Pedigree Lleyns?

scottish-lleyn

Member
Mixed Farmer
;)

I'm not daft enough to get into sticky mud by suggesting where to buy from or where to avoid... :ROFLMAO:

My point is just that it's a very different environment they've lived in, compared to Southern England










(there's a handful breeders near me which are close to the top of the tree, I wouldn't even look at their pens... but many others seem to think they are good ?‍♂️)
Think i know who you mean and i share your views.

"har chamakatee cheej sona nahin hotee "(hindi) incase you think ive gone mental typing giberish
 

Bill dog

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Scottish Borders
Think i know who you mean and i share your views.

"har chamakatee cheej sona nahin hotee "(hindi) incase you think ive gone mental typing giberish
Good quote!
But if @Nithsdale Farmer’s near neighbour uses a bit of glitter to sell his white mules, then fair play !
Ps between you and me , my dad is a cousin of them !:nailbiting:
I no longer use lleyn, Romney here !:LOL:
 

Optimus

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
North of Perth
Got for it.had them for nearly 20 years. Bought 15 gimmers an 5 ewe lambs and bred my own ever since.

A lot of variation in the breed I tend to prefer the tighter coated ones

Also have a black one but I think the breeder who I bought the tup off had been putting something else into them!?
 

Agrivator

Member
The other merit of Lleyns is that they are the supreme sheep when it comes to the high-jump stakes.

Who can remember Dorian Williams commentating on the Puissance? at the Horse-of-the-year Show. He obviously had no idea that a resurrected breed (mongrel) of a sheep, 30 years' hence, would beat the lot of them.

We still have an extra top rail round the sheep pens, a legacy from when we were daft enough to have a few Lleyns. And we still haven't regained our lost reputation.
 

Optimus

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
North of Perth
The other merit of Lleyns is that they are the supreme sheep when it comes to the high-jump stakes.

Who can remember Dorian Williams commentating on the Puissance? at the Horse-of-the-year Show. He obviously had no idea that a resurrected breed (mongrel) of a sheep, 30 years' hence, would beat the lot of them.

We still have an extra top rail round the sheep pens, a legacy from when we were daft enough to have a few Lleyns. And we still haven't regained our lost reputation.
You definitely don't have much love for them [emoji23]
 
Exactly this. It's not rocket science. I don't know why do many people struggle with it.
Because if your planning a sheep business it's not as simple as that. The thread is about buying Lleyns to establish a viable flock of sheep. Now say I want a flock of 200 ewes and I go out and but 200 Lleyns. My experience and many other people who have tried them and commented above is that following the cull cull cull mantra rigidly then the majority of them would be culled after the first year at a financial loss which could be £50 to £60 per head. Yes you would have some gimmers coming forward from the decent ones but not enough to maintain the flock at 200 and so you would have to buy in again and repeat the process. If you don't cull them then you have years of working with a large part of your flock being underperforming sheep. Yes you would eventually get a decent flock by culling but it would be very expensive way of doing it. What I'm saying is that it would be more viable like to buy better sheep in the first place.

I think I'm right in saying Nithsdale Farmer originally had a flock of Scotch Mules which he crossed with Lleyns to get to where he is today. In that situation where you have got a base to start from then hard culling is viable but it's not if you are in the situation I outlined above. If Niths had used Cheviots or Texels or whatever other breed and farmed them in the same way then he would have ended up with a good flock of sheep as well.
 

Nithsdale

Member
Livestock Farmer
Because if your planning a sheep business it's not as simple as that. The thread is about buying Lleyns to establish a viable flock of sheep. Now say I want a flock of 200 ewes and I go out and but 200 Lleyns. My experience and many other people who have tried them and commented above is that following the cull cull cull mantra rigidly then the majority of them would be culled after the first year at a financial loss which could be £50 to £60 per head. Yes you would have some gimmers coming forward from the decent ones but not enough to maintain the flock at 200 and so you would have to buy in again and repeat the process. If you don't cull them then you have years of working with a large part of your flock being underperforming sheep. Yes you would eventually get a decent flock by culling but it would be very expensive way of doing it. What I'm saying is that it would be more viable like to buy better sheep in the first place.

I think I'm right in saying Nithsdale Farmer originally had a flock of Scotch Mules which he crossed with Lleyns to get to where he is today. In that situation where you have got a base to start from then hard culling is viable but it's not if you are in the situation I outlined above. If Niths had used Cheviots or Texels or whatever other breed and farmed them in the same way then he would have ended up with a good flock of sheep as well.


The OP already has sheep. Grading up from the best he already has is the most logical way forward. It will minimalise getting stung by picking bad sheep.

Never run, before you can walk.

The OP is young and has his sheep business all ahead of him. IMO he needs to breed right, now, and worry about pedigree later. If he gets his flock where/how he wants, becoming ped/registered and mv accreditation is all straight forward, If he still wants to go down that road.
 

hubbahubba

Member
Location
Sunny Glasgow
I really wanted llyens to work with me. Tried them from 3 different farms. Worse sheep ive had ever. I must have been unlucky with the 3 breeders i purchased them from over a 2 year period. I know atleast 3 other farms that have tried them and couldnt get rid quick enough.

Still trying other options to get away from buying mules. After 5 years trying different things i think i have it.... bleu du maine!!! Just another 5 years or so and i will know if its the answer . ?‍♂️

If it was that easy everyone would be doing it.
 

Nithsdale

Member
Livestock Farmer
I really wanted llyens to work with me. Tried them from 3 different farms. Worse sheep ive had ever. I must have been unlucky with the 3 breeders i purchased them from over a 2 year period. I know atleast 3 other farms that have tried them and couldnt get rid quick enough.

Still trying other options to get away from buying mules. After 5 years trying different things i think i have it.... bleu du maine!!! Just another 5 years or so and i will know if its the answer . ?‍♂️

If it was that easy everyone would be doing it.


What were the problems you had with them? Were you running them with the Mules? Or separately, along side?
 

hubbahubba

Member
Location
Sunny Glasgow
What were the problems you had with them? Were you running them with the Mules? Or separately, along side?
Yeh along side mules and texel x mules. The pures lambs were far too slow at growing, pure ewes and even x lleyns had the worse mastitis ive seen, poor milk yields and never held there condition anything like a texel x mule does. If they worked like they have for you and some others id have a full flock of lleyns too but id never go back again.
 

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