Focus on Ballylinney Flock of Lleyn Sheep
07/08/08

A Scottish & Borders Lleyn Breeders Club farm walk this summer at Derek and Cindy Steen's upland farm will provide an insight into growing popularity of the Lleyn breed.

Few breeds have made more of an impact on the sheep industry in recent years than the Lleyn and with producers aiming to further improve the breed’s shape and conformation, the demand for this Welsh female sheep looks set to soar to new heights.

Granted, this white-bred sheep has always been renowned for its ease of management and prolificacy, however, a growing number of breeders are now beginning to realise the better end of the sheep can survive admirably further up the hill as well as on the lowland and produce a valuable finished lamb crop.

Derek & Cindy Steen farm on the Scottish Borders and runs a flock of 1000 ewes “We’ve always produced R grade or better pure-bred Lleyn lambs, Lleyns will easily grow to 42kg off grass and still produce R grade carcases.”

However, Derek is keen to stress that while the Lleyn is very much a female breed, he has always looked to breed sheep with added shape and conformation.

“The Lleyn has proved that she has the inherent milkiness, prolificacy and ease of management combined with a high health status”

“The Lleyn enables me to keep a closed flock which reduces the cost of having to buy in females and makes for improved disease control” Lleyn ewes will easily rear two lambs, which are quick onto their feet and hardy the ewes are easy to feed.

“We saved 30-40% of our feed bill by switching to Lleyns and we stocked them tighter.
“We are great Lleyn fans — I doubt if any other breed or sheep will be more profitable than the Lleyn,” concluded Derek.

Everyone is invited to see for themselves what the Lleyn can do at a Farm Walk at Derek & Cindy Steen’s at Whitcastles Farm,Corrie, Lockerbie, DG11 2NR on Saturday 23rd August 2008 at 1pm.

There will be an opportunity to view both pedigree & commercial Lleyns and various lleyn crosses as well an insight into the breeding policy of a large self contained beef suckler herd using Stabiliser genetics. Followed by a stockjudging competition and BBQ. A charity raffle and Auction will be held in aid of MacMillan Cancer Care.

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