Plas Farm Facts

Host Farmers

• Arwyn Jones farms in partnership with his mother. The business also employs three full-time members of staff. Arwyn Lives with his partner Sioned Wyn Roberts, and they have a 14-month-old daughter named Magi.

Land

• The farm extends to 900 acres - 420 acres of which is owned, with a further 480 acres rented on a long term tenancy agreement.
• Most of the land is grassland, with 160 acres of cereals grown annually, including winter and spring cereals.

Livestock

Beef

• The farm finishes 700 cattle each year, all of which are bought in as stores at various ages, typically ranging between 18–22 months of age.
• A variety of breeds are bought, with the aim of hitting the maximum paying out carcass weight.
• Grass silage forms the basis of the finishing ration, supplemented with the home-grown cereals and a bought in protein source, which varies according to prices.
• Cattle are fed using a TMR feeding wagon.

Sheep

• Currently the flock consists of 1,450 head of sheep -1,100 Suffolk cross ewes and 350 mule type ewes.
• Texel cross Beltex rams are used on the Suffolk cross ewes, with the mules mated with Suffolk rams.
• The ewes start lambing in the middle of January, with the ewe lambs lambing from mid-March onwards.
• All lambs are creep fed, and finished as closely to 21kg deadweight as possible.

Cropping

• 160 acres of cereals are grown each year, including spring and winter wheat and barley, most of which is used to finish the cattle.
• 30 acres of rape and stubble turnips are grown annually as part of the farm’s crop rotation.
• 12 acres of red clover is also grown to comply with ‘greening’ regulations.