Bluefaced Leicester sheep breeder Stephen Abberley is hopeful that DEFRA's proposed lifting of the foot and mouth livestock movement restrictions will mean pedigree tup sales can go ahead as planned this autumn – but ram buyers will have the opportunity of inspecting the first progeny of one of the most expensive tups in Wales when the flock holds an open day at Trallong, Brecon later this month.

“We've got our fingers crossed that livestock sales will have resumed in time for the pedigree ram sales to go ahead as normal,” said Stephen who farms 200 acres in partnership with his father David at Cwmlliw Farm, Trallong, Brecon.

The Abberley family usually sells around 20 yearling tup as well as some tup lambs at the Bluefaced Leicester Sheep Breeders Association's sales at Builth Wells and at Hawes in north Yorkshire . This year all eyes will be on the progeny of a tup bought by the Abberley family at Hawes last year from the Kirkby Redgate flock for £14,500.

“He's the most expensive tup we've ever bought but he's got tremendous stretch and reach as well as being very correct and with a good mouth. He's bred very well for us this time and passed on his conformation traits to his lambs,” said Stephen who will have both pedigree Bluefaced Leicester lambs and Welsh Mule lambs (out of Beulah ewes) sired by the Kirkby Redgate tup on display at the flock's open day on August 26 th .

Stephen knows that conformation is certainly something Bluefaced Leicester tup buyers are increasingly taking note of – not just those buying tups for pedigree breeding but also those using rams for crossing to produce Mules.

“We don't want to forfeit any of the Bluefaced Leicester's traits as a female producer and must never lose sight of the milkiness, mothering ability and prolificacy that the breed passes on to the Mule ewe. But we must still be mindful of conformation in our breeding programmes.”

The Abberley family established their Old Hemley flock of Bluefaced Leicesters – now numbering 60 ewes – almost 25 years ago. The flock has benefited from using tups from some of the breed's top flocks including Riddings, Snab Green and Kirkby Redgate. An £8500 tup from the Midlock flock in Scotland has also bred well leaving progeny noted for their good colour and shape.

Cwmlliw Farm also carries 400 Welsh-Mule ewes (out of Beulah ewes) and 180 pure Beulah ewes. The Welsh Mules are put to Texel and Charollais tups to produce top-spec prime lambs sold at 18-19kg.

“There's a big swing back to the Mule. Some prime lamb producers have tried to keep half-bred ewes by terminal sires as flock replacements but they've ended up losing lambing percentage and milking ability. The Mule is hard to beat as a commercial ewe and at a time when labour is short and people are trying to keep more sheep there's no breed that is as easily shepherded,” says Stephen.