- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
He has a dislike of Lleyns and runs them down when he gets a chance.
Real, professional, store buyers know quality when it's Infront of them and pay for it. Regardless of breed.
TexX ewes - which Tup to use?
- Thread starter Nithsdale
- Start date
He has a dislike of Lleyns and runs them down when he gets a chance.
Real, professional, store buyers know quality when it's Infront of them and pay for it. Regardless of breed.
- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
It's Longtown store sale I topped with Lleyn lambs
Did they think they were frost bitten Cheviots?
There are a two types of lleyn where he might have a point though. The old fashioned hill type that are small and wooly and get overfat easily is just a slightly better hill lamb so would be discounted over something 'better' bred. From what I remember they didn't really go over 40kg and some were slow growing too. They would do a job as ewes but you didn't want too many of the ram lambs.
And there is the other type that is just a big lanky rangey sheep that is really hard to put meat on. They were expensive to finish and often out of spec by the time they got some meat on that big frame they would be much too heavy.
The other what I call a more modern type is completely different to those two types. Much squarer sheep that will finish to a decent carcass at a decent weight in reasonable time.
This is a home bred shearling ram the day I took them out of the ewes last year. You can see where his harness was. Not the best one but the only pictures I have.
And there is the other type that is just a big lanky rangey sheep that is really hard to put meat on. They were expensive to finish and often out of spec by the time they got some meat on that big frame they would be much too heavy.
The other what I call a more modern type is completely different to those two types. Much squarer sheep that will finish to a decent carcass at a decent weight in reasonable time.
This is a home bred shearling ram the day I took them out of the ewes last year. You can see where his harness was. Not the best one but the only pictures I have.
- Location
- South east scotland
There is lleyn to suit every farming scenario from the highest hill to the lowland early place a very versatile sheep with lots of potential with careful tups selection and breeding they can rival and outdo any other commercial sheep. As a side note decent tup there good skin decent backend for a maternal and up on all his toes.
That's true it's finding the one that suits your farm that is the difficult bit. There are loads of farmers that say lleyns are shite because they had one that didn't suit without really looking for a different type. I don't blame them to be honest I hated the lanky rangey type and almost went and bought some Romneys instead but stuck with them seeing as we bought two tups from one farm on what would have been the last year of buying lleyn rams that threw some really nice ewe lambs so more of less stuck with that breeder since as well as using some of my own.There is lleyn to suit every farming scenario from the highest hill to the lowland early place a very versatile sheep with lots of potential with careful tups selection and breeding they can rival and outdo any other commercial sheep. As a side note decent tup there good skin decent backend for a maternal and up on all his toes.
Thanks I was pleased with him but he went a bit off in one of his front legs this spring/summer so went in the cull pens last week. Was bought by a dealer to go as a breeder for someone though. Still have his half brother who will be going over as many ewes as he can cover
- Location
- South east scotland
The first lleyn ewes we bought where sh!t€. Big leggy soft vermin really. Bred them out sharpish and got to where i likes them and bred from there swapping tups between family groups recording everything about them and i mean everything have now got what i like and buy very few tups in.That's true it's finding the one that suits your farm that is the difficult bit. There are loads of farmers that say lleyns are shite because they had one that didn't suit without really looking for a different type. I don't blame them to be honest I hated the lanky rangey type and almost went and bought some Romneys instead but stuck with them seeing as we bought two tups from one farm on what would have been the last year of buying lleyn rams that threw some really nice ewe lambs so more of less stuck with that breeder since as well as using some of my own.
Thanks I was pleased with him but he went a bit off in one of his front legs this spring/summer so went in the cull pens last week. Was bought by a dealer to go as a breeder for someone though. Still have his half brother who will be going over as many ewes as he can cover
spark_28
Member
- Location
- Western isles
the x lleyns i use to sell store werent any further back than the breeds around them so not sure i agree with that notion.
- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
Lleyn was used to improve the Cheviot... so what are you saying?
If they don't breed to type, why do I have ewes and tups that breed a CONSISTENT type??
We all get you don't like Lleyns, that's fine - but you're just talking pish
spark_28
Member
- Location
- Western isles
Lleyn was used to improve the Cheviot... so what are you saying?
If they don't breed to type, why do I have ewes and tups that breed a CONSISTENT type??
We all get you don't like Lleyns, that's fine - but you're just talking pish
lleyns are far better sheep than a cheviot for a start.
I only buy one really good one (hopefully!) every few years now for a bit of new blood and use my own for the rest. Much better way of doing it than buying 2 or 3 every year even if it does feel like a lot of money for one ram and a bit like putting all your eggs in one basket if it turns out to breed poor sheep.
I'm not aware of any Cheviot being used in lleyn breeding? Have seen some Cheviots with the tell tale lleyn style black spots on the ears though I know texel has been put in officially a long time ago to stop inbreeding when they were a rare breed in the 70s I think, and not so officially by some still now even. Not always a bad thing though Can't say they don't breed to type though mine are and always have bred pretty consistent that the lambs would look like a mix of my ewes and the rams I used.
you could get lynched for saying things like that
Some lleyns will be better than Cheviots for some things but Cheviots have their place and are bound to be better than lleyns at a lot of things on a lot of farms. There's such a variation in types for both of them I'd bet you could find some of either breed that would excel on nearly any farm. And find any of either that would be shite on any farm too
I know texel has been put in officially a long time ago to stop inbreeding when they were a rare breed in the 70s I think, and not so officially by some still now even. Not always a bad thing though Can't say they don't breed to type though mine are and always have bred pretty consistent that the lambs would look like a mix of my ewes and the rams I used. you could get lynched for saying things like that Some lleyns will be better than Cheviots for some things but Cheviots have their place and are bound to be better than lleyns at a lot of things on a lot of farms. There's such a variation in types for both of them I'd bet you could find some of either breed that would excel on nearly any farm. And find any of either that would be shite on any farm too
Guiggs
Member
- Location
- Leicestershire
I beg to differ
Guiggs
Member
- Location
- Leicestershire
As has been said above, and I've said myself times, theres some terrible lleyns out there, I brought ewe lambs from 4 different places when I started with them and I culled 3 lots after a season or 2, in doing so I now have a flock of circa 90% home bred ewes that work for me and are of a "type" I like and want. The lambs are consistent and although I don't get my ego stroked by getting my name in the market reports i do get to keep a lot of my hard earned cash in my pocket rather than pouring it down their necks!
Next time I see Neil, I'll ask him. Can you give some idea of the date and what other lambs made.
Guiggs
Member
- Location
- Leicestershire
You think he's a liar?
I think it's incredible that Lleyns could top the store sale at Longtown. I would guess that under current market conditions, LLeyn store lambs will make about £40 - £50 per head. Conventional Suffolk crosses £50-£60 per head, Conventional Texel crosses £55 - £65 per head. And mixed conventional Texel crosses (ewe and wether mixed) £65 - £70 per head.
- Location
- Scottish Borders
If he takes stores to a sale that are Lleyn and they are mistaken as tex or tex cross, and sell well, then well done him . That just means he has good stock .
Unfair to imply that he’s lying!
Unfair to imply that he’s lying!