MORE than 70 farmers converged on a Mid Devon farm for an open day dedicated to a popular Welsh sheep breed.

The West Country Lleyn Sheep Breeders Club held its farm open day earlier this month.

Visitors gathered at Chilthorne Farm, in Morebath, for the West Country Lleyn Sheep Breeders Club open day

The hilly setting of Chilthorne Farm, in Morebath, proved an ideal venue, with its 180 acres ranging from 600 to 750 feet above sea level, well suited for the versatile breed.

The event was held by kind permission of Chris and Alison Crudge, who run a flock of 325 pure Lleyn ewes, producing pedigree Lleyn lambs and commercial Texel and Charollais cross lambs.

The visitors were given an introduction to the Lleyn breed and the Crudges' farming system, followed by a farm tour and a chance to enjoy the wonderful views.

Before 2000, the Crudges had North Country Mules, which they crossed with Texel, but after hearing about Lleyn ewes, the couple went to the Exeter Society Sale and made the switch by buying foundation stock.

Mrs Crudge explained the attraction behind the breed for a busy farm. She said: "We work together on the sheep but, as Chris works for a contractor, the sheep have to fit in with the time available.

"Needing relatively little care, the Lleyn are ideal. They also have plenty of lambs at a good weight and they don't eat so much, so we can keep a few more. The most important plus for us is that we can have a closed flock.

"All in all, since we found out about Lleyns, we haven't looked back."

The ewes are fed round-bale silage from the end of November and are housed in January after scanning — usually between 180 per cent and 190 per cent.

Mr Crudge explained: "Mid March lambing means that there is enough grass at turnout so we don't have to feed concentrates."

Ewe lambs are grown on as replacements or for sale as two-tooths mostly at the Exeter Society Sale, with fat lambs sold via Sedgemoor or South Molton market.

The open day on Sunday, August 8, was described by organisers as "friendly, enjoyable and informative". The guess-the-weight competition was won by Cornish woman Karen Stephens, who, remarkably, guessed the weights of each pen exactly.

Lleyn sheep originate from the Lleyn peninsula in North West Wales and have grown in popularity in the past ten years.

Farmers have found the breed to be quiet, low in maintenance, offering easy lambing, excellent for white wool and producing quality prime lamb.