General sheep thread

AntrimGlens · 03-08-2017 9:02am

Bullocks wrote: »

What does the "tight skin " mean ?

It refers to the type of wool on them, if they have short curly fleece then you'd say that's a tight skinned sheep. It's promoted as an advantage when lambing as it means that the lamb will have a tighter skin and wool when born, therefore not suffer from hypothermia.

Completely ironic really when no-one lambs them outside anyway. There's nothing to say that the offspring of a ewe that is tight skinned is going to have a lamb that is tight skinned, depending on the ram that she was served with.

sako 85 · 03-08-2017 9:31am

charolais0153 wrote: »

How are the purebred Suffolk ewes doung

Year 1 was disastrous. Triplet scanned ewe aborted her 3 lambs (confirmed case of Toxo). Both Single scanned ewes had absolutely massive lambs and by the time I got them out they wasn't a kick in them. Bought two pet lambs for the two single scanned ewes to rare, which they did. Obviously I couldn't have helped the one who aborted but the other to were too well fed before we purchased and probably when we got them home too, lesson learnt there.

Anyway not to be deterred, I'm giving it another bash this year, we bought a nice Ram lamb (by Solwaybank Major) at the National show and sale in Blessington in July.

kk.man · 03-08-2017 9:36am

sako 85 wrote: »

charolais0153 wrote: »

How are the purebred Suffolk ewes doung

Year 1 was disastrous. Triplet scanned ewe aborted her 3 lambs (confirmed case of Toxo). Both Single scanned ewes had absolutely massive lambs and by the time I got them out they wasn't a kick in them. Bought two pet lambs for the two single scanned ewes to rare, which they did. Obviously I couldn't have helped the one who aborted but the other to were too well fed before we purchased and probably when we got them home too, lesson learnt there.

Anyway not to be deterred, I'm giving it another bash this year, we bought a nice Ram lamb (by Solwaybank Major) at the National show and sale in Blessington in July.

To give ya a laugh and on the same theme as yourself I had a straggler of a hogget lambed late...had a massive lamb that died a day after birth (possible fractured ribs after being pulled)...told a guy whom I'M friendly with that I shouldn't have kept feeding hogget and I learn for next year...his reply was 'education is never cheap no matter how you do it'

rangler1 · 03-08-2017 9:44am

kk.man wrote: »

To give ya a laugh and on the same theme as yourself I had a straggler of a hogget lambed late...had a massive lamb that died a day after birth (possible fractured ribs after being pulled)...told a guy whom I'M friendly with that I shouldn't have kept feeding hogget and I learn for next year...his reply was 'education is never cheap no matter how you do it'

Or experience always comes a minute after you need it

Siamsa Sessions · 03-08-2017 7:51pm

rangler1 wrote: »

Or experience always comes a minute after you need it

My two favourite Confucius quotes:

1. I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.

2. By three methods we may learn wisdom:

First, by reflection, which is noblest;

Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and,

Third by experience, which is the bitterest.

Jonny303 · 03-08-2017 8:56pm

sako 85 wrote: »

We run Suffolk rams with Cheviot ewes, I find the ewe lambs from this cross make good Mother, more prolific than the pure cheviot and have good factory lambs when ran with Texel, Char or even Suffolk again. very popular in this part of the country (Wicklow)

Sorry a bit of confusion. We do Suffolk Cheviot crosses ourselves but James Alexander is doing Suffolks on Cheviot mules (Cheviot ewes X blue Leicester ram). Seems an rare mix.

stantheman1979 · 03-08-2017 9:14pm

The ewes are cheviot X blue Leicester. He imported them from Scotland. They were on rare breed coming off the lorry

kk.man · 03-08-2017 10:36pm

stantheman1979 wrote: »

The ewes are cheviot X blue Leicester. He imported them from Scotland. They were on rare breed coming off the lorry

All his stock look top notch. Fair play to him.

Buford T. Justice XIX · 04-08-2017 9:53am

For lads who are lazy like me

https://twitter.com/LeonieVella/status/893377590823710720

sako 85 · 04-08-2017 10:14am

Jonny303 wrote: »

Sorry a bit of confusion. We do Suffolk Cheviot crosses ourselves but James Alexander is doing Suffolks on Cheviot mules (Cheviot ewes X blue Leicester ram). Seems an rare mix.

Sorry I misunderstood you. The original Borris ewe was (Wicklow Cheviot*Border Leister)*Suffolk. I don't know if anyone is still doing it this way. I thought most were going straight Suffolk on Cheviot.

Do you think the Blue Leister would bring much to the mix? J. Alexander's are an absolute picture.

kk.man · 04-08-2017 11:29am

sako 85 wrote: »

Sorry I misunderstood you. The original Borris ewe was (Wicklow Cheviot*Border Leister)*Suffolk. I don't know if anyone is still doing it this way. I thought most were going straight Suffolk on Cheviot.

Do you think the Blue Leister would bring much to the mix? J. Alexander's are an absolute picture.

For my penny's worth, the Border Leister adds depth to the sheep and their longer ears gives them that extra sparkle. This is not being achieved with the Suffolk Cheviot cross.

sako 85 · 04-08-2017 11:41am

kk.man wrote: »

For my penny's worth, the Border Leister adds depth to the sheep and their longer ears gives them that extra sparkle. This is not being achieved with the Suffolk Cheviot cross.

What would your opinion on using the Blue over the Border Leister?

kk.man · 04-08-2017 11:48am

sako 85 wrote: »

What would your opinion on using the Blue over the Border Leister?

Oh now you are in territory I know little about!

ganmo · 04-08-2017 1:36pm

sako 85 wrote: »

What would your opinion on using the Blue over the Border Leister?

I don't like the blue's wool and it generally comes through in the crosses too

serfspup · 04-08-2017 7:19pm

the cheviot mules he has are bred off Lairg type cheviot ewes and blue faced leicester rams .the lairg type is very different from the wicklow cheviot.

the lairg is a low set ewe so the leicester give it height the wicklow has more than enough of that already

White Clover · 04-08-2017 10:24pm

sako 85 wrote: »

Sorry I misunderstood you. The original Borris ewe was (Wicklow Cheviot*Border Leister)*Suffolk. I don't know if anyone is still doing it this way. I thought most were going straight Suffolk on Cheviot.

Do you think the Blue Leister would bring much to the mix? J. Alexander's are an absolute picture.

They are smashers alright aren't they.

DJ98 · 04-08-2017 10:57pm

I no this will sound stupid but is there any way to get a bit of length or height into hoggets before they go to the ram, kept some belclare x lambsast year and they really didn't grow that well, have been on good quality grass anything at all that can be done?

stantheman1979 · 05-08-2017 8:43am

What weight are they. Did u pick them out or were they crap that was left over. They're not big sheep generally. Some of ours might only be 60kgs after rearing lambs as ewe hoggs. I wouldn't worry too much.

tomwaterford · 05-08-2017 9:05am

DJ98 wrote: »

I no this will sound stupid but is there any way to get a bit of length or height into hoggets before they go to the ram, kept some belclare x lambsast year and they really didn't grow that well, have been on good quality grass anything at all that can be done?

Id have taught length was genetic based??

Like they say an ounce of breeding is worth a ton of feeding...

Best advice I ever got in that scenario was to factory them and buy new ones,but I didn't follow it as it was too expensive

But I did regret it the following year :-/

Mac Taylor · 06-08-2017 11:16pm

Came across this add in the local paper from 1966, Oxford downs and suffolks were popular back them, according to my father he said they were a great cross.

serfspup · 06-08-2017 11:29pm

you will find they were store lambs ,oxford and suffolk rams crossed on galway ewes, bought for finishing on turnips no weight limit those days!:D

Bullocks · 06-08-2017 11:43pm

serfspup wrote: »

you will find they were store lambs ,oxford and suffolk rams crossed on galway ewes, bought for finishing on turnips no weight limit those days!:D

What weights used they kill out at back then ? Would they kill less lambs and more hoggets ?

arctictree · 08-08-2017 2:56pm

Lads - half thinking of selling a flock (35) of PBNR Lleyn hoggets that I bought as ewe lambs last year. They are fine sheep that I didnt put in lamb and was hoping to breed from myself but I kind of need the money now! What price could I expect for them? Might get more if I put them in lamb though....

roosky · 08-08-2017 3:51pm

arctictree wrote: »

Lads - half thinking of selling a flock (35) of PBNR Lleyn hoggets that I bought as ewe lambs last year. They are fine sheep that I didnt put in lamb and was hoping to breed from myself but I kind of need the money now! What price could I expect for them? Might get more if I put them in lamb though....

I know they are PBNR but really without pedigree certs they are commercial ewes regardless of what you or the previous owner says

Depending on the quality they should be worth 170 to 180 a head, now maybe im way off but unless you get some lad with a horn for lleyns they wont be worth much more

Siamsa Sessions · 08-08-2017 4:00pm

Saw this just now on Twitter: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DGtsGl6XYAAMAiA.jpg:large

Think the seller might post on here too?

Best of luck with it anyway. Hope the day goes well and the prices are good

rangler1 · 08-08-2017 4:13pm

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Saw this just now on Twitter: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DGtsGl6XYAAMAiA.jpg:large

Think the seller might post on here too?

Best of luck with it anyway. Hope the day goes well and the prices are good

Yea, my flock, thanks for the good wishes, was going to post it nearer the time.

kk.man · 08-08-2017 6:28pm

rangler1 wrote: »

Yea, my flock, thanks for the good wishes, was going to post it nearer the time.

Best of luck Rangler. Are you going to to keep a few for the interest or are you selling the lot?
Ya need not answer question if you don't want to post it. Just curious because you have great experience and knowledge of sheep which I always valued.

Farmer_3650 · 08-08-2017 7:00pm

rangler1 wrote: »

Yea, my flock, thanks for the good wishes, was going to post it nearer the time.

Are you getting out of sheep?

Mac Taylor · 08-08-2017 8:43pm

serfspup wrote: »

you will find they were store lambs ,oxford and suffolk rams crossed on galway ewes, bought for finishing on turnips no weight limit those days!:D

Hey, your 100%. It seems that the suffolk cross was easier fleshed and that the oxfords were hard sheep which I suppose led to there downfall in the end.

rangler1 · 08-08-2017 8:52pm

kk.man wrote: »

Best of luck Rangler. Are you going to to keep a few for the interest or are you selling the lot?
Ya need not answer question if you don't want to post it. Just curious because you have great experience and knowledge of sheep which I always valued.

The farm is fragmented and we've only 10 acres at our house, we're going to keep that ourselves for privacy, there's 15 nice 5 and 6 year old ewes that's too good to cull and 23 nice ewe lambs so probably another 15 from the ones we're sellingwill stock the ten acres

General sheep thread

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