It has been announced that David Alexander of Millside Farm, Galston, Ayrshire a well known name in the world of sheep is judging the Lleyn Sheep classes at next week’s Royal Highland Show.

David started with Lleyns in 1997 and now alongside Jennifer his wife runs 200 ewes, with many renowned bloodlines as foundation stock. The first Lleyns arrived at Millside after David purchased 75 females at Gaerwen and 2 rams from the sale at Carlisle. The sheep are reared on an all-grassland farm in South West Scotland, 450ft above sea level, alongside David’s famous Blue Texel flock. Although most of the Lleyns are bred pure, a small number are crossed with the Blue Texel for prime lamb production.

Lambing takes place late March, early April. The ewes are brought indoors for convenience and are turned out as soon as they have lambed. Currently David has two stock rams from Emrys & Dylan Jones (flock 599) and DN Bennett & Sons (flock 893).

With the pure Lleyns, both females and rams are kept until shearlings when most are sold at Society sales. In 2010 David topped several sales. The Thainstone sale saw him with the top priced shearling ewes. He has won the female championship numerous times at Skipton, in 2010 he won this award and had the top price of £200. In Ruthin he had the second top price of £175. While his shearling ewes in Carlisle realised £240. In 2002 David had the male champion in Carlisle and went on to sell him for 4600gns, more recently he has sold rams at 4500gns, 4000gns and 2200gns.

David originally had a flock of Rouge and was looking for a cross to improve their hardiness. Having tried the Lleyn he was impressed with their ability hence he moved on from the Rouge as the Lleyn was capable of the job when pure. When choosing Lleyn David looks for size, good skins and frame to help breed a commercial prime lamb.

David, a retired Veterinary Surgeon, is looking to maintain a nucleus flock of Lleyns to enable him to breed his own replacements so that he can keep a simple easily managed system. He believes that sheep farming in general will remain strong for the future as the supply and demand balance falls in favour.

When asked to comment on being appointed to judge the Royal Highland Show, David said “I am absolutely honoured to be asked to judge such a great show, to be given the chance to judge at such a high level makes me believe that all my hard work has been recognised”.

The judging at the Royal highland will take place at 9am on Thursday 23rd June