Commercial flock owners can benefit from Lleyn genetics in their flocks to increase prolificacy of ewes and vigour of lambs after birth, pedigree Lleyn sheep breeder Russell Millen said at an open day on his farm near Coleraine on Saturday.

Russell established his Knockmult pedigree flock in 2011. He also works full-time in agricultural building construction.

“Working full-time, I was after an Easycare-type sheep. There’s maybe no such thing, but Lleyn are easier care at least. You still have to be prepared to put the effort in to get results,” he said.

Last year, 240 ewes and 100 ewe lambs were tupped with Lleyn rams. Before putting out tups, ewes had spent two weeks with a teaser ram. Russell said that the use of the teaser brings a lot of ewes on heat three to four days after the tups go out, meaning a lot lamb over the first week from 22 February.

“Scanning rates are usually between 190% and 200%. Last year, it was 200% for the ewes. I had 30 singles and 30 triplets so I was able to cross-foster lambs. The ram was with ewe lambs for 20 days and tupped 88% of them. I usually try to let hoggets rear one lamb and either bottle feed the other or sell it as a pet to give the hogget a chance to fully grow out,” he said.

Feeding

Ewes are on winter grazing and usually housed around six weeks before lambing. Depending on the silage quality, ewes scanned with doubles and triplets get concentrates four to six weeks before lambing.

“There are few lambing difficulties and lambs are very vigorous and quick to their feet to suck,” he said.

Russell operates a rotational grazing system with sheep usually moving on to fresh grass every five to seven days during the growing season. “Paddocks are split with fences and batches of sheep doubled up to around 65 ewes in a group as soon as possible to clean paddocks,” he said.

Lambs receive no concentrates with the first batch of ram lambs finished this year at the end of June. Most ewe lambs are kept for breeding sales or replacements.

Figures for the first 98 ram lambs killed show that the average carcase weight was 20.6kg with 50 lambs grading R2, 25 grading R3 and the rest U2 and U3.

Russell said that although carcase weights are lighter than some breeds, the medium-sized Lleyn ewe means stocking rates can be higher, ewes have more lambs and lambs finish quicker on grass than most breeds.