Philippus Farm

Full blood Wagyu calf Dixie is the first calf of 2024. Born a week early, she is doing fantastic and feeding well. Dixie will join our foundation herd and we are especially excited with her ebv ratings. Although she isn't used to the camera yet, with time we're sure she will find her 'posing' look. You will find more photos of Dixie on all our socials 😊

Our Philippus Valais Blacknose sheep have strong breeding lines, enhanced by regularly changing the ram to improve genetic diversity and flock health. We emphasize quality over quantity, aiming for well-bred, robust sheep. While showing isn't our focus (it's just not for us, sorry!) we will participate in the new future grading events to assess and maintain our flock's standards. Although we usually keep most of our sheep, who doesn't want to see them every morning out of their window, we do occasionally have some for sale so feel free to contact us. We currently have our ram Icarus for sale. Although we're not really pushing his sale as he can live on the farm with the boys, it would be nice to see him have new girlfriends and lots more lambs.

We had promised ourselves we must visit Switzerland to see where Valais Blacknose sheep originate from. See the landscape and terrain and identify what they forage on in the hope we can replicate it at home and to take any 'pointers' from Swiss farmers.

I don't know about you but it doesn't feel like spring to me. With the incessant rain, bridge closures and flooding, it feels like January. Not helped by memories popping up on the phone of sunnier past years 😩

Really does come round quickly!!

All of us here at Philippus Farm wishes you all a relaxed, restful Christmas.

We had a very late lambing here (Valais Blacknose sheep can lamb all year round) with  two perfect lambs (sire: Highland Icarus from Raymond Irvine & Jenni McCallister' show stopping flock.) Introducing our new ram has really shown the quality that comes through to the lambs and highlights the importance of having great genetics. Wool, markings and long woolly legs already evident. Luckily for us, we will be adding them into our flock to live here at the farm. Missing lambing already, we look forward to 2024 lambing.

Calving 2023 is done!

A conservation project we have been working on for several years, introducing Dexter Cattle to help manage a traditional orchard on a hilly terrain. Our experience so far:

Here at Philippus Farm we are really looking forward to be attending The Hanbury Countryside Show on the 1st July. A one day event, showcasing the very best of farming with shows and entertainment. We are sponsoring the very first Valais Blacknose show and would like anyone thinking of showing to be brave, turn up and meet other owners. It's a fun day with (hopefully) sunny but not too sunny aday. We have been asked to bring along Taro our full blood Wagyu bull and it would be lovely to meet all of you. Hope to see you there!

Here she is! Kiko is our first full blood Wagyu to be born on the farm. She is an absolute beauty. one minute she wasn't in the field and the next she was. 5 days early and caught us slightly off guard. If it wasn't for Mum separating herself away from the herd we wouldn't have been able to tell. Like nothing has happened to her and completely well. 

True (ish). While the old folk law of allowing your Wagyu to drink ale to aid good results might be an old wives tale? We have introduced brewers grain to supplement their diet.