In the foothills of the Cheviots near Yetholm, Cliftoncote Farm is home to the Freeland-Cook family, who manage 5,500 acres and run a large stratified sheep system alongside a beef suckler herd and contracting business. Welfare and performance go hand in hand for the family, who lamb over 5,000 ewes each spring.
Looking to reduce stress at castration, they trialled the ClipFitter system — a new, legal alternative to rubber rings for lambs up to three months old. Over 600 lambs across different flocks were fitted with clips instead of rings.
The results were clear:
- Instant recovery: none of the clipped lambs lay down afterwards, compared with many of the ringed lambs.
- Improved growth: lambs fitted with clips reached finishing weight 2–3 weeks earlier, adding around £15 per head on a 20 kg carcase.
- Clean healing: clips left almost invisible scars and no signs of distress.
- Ease of handling: castration could be carried out later, when lambs were stronger and easier to manage.
“We want the welfare of the lamb to be a priority and we want it to be growing as well as it can,” said Allistair Freeland-Cook. “It’s definitely ticking the boxes with welfare.”
The family’s findings reflect ClipFitter’s design — blunt-edged clips applied with precision pliers that instantly disable the reproductive cords and nerves, limiting pain while ensuring effective castration.
By adopting ClipFitter™, Cliftoncote Farm demonstrated that improving animal welfare can also enhance productivity and profitability.