Kent half breed

[Mcnulty24]

Anyone run these? Thinking of trying a lleyn or highlander across some of my romney ewes. Hoping it might add a bit of prolificacy to the replacements but have some concerns I will lose the robustness of the romney.

We dry up in the summer and grass can be tight, the romneys tend to bounce back once they get a bit of grub.

 

[Agrivator]

I would have thought that an Aberfield might be a better bet.

And if you can't get an Aberfield, a Texel cross BFL would do. It's the basis of an Aberfield anyway.

 

[neilo]

Anyone run these? Thinking of trying a lleyn or highlander across some of my romney ewes. Hoping it might add a bit of prolificacy to the replacements but have some concerns I will lose the robustness of the romney.

We dry up in the summer and grass can be tight, the romneys tend to bounce back once they get a bit of grub.

A Lleyn crossed in would certainly lose a bit of ‘robustness’ imo, and not necessarily improve lamb numbers (I know people that have moved from Lleyns to Romneys in an attempt to increase scanning %age).

A Highlander would also lose some of that ‘robustness’ I suspect, but not as much, whilst increasing scanning %age slightly. Isn’t that jus5 what a lot of the kiwi Romney guys have done? introduce Highlander genetics once, then back to the Romney. The Highlander is just a Romney x Texel, with a splash of Finn blood to increase prolificacy.

Would a prolific Texel (use ebvs) from someone that breeds them more functionally/commercially than others, be a better option? Or a RomTex from similar perhaps?
@Romney_Rob ?

 

[neilo]

I would have thought that an Aberfield might be a better bet.

And if you can't get an Aberfield, a Texel cross BFL would do. It's the basis of an Aberfield anyway.

Most farmer reports on the Aberfield crosses that I’ve heard don’t exactly scream prolificacy, whatever the makers might claim.

 

[Al R]

Most farmer reports on the Aberfield crosses that I’ve heard don’t exactly scream survivability, whatever the makers might claim.

I don’t know much about the highlanders like Neilo does but i’d guess they’d be a good cross onto romneys.. how about a nelson type welsh? Mine scan 180% every year and rear not far off outside, like a “not posh” Romney..

 

[Mcnulty24]

Thanks, hadn't considered Nelson type Welsh

 

[beardface]

Have some here but Romney over lleyn, I'd be inclined to tup as ewe lambs otherwise you end up with quite a big ewe as the put flesh on for fun. Good feet good constitution. Just be warned that your neighbours will all want to breed them when they see them. The most underrated cross in my opinion and one to watch

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Most farmer reports on the Aberfield crosses that I’ve heard don’t exactly scream prolificacy, whatever the makers might claim.

Innovis' own survey gave 191% for Highlander, 169% for Highlander x and 166% for aberfield.

 

[Agrivator]

Some crosses will perform better than others under poor management or under poor environmental conditions.

Some crosses will perform better than others under good management or good environmental conditions.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Some crosses will perform better than others under poor management or under poor environmental conditions.

Some crosses will perform better than others under good management or good environmental conditions.

Innovis survey was across 141 farms and about 100 000 lambs so i guess a reasonable cross section.

 

[MDL POWERUP]

Have some Romney x nz texel here. Very tall sheep, very milky but don't hold condition as well as I'd thought they would. Also resemble a goat. Plus side as hoggs scanned at 140% so I'm presuming as shearlings would be pushing 200% (fingers crossed).

 

[MDL POWERUP]

Have some Romney x nz texel here. Very tall sheep, very milky but don't hold condition as well as I'd thought they would. Also resemble a goat. Plus side as hoggs scanned at 140% so I'm presuming as shearlings would be pushing 200% (fingers crossed).

 

[Agrivator]

Innovis survey was across 141 farms and about 100 000 lambs so i guess a reasonable cross section.

And was the analysis based on what information the the farmers provided?

 

[Poorbuthappy]

And was the analysis based on what information the the farmers provided?

Yep.
Slightly down on last year overall.

 

[neilo]

And was the analysis based on what information the the farmers provided?

Why wouldn’t it be?

 

[Ysgythan]

Depends what type you want.

Border Leicester (Coopworth)
Cheviot (Perendale)
Lleyn (Kent Halfbred)
Texel (Romtex)

They’re all decently established types in NZ or here. It you could really old school and dig out a Southdown

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

The original Kent Halfbred was a Romney x Cheviot which in NZ became the Perendale.
It was not overly successful in the traditional Romney sheep areas of Kent and Sussex as it would not put up with the hard grazing and high stocking rates. Teeth were also an issue in that they didn't last very long.

The two best crosses we find are using a more maternal type Texel to cross on the ewes and then cross them back to a Texel which give some great lambs. Or if you want to go down the prolificacy route then put an Aberdale (Texel) on the Romney ewes, this gets the best of both worlds in that you have very high prolificacy but maintain shape and the durability of the ewe.
One breeder in Kent crosses these with a Beltex and achieves the highest price per kg every week in the market. These are the ideal export lambs.

Care has to be taken in that the old Romney has now been bred much better and will if managed correctly give a flock lambing % in excess of 150 which for a grass sheep kept outside all of its life is fine for an easy life!

 

[Mcnulty24]

Thanks for that Frank, I would worry a texel would mean loosing some of the maternal instinct.

 

[NZDan]

A Lleyn crossed in would certainly lose a bit of ‘robustness’ imo, and not necessarily improve lamb numbers (I know people that have moved from Lleyns to Romneys in an attempt to increase scanning %age).

A Highlander would also lose some of that ‘robustness’ I suspect, but not as much, whilst increasing scanning %age slightly. Isn’t that jus5 what a lot of the kiwi Romney guys have done? introduce Highlander genetics once, then back to the Romney. The Highlander is just a Romney x Texel, with a splash of Finn blood to increase prolificacy.

Would a prolific Texel (use ebvs) from someone that breeds them more functionally/commercially than others, be a better option? Or a RomTex from similar perhaps?
@Romney_Rob ?

A splash of Finn blood????? 50%Finn 25%Rom25%Tex. If I visit yours you can pour me a 'splash' of whisky.

 

[neilo]

A splash of Finn blood????? 50%Finn 25%Rom25%Tex. If I visit yours you can pour me a 'splash' of whisky.

That wasn't my understanding, and I certainly can't see much of a Finn influence in any of the Highlander rams I've had, or their progeny. The most recent one looks a bit more that way, but he was (foolishly) bought unseen, and likely won't be staying long.

As for the visit, it’s neat whisky here. Why would you want to spoil it by splashing it into anything?