Lleyns
Lleyn sheep originate from the Lleyn Peninsula in North Wales. In 2020 we became a registered Pedigree Lleyn flock. After many months of research and reading I decided the bulk of my ewe flock would be Lleyn. The decision has proved to be perfect and we have now become a registered flock of pedigree Lleyns, the ‘Whitestaunton Lleyns’. They require minimal intervention, are easy to handle and the lambs are vigorous at birth.
The Lleyn is a maternal breed of medium size ideally suited to upland and lowland grazing. More importantly, the Lleyn is ideal for a grass based system as she is hardy, prolific with great maternal instincts and will not eat you out of house and home.
Until recently Lleyns were relatively unknown in Britain but now account for around 3% of all ewes in Great Britain.
Ryelands
TThe Ryeland is one of the oldest sheep breeds in England, originating in Herefordshire and being bred by the monks of Leominster. They grazed the rye pastures that give them their name. It’s history can be traced back seven centuries.
They were considered to have the finest wool of all British breeds of the time. Queen Elizabeth 1st was given ‘Lemster’ wool stockings and liked them so much that from then on she insisted only on ‘Lemster’ Ryeland wool. An Elizabethan observer wrote that ‘among short-wools, Ryeland has pre-eminence with Leominster as the centre of its trade.
Ryelands were once a rare breed and by 1974 less than a thousand ewes existed owing to the development of bigger and leaner breeds such as the Suffolk. Today it is numerically healthy. The number of flocks has risen, but flock sizes are much smaller than previously, bearing out the fact that most Ryelands are now kept as “hobby” sheep, rather than as a commercial breed.
Most importantly, they are well known for producing top quality lamb with a taste and flavour that is truly unrivalled. Ryeland meat is much sought after by traditional rare breed butchers, top chefs, hotels and restaurants. I believe this is due to the breeds easy going docile nature and the fact they easily lay down fat on grass alone.