Farm Smart: Northern Ireland couple takes their sheep farming business to the next level with Flockwatch
In the Glens of Antrim, Christine and Mark Robinson use Herdwatch to streamline flock management, save time, and improve breeding decisions on their part-time sheep farm.
Christine and Mark Robinson run a part-time sheep farming enterprise in the Glens of Antrim, Northern Ireland. Farming alongside full-time jobs, they manage 38 acres and a flock of around 90 ewes, mainly Poll Dorsets.
The couple also produce hay and haylage for both sale and on-farm use, helping support the overall sustainability of their system.
Building a sustainable sheep enterprise
Both Christine and Mark come from farming backgrounds and bring strong experience and work ethic into their own farm business.
The couple are constantly improving their farm, with recent investments including fencing, reseeding land, building infrastructure, and introducing a working dog to help with handling sheep.
Their long-term goal is to move into pedigree Poll Dorset breeding while continuing to grow the business sustainably.
How Herdwatch has taken their farm to the next level
Christine and Mark now use Herdwatch to track breeding, health, lambing, and flock performance — giving them instant access to key information wherever they are.
Using an EID reader with Herdwatch has replaced traditional paper systems, making recording faster, more accurate, and far less time-consuming.
Better breeding decisions with real data
Herdwatch allows the couple to track ewe and ram performance, identify problem animals, and make better breeding decisions year after year.
Saving time during lambing
Lambing used to involve recording notes on WhatsApp and transferring them later — effectively doubling the workload.
This has significantly reduced admin time and improved record accuracy during the busiest time of year.
Monitoring performance and staying inspection ready
The couple now record weights to track lamb performance and predict sale readiness, giving them better control over costs and outputs.
Herdwatch also simplifies farm assurance audits, with all reports available instantly.
With everything stored in one place, Christine and Mark feel more confident, organised, and in control of their farm business.
You can follow their journey on Instagram @mullaghsandall.farmers.
A smarter way to manage your flock
Join Christine and Mark, and thousands of farmers using Herdwatch to simplify records, improve breeding decisions, and save time on farm.