Benn
Member
- Location
- Somerset/Wiltshire border
How many generations to breed ?
- Thread starter Benn
- Start date
- Location
- Ceredigion, wales
A third of the first cross would shed and 2/3 of the second cross. Third generation should all shed apart from the odd one which will need culling out.
CopperBeech
Member
- Location
- A Welsh man lost in England
What he said.
My experience is that you would be lucky to get 1/3 shed on the first cross
But 2nd cross most would shed
Increase the odds by
1) Breeding from Lleyns with bare bums/bellies/necks
2) Using a early shedding tup ---(we score stock for shedding speed and use rams that produce offspring that shed quicker)
But 2nd cross most would shed
Increase the odds by
1) Breeding from Lleyns with bare bums/bellies/necks
2) Using a early shedding tup ---(we score stock for shedding speed and use rams that produce offspring that shed quicker)
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
If you want to go down that route, are you not better cashing the Lleyns in and buying proper shedders?
If you try to grade up, you will surely end up with part of the flock shedding, part of the flock shearing a fleece that pays for the cost of getting it off, and part of the flock that still has to be shorn, to get half a poor quality fleece. Worst of all worlds?
If you try to grade up, you will surely end up with part of the flock shedding, part of the flock shearing a fleece that pays for the cost of getting it off, and part of the flock that still has to be shorn, to get half a poor quality fleece. Worst of all worlds?
Benn
Member
- Location
- Somerset/Wiltshire border
This year we shorn are own and didnt do anything with fleeces they ended up on the fire
The time we drove to drop of fleece tim and fuel wasnt worth it.
So not too worried about fleece
I really like the lleyns i have now but flystrike is big issue so
I thought this may be the cheapest way to get type of shedding sheep i want?
The time we drove to drop of fleece tim and fuel wasnt worth it.
So not too worried about fleece
I really like the lleyns i have now but flystrike is big issue so
I thought this may be the cheapest way to get type of shedding sheep i want?
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
My suggestion was to sell all the Lleyn ewes (@£90/life?, as they're all fairly young iirc), then use the money towards buying a similar number of shedders. You might have to put £30-40/hd towards them, but you'd end up with all shearlings and all shedding, as your base flock. Then just use your shedding tup over them.
Depends on how many ewes you have i think---
If you have 100 ewes and buy a tup @ £500 (assume you want to buy something as good as you Lleyns if not better)
The first year you will get 75 ewe lambs (150%) of which you will keep 60
These 60 you will put to another tup @ £500 and get 45 ewe lambs of which 40 will shed well and be fit to keep
You can build on that reckoning to figure out what it will cost you to get to your 100 shedding ewes
You will of course be left with a mob of 1st cross part shedders to get rid of at the end of the exercise
If you have less than 100 ewes it may be cheaper to just cash in the Lleyns and buy shedders ?
If you want to see what it all looks like i have a few 1/2 breds left in a share farmed flock ----i don't have any females left to sell this year
I used to have Lleyns and my aim in the Exlana was to produce a maternal shedding ewe of equal (or greater) merit
Danllan
Member
- Location
- Sir Gar / Carms
Lleyns are quite a target to reach (or overtake) in the reproductive terms, what fertility ratio you have achieved?
Similar to the lleyns we used to have ----(we had 600 small Lleyns that were at the top of the sire ref scheme )
One of the Exlana breeders runs recorded lleyns alongside them ---they perform much the same in all aspects (apart from wool production of course
)
exmoor dave
Member
- Location
- exmoor, uk
We dabbed with lleyns before going to exlana,
So far the exlana are better (in my opinion) in every way, esp for rougher grazing.
Ok they are less prolific, but lleyns having runty quads and quins wasn't much fun.
Found the lleyns didn't have much longevity, prehaps they are better suited to grassy farms, but they didn't seem to be able to hack dry grassless summers here, then equally struggled with wintering on the cliffs.
There's some smashing lleyn flocks about, but I was really underwhelmed by the breed,
exmoor dave
Member
- Location
- exmoor, uk
Similar to the lleyns we used to have ----(we had 600 small Lleyns that were at the top of the sire ref scheme )
One of the Exlana breeders runs recorded lleyns alongside them ---they perform much the same in all aspects (apart from wool production of course
Matt's lleyns really do look smashing
Danllan
Member
- Location
- Sir Gar / Carms
Hmm... I am happy with my Easycares in everyway, but I'd still like to reach a ratio of around 1.8, or better. That written, we only started the flock a few years ago, so we have time to get there.
CopperBeech
Member
- Location
- A Welsh man lost in England
Just bought 240 lleyns today, and hopefully off to buy another 250 next week.
We also run a similar number of shedders, so will be interesting to compare. . . . .
We also run a similar number of shedders, so will be interesting to compare. . . . .
- Location
- Leicestershire
Was it a good sale today? I wanted to go but got caught up with jobs and had a 30th birthday doo to attend.
CopperBeech
Member
- Location
- A Welsh man lost in England
Aye it was good to be fair. Bought 140 older ewes and about 80 or so ewe lambs. Some smart stock there, and I was pleased to get them for what we paid. . . . also bought a couple of rams which were good value.
Ended up buying a pen of shedders as well. . . . . it would have been rude not to. . . . . . well I say I did. . . . . @Keepers has been spending our money again!
Benn
Member
- Location
- Somerset/Wiltshire border
I really like the lleyns i have now come from bank farm and tgey are totally differnt (better ) compared to another couple farms i bought from previously.
I have always been tempted with exlana if they are the equivalent good sheeding lleyn they seem perfect.
I have good growing grass all year round,anybody run exlanas or easy care on good grass?do they preform aswell as good lleyns on good grazing?
Mainly just hear about them being used on rougher grazing.
I have always been tempted with exlana if they are the equivalent good sheeding lleyn they seem perfect.
I have good growing grass all year round,anybody run exlanas or easy care on good grass?do they preform aswell as good lleyns on good grazing?
Mainly just hear about them being used on rougher grazing.
Robertollie
Member
- Location
- west berks
Cheaper than a bottle of click?
Got some on good ground here ---run same as or better than our Lleyns
Our Exlana are essentially Lleyns without the wool hassle
Buying Lleyns from Bank Farm you are getting the benefits of accurate performance recording AND tough culling on that info.
Benn
Member
- Location
- Somerset/Wiltshire border
I guess only true way is to run a few lleyn and exlanas side by side for fair comparison