Increased Efficiency Pays Dividends

The Lleyn may not be the biggest of the UK’s sheep breeds but what this increasingly popular commercial female lacks in size, she more than makes up for in production and ease of management.

Not surprisingly, a growing number of flockmasters up and down the country are in the process of reducing their commercial breeding Mule ewe numbers to make way for this prolific, easy-care Welsh-bred female.

“Mules eat too much and they die too quickly, whereas Lleyns eat next to nothing and you can keep far more of them. We can run two Lleyns to every Mule and the Lleyns still produce more lambs at the end of the day,” said Ian Walling, who together with his brother Tom, father Bryan and Bob Hudson, Bryan’s farm business partner, run 1300 Lleyn breeding females at Over Whitlaw, Selkirk.

“When we took over this 500-acre unit, 11 years ago, we brought our 60 Salers cows plus youngstock from the previous farm in Kendal and took on the 600 Mule ewes here. However, we turned organic eight years ago and now run 1300 Lleyns and the same number of cattle,” added Ian, who is also a part-time gamekeeper.

“Initially we were a bit concerned that the Lleyns wouldn’t be hardy enough to survive the cold springs lambing in April — the farm falls between 650 and 1050ft above sea-level. But, I can honestly say that we’ll have lost less than a dozen lambs due to the cold since the breed was introduced here.”

With both boys often having to work away as well as at home — Tom is an agricultural contractor — Brian and Bob attend to much of the routine farmwork and both are equally upbeat about the commercial attributes of the Lleyn.

“The Lleyn is easier lambed and she doesn’t take nearly as much feeding as a Mule,” said Bob. “The most we can get into a Lleyn is 1.5lb of concentrates per head per day before lambing whereas a mule will eat more than 2lb per head, well before lambing time. Our Lleyns aren’t fed after lambing either, unless it has been a really cold spring and grass is limited.

“Lleyns are particularly suited to organic production because they produce more lambs with reduced feed levels and they are more resistant to diseases. We don’t scan but we will sell 175% of the Lleyn crop (this year 186% have been ear-tagged) whereas the number of lambs weaned from the Mules here worked out at just 140%.”

And, contrary to popular opinion, Lleyn lambs sell well either finished or as stores, with the 2006 bottom end organic lambs, which were triplets, quads of quins, selling earlier this year through McIntosh Donald at Portlethen to average £51. These killed out at 15.59kg deadweight and graded R3Ls. Some of the heavier lambs sold mid January, again as organic, averaged £56.74 having killed out at 19kg.

Meanwhile, the bulk of the male lambs not kept to sell as breeding rams are often sold entire off their mothers, to livestock agents in France, however with last month’s foot-and-mouth outbreak in Surrey, that market is unlikely to resume this year.

More notable however, is the fact that while the breeding females are smaller, they have the ability to produce huge amounts of milk which in turn ensures the lambs grow particularly well. This is highlighted by the fact that one of the flock’s show ewes, a one-crop ewe scaled in at 71kg at the beginning of August while her two lambs passed the weighbridge at 45kg and 42kg, respectively.

And, being a maternal breed it’s the female side of the equation that attracts the real premium prices, with the family having sold ewe lambs to a top of £250 per head, to average £76 per head for 500 at Carlisle in 2005. Last year, having picked up either the champion or reserve honours at all the female sales, they sold 650 at Carlisle to balance out at £60.

The flock’s males are also in demand with 30 sold every year either at pedigree sales up and down the country or privately, with the firm’s best being 850gns at Perth. But then many of the best breeding tups are retained for breeding, reducing variable costs.

Most years the Wallings buy just one stock ram then use home-bred sons through the flock. The most successful purchase to date has been Edenhall Classical, a tup bought at Carlisle, from John Page for 4000gns. He bred many of last year’s highest priced ewe lambs along with several of the farm’s prize winning show sheep at both local and national events. Their dearest purchase to date, which also did well was a 4500gns buy from David Alexander, Millside, Galston.

But while male purchases are limited, such is the family’s enthusiasm for the breed that a few pens of females from some of the best flocks in the country are still bought in on an annual basis. And, it’s two boys who are particularly keen, with both looking to establish their own flocks.

Looking back, the first Lleyn females purchased for Over Whitlaw in 1998, came from Fiona’s sister in law, Ros Worsley, from Cumbria, along with a selection of 200+ gimmers from various flocks at the breed sale at Carlisle. Since then, regular batches have been bought to increase flock numbers further along with the best of home-bred females that are retained for breeding.

For now though the family’s aim is to concentrate on the two easiest care breeds available — Salers cattle and Lleyns, which the Wallings believe run hand in hand with both breeds able to produce some of the highest returns with limited management and inputs.

“I don’t think we could make any more money from any other breeds. Even if the sales don’t go ahead, there is such a demand for easycare cattle and sheep that we could sell them privately,” said Ian.
“The real beauty of them is the fact that they produce and rear their young very easily and the females can be retained for replacements which reduces the risk of bringing in disease.”