Welcome to Charmoise Sheep NI.
Charmoise Sheep bred and reared in Northern Ireland, our window into who we are, why Charmoise Sheep and what we do here with our Glenshesk flock .
Both Davy and Judith are from farming backgrounds in their native Scotland and moved here to Northern Ireland in 1999. We operate a small holding and keep both commercial sheep as well as our pedigree Charmoise.
So why Charmoise, why not? they are extremely hardy with excellent shape and conformation, a hill breed that can thrive on little more than grass alone and they produce a very alert and lively lamb that is easily lambed due to their small head and narrow shoulders. There have been Charmoise rams sent to Ireland before, but we believe we are the first to stock both ewes & rams with the intention of breeding pedigree Charmoise sheep.
Primarily bred for MEAT PRODUCTION.
Excellent CONFORMATION of carcass.
HARDY in the toughest of conditions.
Revered as a 'REARED ON GRASS' breed.
SELF LAMBED or EASILY LAMBED due to their small heads and narrow shoulders.
Small lambs, VERY ALERT & LIVELY.
About Us
Glenshesk - (Irish: Gleann Seisce, English: the sedgy glen) is one of the nine Glens of Antrim in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It was shaped during the Ice Age by glaciers and starts at the back of Knocklayde mountain and meanders along its base down to the town of Ballycastle where it meets up with Glentaisie. The upper slopes are green fertile fields home to flocks of sheep and the little farms that survive through the harsh winters. The base is a haven for wildlife with a thick carpet of trees and hedgerows that surround the narrow winding glen road.
Why Charmoise
The Charmoise sheep is a breed of domestic sheep which is raised mainly for meat production. The breed was actually developed in France (Loir et Cher) in the middle of nineteenth century and was created by crossing the imported Romney sheep from the United Kingdom to ewes from local sheep breeds such as the Merino, Berrichon and Solognot.
The Charmoise sheep breed was then used in the production of continental terminal sheep breeds such as the Charollais and the Rouge.
Our Charmoise
We rent our grazing and apart from a few ducks & hens we only keep sheep. We keep a selection of cross and mule ewes for a commercial return. We also recently purchased from Scotland a nucleus flock of pedigree CHARMOISE, in lamb ewes and a shearling Ram. There have been Charmoise rams sent to Ireland before, but we believe we are the first to stock both ewes & rams with the intention of breeding pedigree Charmoise sheep.
Where to find us
It’s easy to find us – just follow the map or pop our address into your sat nav…
162 Glenshesk Road
Armoy
Ballymoney
Co. Antrim
BT53 8RL - Northern Ireland
Struggling to find us?
No worries, give us a call on 079 687 36612.
Visit us at Glenshesk and see why Charmoise sheep are the right breed for you.
