Swales
2005 Show Lambs