The North Wales Lleyn Breeders Club Open Day 17^th August 2025 kindly hosted by Delwyn and Elaine Hughes, Brookside Farm, Oswestry

The day consisted of a guided tour of the farm, looking at both the pedigree Lleyn flock and the Hereford X suckler herd.   A selection of the breeding flock and this year’s lambs had been bought into the barn to enable easy viewing. There were several competitions being run: a guess the weight of a group of lambs as well as a stock judging contest with four shearling ewes. We were then treated to a magnificent BBQ which included marinated Brookside lamb with a selection of salads, followed by desserts.

Brookside Farm is a small mixed livestock farm of 27 acres near to Oswestry on the Welsh Marches, further grazing is held on a full tenancy taking the acreage up to around 60, in addition to this various local parcels of land are rented on a more seasonal basis. The Brookside flock of approximately 90 pedigree Lleyn ewes run with two pedigree Lleyn tups (James family flock 3005 and Fort 1299).  Lambing starts end February finishing end of March. The flock averages 185%.  The in-lamb ewes are overwintered at a neighbouring farm, usually returning a week before lambing, when they are then housed.  Whilst being over-wintered any ewes carrying singles will have fodder beet whilst twin and triplet bearing ewes will also have  18% concentrate at about 4-6 weeks before lambing dependent on body condition.

Lambs are weaned at approx. 12 weeks. Any twin ram lambs will have been put onto creep from an earlier age to enable early finishing, marketed from mid-June at 42Kg or above. Usually 3 tup lambs will be retained each year for registration and sold at society sales in Ruthin, Welshpool or privately. Of the ewe lambs, around 30 to 35 will be retained, with some being sold at the society sales as either yearling or ewe lambs.  A notable sale result was Welshpool in 2024 with a 1^st prize pen of ewe lambs (£170). 

Any lambs kept for breeding will be put on the Heptavac- P system.  At scanning ewes are Footvaxed, consequently antibiotic use on farm has reduced to nearly zero.  The Hughes family have had some success showing at local shows, a notable achievement was being awarded North Wales Club female points trophy, the ‘Derwen Cup’ for the 2024 show season.

During the farm tour we encountered the 17 Hereford X single suckler cows and calves in a large meadow not far from the farmhouse. The cows are bought in as either calves or maiden heifers from a local high health status dairy farm (British Friesian x pedigree Hereford Bull). Resultant calves are then reared to 10 – 12 months of age before being sold as stores at Oswestry market at around 400kg. The suckler cows themselves tend to have a home for life until leaving the farm as barrens (although barrens are not usual which was credited to the farm vaccination program which includes BVD and Leptospirosis). The oldest ever cow was 18 when she left the farm.  Cows are fertility tested before going to a Limousin bull. The calving period is from April to the end June.  Calves are creep fed before weaned at 7 months when bull and heifer calves are separated and bull calves castrated (stones removed).  They will then be fed a diet of silage and a 16% protein beef rearer. All hay and silage is home grown.  Cows are fed on hay and 6 weeks before calving are given a pre calver mineral bucket.

We would very much like to thank Delwyn and Elaine for their excellent hospitality and the tour of their farm.