Hutchinson Photography: The beauty of farming Swaledale sheep - in Wensleydale

“My photography was a hobby that got out of control,” says Wayne. “Farming was my work, now it’s the other way round. I make the majority of my income from breed societies, magazines and selling indivual pictures. It started when I got a camera for Christmas, I enjoyed taking pictures and it just got bigger and bigger.

Wayne grew up on his parents’ tenanted farm at Fell End in Ravenstonedale in Cumbria but has lived in Hawes for ten years with his wife Karen and has a flock of Swaledale sheep and became a council member for the breed two years ago.

Wayne says he learned a great deal about Swaledales from a man he worked for in his formative years.

“I got my first Swaledale sheep in 1985-86. I was always mad keen on the breed, so much that when I had the choice of going to France with school or buying a ewe, I chose the sheep, much to the annoyance of my French teacher.

“That draft ewe’s first lambs sold for £3500 and £800 when I was about 15. Then I shepherded for Harry Tunstall who was a big influence on me. I also bought a few pens of draft ewes off him, and most of the sheep in my flock today go back to those first ewes.

“Harry was one of the most respected Swaledale breeders. He had masses of years of experience and depth of knowledge. He would live for his sheep and say that if you want to get anywhere, you have to be fully dedicated.

Although Wayne found a different path for his regular income, he is still very much a Swaledale sheep breeder who enjoys breeding quality stock and was delighted to become a council member when the opportunity arose.

“We had a tup sell at £4500 last autumn. We don’t get to many shows as I’m working at them with my photography. When we do show we are fairly competitive and don’t embarrass ourselves too much. We show at Ravenstonedale, Tan Hill, Muker and the Royal Highland and we’re generally in the tickets. We have had a champion at Ravenstonedale Show.

Wayne and Karen have a small flock on land in various packets around Hawes and some higher hill land in Cumbria.

“We have 25 acres of land and farm buildings at Low Bands just above Hawes. It’s meadow land and a bit of pasture land. We rent another 15 acres, next to the auction mart at Hawes, and Karen has half a dozen or so acres of meadow/pasture in Burtersett.

“Our sheep are all ‘Swaleys’. We don’t cross anything. This year we put 63 to the tup, which goes in November 6, with lambing starting around April 1. I like to get all lambing done by May 1 because that’s when my photography kicks off properly for the year when the cattle sales start.

“We fatten nearly all the tup lambs and sell them through Hawes livestock market. It’s a mart that is really going places at the moment with a young, keen and enthusiastic auctioneer Ian Atkinson. It’s the place to be selling ‘Swaley’ fat lambs and Mules.

“I like to finish selling Swaley tup lambs after they come back from being away in the new year. I put them on cake for between 4-6 weeks, selling at between 45-55 kilos.

“I haven’t got enough sheep to justify breeding Mules, so I try to have as good a flock of female sheep as I can. We only keep between 15-20 gimmer lambs each year. I’m very selective, and if I get good tups that I can sell, that helps. Our draft ewes will regularly sell between £150-£200 per head to those who breed the Mule.

“I’ve been on the council around two years now. I’ve always thought getting on to council is a tremendous honour. I think it’s vital that the breed council encourages younger people, fresh blood, as it can’t be standing still, the breed has to move forward. Our outgoing secretary Rachel (Buckle) has done a tremendous job bringing it up to speed with things like social media promotion.

Wayne believes the Swaley is still the top hill breed and that it is more than capable of retaining its status due to its hardiness, lambing percentages and maternal traits.

“The Swaledale, once she’s lambed and the lamb’s had a suck, is pretty much good to go and you rarely have to mess around with them again.

“Ours scan at about 186-187 per cent. We don’t pamper them too much. We’re not soft with them. The ground they’re on is between 900-1300 ft and the Swaledale ewe is just a tremendous mother that really grows her lambs out.

“When you finish with your Swaley ewe, selling as a three-crop, you get very good value, but the thing with the breed is that you have to ‘follow the breeding’ meaning follow the bloodlines, that’s a massive thing.

“One of the many great Swaledale breeder couples are Paul and Sue Hallam and we ‘followed the breeding’ successfully as the tup we sold for £4500 last year was out of a ewe we bought from them.

The Swaledale ewe put to the Bluefaced Leicester tup produces the North of England Mule, which continues to be a success with breeders up and down the UK. Wayne sees this as a continually winning combination that augurs well for the Swaledale’s future.

“If you look at the national flock of Mule sheep the North of England Mule makes up between 30-40 per cent. The Swaledale ewe is essential in producing the Mule lamb and tends to have 200 per cent when lambing to the Leicester. That is where the Swaledale breed cannot be beaten. And if you look after your Swaley ewes they will last a long time. We have a ewe at the moment that was born in 2010. We also have quite a few six and seven crop ewes.

Wayne’s son Sam has taken up the farming working life that Wayne had in Cumbria but is also part of his father’s photography business.

“Sam has been farming alongside my mum and dad since leaving school, but he’s also great at the filming side. He has had a YouTube channel when he was about 13-14 years old showing farming. It’s called The Swaley Man and it developed a bit of a following. He he now does quite a bit of video work for me and all sorts of photography.

“My business keeps developing, to use an old photography word. The biggest change recently has been people buying digital downloads. My pictures of any event are up on my website the same night.

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