The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: bigchicken on November 21, 2010, 05:33:22 pm
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Hi has anyone any experience of putting a Lleyn tup over Shetland ewes
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I know someone who has a freezer full of Lleyn meat and doesn't like it
and she's a farmers daughter !!
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I used my lleyn rams on some jacobs and the offspring taste great. So do the pure lleyns.
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Will the cross grow well, would the resulting ewes make good mothers to put to a terminal sire.
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My vet uses a Lleyn tup on Shetlands. Not sure on taste but he reckons he gets a good price and they are very easy lambing good mums etc. I have pure Shetlands and another neighbour has pure Lleyns (300 odd) so maybe I should try it! But I like my Shetlands too much and they DO taste lovely!
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I very interesting will keep you posted as to how I get on, the tup I have used is just a lamb but he knows what to do. In the past I have used a Beltex with good results and I think the Lleyn will be almost as good and it is a far more hardy breed. as with all animal breeding (fingers crossed.)
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We have a Lleyn going in with ours on Sunday (we need a later lambing so we have grass) we have 8 older mules who hopefully will be sold with lambs at foot and 20 shetland x suffolk, who are quite solid I must say, this will be our first lambing so could let you know how it goes or what we get??
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In answer to your question - will they grow well - yes they will, provided you feed your Shetlands well once they've lambed so they have plenty of milk. As with any crosses you will get the advantage of hybrid vigour. The resulting x bred females should make excellent mothers for producing meat lambs as they are a cross between 2 good maternal breeds.