The breeding of sheep has always been hugely important to the farm and the family. They would be walked from the farm over the hill to Haddington to sale at the Mart, or to nearby Reston, with an overnight stay allowing Jimmy and the sheep to rest.
The farm breeds a pure bred commercial flock. All of the sheep are reared and bred on Middle Monynut Farm. In order to maintain the breed of the sheep and minimise disease, sheep are never imported from other locations or flocks apart from male replacements. The nature of the hill farm is that weather conditions are not always favourable and after two severe winters, as published heavily in the press, the stock numbers fell and have taken five years to get numbers back to normal.
The ratio of sheep is one per 1.5 acre on average and their diet consist largely on benty grass and heather, which is particular suitable for the Blackface sheep.
