Caerlan Farm is a family run hill farm extending over 300 acres above Tonyrefail.
We have a flock of Pedigree South Wales Mountain Sheep and a cross-bred flock.
We pride ourselves on working with nature. All our lambs are born outdoors
where they stay with their mothers and graze the fields.
We were the first farm in the Rhondda Cynon Taff area to be accepted into the 'Tir Gofal' conservation scheme. Our land includes many large areas of natural woodland and marshland supporting a wide variety of indigenous species. Footpaths cross our land and the 'considerate walker' is always welcome.
Browse around the site for further information, see our environmental work, find out about supplies of Farm Fresh Lamb or keep reading below to meet the family and find out what is happening at Caerlan Farm.
See us on Google Earth, which is available free from http://earth.google.com/ Use our postcode to find us - we are only dwelling at CF40 1SN
The farm is a family run business, Geoff and Julie, and the children Rachel and Rhidian, live at Caerlan. (Aerial View)
The family came to Caerlan in the 1950’s, when both sheep, pigs and cattle had their place in the farming system. Geoff’s mum and dad, Islwyn and Joan, established a flock of South Wales mountain sheep here.
Geoff worked as an electrician after school and after a short spell farming potatoes in Canada came home to work on the farm.
Geoff’s sister Jan also worked on the farm, but is also a highly qualified riding instructor, (BHS I). She now lives in Coity, and is much in demand running her own business giving private tuition.
Geoff’s wife Julie also comes from a farming family, the granddaughter of a dairy farmer, and runs her own training and agricultural consultancy business:-
Julie's sister Eira is married to a neighbouring farmer. They now run Lakeside Farm Park and Trout Lake as well as the farm, a few miles down the road:
Rachel and Rhidian help out a lot on the farm, especially at lambing time, where they take complete charge of any pet lambs we may have, and consequently all of their pets join the flock as adults! All pet lambs stay with us!! Rachel is at University of Glamorgan, and Rhidian still at school.
Meet the Animals!...
We now have 5 dogs, top dog is Bill, we also have Jim and Bonnie, last year we bred from Jim and Bonnie, and have kept 2 pups - Ben and Moss.
We also have a terrier called Rip, amongst other things!! He is half-brother to Jan's terrier Tim. He and Bill are big butties, but poor old Bill does put up with a lot - he really is a spoilt child!!
It is important to call sheepdogs short names with only one or two syllables and different vowels in each one, this makes it easier for them to distinguish which commands are intended for each dog when they are all working together gathering the sheep.
We have a Dunn Mare called Dolly, and Rachel’s horse Officer Dibbles is currently out on loan.
Any pet lambs we may have are looked after by our children, Rachel and Rhidian, consequently all of their pet lambs stay with us and join the flock as adults. Yvette, Rachel's oldest pet lamb died when she was 13! (a sheep is old at 4-5!)
We have Husky Musky and Mrs Musky, a pair of Muskovy ducks, Charlie the Gander, and the goose and one other gander. We also have about 15 chickens that are laying for Wales!
Dogs
Our sheepdogs are very precious to us - they work for us, and they are loyal and true.
< Here are some very special dogs that have touched our lives.
Meet the Sheep!
We run two flocks of ewes on the farm, the main one being a pedigree flock of South Wales Mountain sheep. We can trace families back for 30yrs! We belong to the South Wales mountain sheep breeders society and flock-book. We sell rams from the pedigree flock to other breeders in the area. We used to show the sheep at local shows and the Royal Welsh, and had great success in the ram classes at the royal Welsh for over 10 yrs. Unfortunately we gave up showing due to the modern day evil 'pressure of time'.
However the ram you see here won his class at the Royal Welsh show two years running. He was called Bronson, and we still have many of his granddaughters and grandsons in the flock. But we got back showing- under pressure from the kids, in 2006, and got two thirds at the royal welsh, so we have just entered again this year! Come and see us - our breed is shown on the Monday.
There is an old saying that your rams are half the flock, so you need the best possible. Each ram will serve about 50 sheep per season, so the progeny from 50 females depends on his abilities and the genes he passes on!
< Here are
some of
our famous ones!
The ewes too are special, some are just great characters, and have stories attached to them, and the pet lambs join the flock, ad never leave!
Old sheep are sold when they 4-5 , but the “girls” as they are known live out their retirement- barren and as passengers!
These are the most famous
over the years:-
Annie’s mam, Dolly, Big chops, Trippy, Yvette, Kiara, Sporty, Star, Big Trip, Fluffy, Fly, Toffee, Noisy, Fanta, River, Edwina, One ear.
^ Here are some pictures of Kiara, now aged 9 with Rhidian and Rachel as a lamb, and with them now! I think its fair to say all of them have grown!!
Poultry
We have one or two special cockerels over the years, Arthur, Henry and Road runner spring to mind! The hens too are great, even when they lay in the haybarn, not in the shed.
The Ducks
Now these will turn us grey! The comings and goings of the ducks are well chronicled in my annual newsletters.
Currently Husky Musky and Mrs Musky are top ducks!
Geese
Charlie came to us from Rhys, Eira and Russels son. We thought she was a goose at first. She thought she was a duck as she was hatched in an incubator. She spent the first year shadowing Nick, watching us through portacabin door and windows. Then we got another 2 geese, one was a goose, and Charlie came out as gander!!
Horses
Our best ever mare was Rachel's pride and Joy. She had her for her 11th birthday, and their relationship was just wonderful. It was one of the saddest days we experienced when she developed acute peritonitis and was put down in our barn.
Auntie Jan went in search of another a year later and found 2, Officer Dibbles and Dolly.
Agri Facts
Silage: We made silage in the summer months. We have 30 acres to cut, after which it is left to wilt for a day or two, we then collect it in forage wagons and compact it into the silage pit. It is covered with black plastic to exclude air and water, it will ferment and literally pickle itself. It is used to feed the pregnant ewes throughout the winter, when of course the grass stops growing.
Wool: We are only allowed to SELL fleeces to the wool marketing board. However, we do not make any profit on this, so if you spin or weave, please contact us to arrange to collect them, free of charge.
We also have a terrier called Rip, amongst other things!! He is half-brother to Jan's terrier Tim. He and Bill are big butties, but poor old Bill does put up with a lot - he really is a spoilt child!!
We have a Dunn Mare called Dolly, and Rachel’s horse Officer Dibbles is currently out on loan.
Any pet lambs we may have are looked after by our children, Rachel and Rhidian, consequently all of their pet lambs stay with us and join the flock as adults. Yvette, Rachel's oldest pet lamb died when she was 13!
However the ram you see here won his class at the Royal Welsh show two years running. He was called Bronson, and we still have many of his granddaughters and grandsons in the flock. But we got back showing- under pressure from the kids, in 2006, and got two thirds at the royal welsh, so we have just entered again this year! Come and see us - our breed is shown on the Monday.
Poultry
Charlie came to us from Rhys, Eira and Russels son. We thought she was a goose at first. She thought she was a duck as she was hatched in an incubator. She spent the first year shadowing Nick, watching us through portacabin door and windows. Then we got another 2 geese, one was a goose, and Charlie came out as gander!!