Sheep breeding, bit of advice

Paul86

Member
Stick with what you've got.
Adding Lleyn to your mix with give you multiples....been there, done that. soddin 3s and 4s.
.....and I'm guessing thats not your kind of ground or farming.

I keep both - (old fashioned) blackies and (hill northish) cheviots.
Happily, they're on different ground - sbf on open hill, chevs see more inbye/enclosed.
The cross is an outstanding sheep, I can breed my own 'crossing' tups, and it's a way of weeding out any trait I don't like in sbf
I see your problem, wanting to run one group.

We've dabbled in mule breeding, but the bfl was costing far too much. but it has made me consider ditching the bulk of the pure chev flock, and replace them with crosses from sbf drafts.

Watching with interest....and want to see pics of these wicklows!
Id be inclined to agree, run lleyns here as well but have never crossed them on the cheviot x blackie ewe. I think the lamb would lack size and wouldn't sell well in the store ring but I could be wrong. Did cross the lleyn on the blackface ewes for a few years but the ewes were very small compared to the cheviot blackface ewes and they were brutal for 3's and 4's weren't uncommon. Great mothers though.
 
If the hills are unfenced and so and so next door gathers them in from my experience working on hill farms without a large branded mark on their sides most people don’t have an idea who owns what regardless of ear notches and tags, most hill flocks would be much more profitable without the wool but the biggest hurdle is being able to brand/mark/pitch sheep.
I've worked on a hill place myself as a student. As you say, the wool off most hill sheep is worth so little that it would be best if they didn't have it for all concerned. I take the point about marks and brands but surely in this day and age it's a simple matter to read/scan an eartag?
 

gwi1890

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
North wales
I've worked on a hill place myself as a student. As you say, the wool off most hill sheep is worth so little that it would be best if they didn't have it for all concerned. I take the point about marks and brands but surely in this day and age it's a simple matter to read/scan an eartag?

I suppose but it’s not uncommon to gather 50 neighbouring sheep in or a bunch from several different holdings drafting the other people’s sheep is much easier with marks I suppose 🤷. Back to the OP cross them with a Lleyn have a few left here they do well on marginal land, they are crossed with welsh mountain though, but they will all be gone end of the year as Im in the process of converting to Shedders 🤣🤣, Have worked with Blackie x Lleyn in the past and thought them to be good ewes a bit crazy but good ewes none the less.
 
Location
Cumbria
I've worked on a hill place myself as a student. As you say, the wool off most hill sheep is worth so little that it would be best if they didn't have it for all concerned. I take the point about marks and brands but surely in this day and age it's a simple matter to read/scan an eartag?
You want to come and help when we gather of the fell!!! 😂. We’ll only have 5 or 6 with no mark that come in but every time through the sorting race they get muttered about until eventually they are the last ones left and at that point we have to listen to a 10 minute rant about folk not marking their sheep!!! 😆😂
 

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