A consignment of 15 Bluefaced Leicesters rams have been exported to Romania from seven prominent flocks from all over the United Kingdom, to include two from Scotland.
It is also hoped that future exports of Blue rams and females to Romania will become common place as the country is looking to expand more into sheepmeat production.
According to the Bluefaced Leicester Sheep Breeders’ Association, Romanian sheep farmers who attended the 2007 North Sheep, in Weardale, were most impressed by the UK’s sheep stratification system and how it could fit well into their sheep industry. Consequently, following two successful excursions to the Indagra Expo in Romania, by the Bluefaced Leicester Sheep Breeders’ Association, some Romanian sheep producers are now looking to use the Bluefaced Leicester on their hill ewes to produce a Romanian Mule.
The exported rams, purchased by a sheep association in Timisoara, on the Hungarian border of southern Romania, will be used to tup native Turcana hill ewes, a ewe similar to the Scottish Blackface and Swaledale sheep breeds, and the association is confident the resultant cross-bred female will help to increase the milkiness and productivity of the sheep flock.
Heading off to the continent last week were sheep from Matt and Connel Drummond’s Cassington flock from Maybole, Ayrshire and tups from David Cruikshank’s Nithsdale flock from Castle Douglas. The export, which was arranged in conjunction with Mike Adams, a livestock export specialist, also included sheep from S Ivinson, Addingham; A Bisset, Dukesfield; Messrs Hewson, Parton; D Jones, Pigot and Messrs Bowen, Maesmawr.
