Versatile Lleyn attracts plenty of newcomers
Versatile Lleyn attracts plenty of newcomers
By Jeremy Hunt
Bidding was on the boil at Carlisle last week as many new buyers competed for foundation females at the Lleyn Sheep Society sale.
But the ram trade was equally strong as breed converts sought stock rams to capitalise on the breeds commercial versatility when bred pure.
Typical of the new faces ringside was Lanarkshire Limousin breeder Norman Cruickshank.
"White-faced lambs are good to sell in our part of the world. Weve bought some females and we intend to breed them pure. Easy management and prolificacy is what we are aiming for," said Mr Cruickshank.
Scotland is taking to the Lleyn. The five leading prices for pens of females came from north of the border bidders.
Top call here was £250 paid by W A Tulloch, Banchory, Kincard-ineshire for 10 ewe lambs from John Mortons consignment from his farm near Penrith.
R and M Greenlaw, Aboyne gave £170 for eight shearling gimmers from D G Lewis and Son, Ceredigion and W and N Lawrence, Ellon, Aberdeenshire paid the same for nine ewe lambs from Mr Morton.
A great run of 97 ewe lambs from John and Rachel Geldard, Kendal – pioneers of this breed in the north – averaged £88.66 and peaked at £145 for their top pen.
George Bush, farm manager at Denton Park Estate, Ilkley, West Yorks was another whose 89 ewe lambs showed depth of quality throughout. His top draw lambs reached £90 with the entire consignment levelling at £82.29.
Ram trade set off at a cracking pace with a smart, tight-skinned shearling from John Morton selling at 1200gns heading for Orkney with S T E Metcalf.
Another with the same stamp of quality from Mr Morton made 1050gns to the Nellis family from Morpeth, Nothumberland who are switching from Mules and currently keep over 300 Lleyns.
Brian Atkinson, Penrith, partnered Mr Morton to pay the days top price of 1900gns for a much-fancied shearling from Cheltenham stock breeder Lionel Organs 300-strong flock.
Pat and Noel Baseley, Radcliffe-on-Trent run 400 ewes. One of their best lines is from a foundation ewe bought for £70 from Mr Organ. A shearling tup tracing back to this ewe brought a flurry of bids but settled at 1800gns to join J and A Barrow and Sons, Appleby.
AVERAGES: 98 ewes £93; 485 gimmer shearlings £112; 1000 ewe lambs £81.82; four aged rams £351; 51 shearling rams £694 and two ram lambs £325. (Harrison and Hetherington)
Lionel Organ with the 1900gns top price Lleyn shearling ram.