Weaning ram lambs

grayh0und

Wondering how much weight loss we should expect after weaning our ram lambs. They are around 5 months. Taking some to mart tomorrow but won't be able to move them all. If they are moved to grass only will they be down in weight over the next couple weeks?

Siamsa Sessions

Have they been getting some meal via creep feeding up to now? If so, they might not lose much thrive. If not, then it might be hard to get them onto meal now and so could go back a little bit.

Are they castrated, by the way?

grayh0und

They are not castrated which is largely why we're thinking we should have them weaned!

They haven't been getting creep. Their moms were on the nuts when they were small, so maybe they'd remember? Or could house for a couple days?

Realistically would be selling in a couple weeks time, but have considered holding onto them for another month or two to see how big they'd get.

Siamsa Sessions

You could leave one or two ewes with them for a few days and they'd lead the lambs to the meal. But then you'd have to take them away or the ram lambs would start following them around.

What weight are the lambs now? Would you consider selling them as stores straight off the ewes? I know it isn't all about the money but given the way prices drop from now til November, the extra weight they'd put on over the next month would probably be cancelled by the parallel drop in price.

grayh0und

Most are probably just shy of 30kgs. Still need to get a scale!

Interesting did not know the prices would be dropping until November - marts and factories? Do they rise again as winter comes?

Appreciate the feedback - very new to all this.

Siamsa Sessions

Have a look at the graph here: https://www.bordbia.ie/industry/farmers/pricetracking/sheep/pages/default.aspx

The price tends to follow roughly the same pattern every year

charolais0153

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Have a look at the graph here: https://www.bordbia.ie/industry/farmers/pricetracking/sheep/pages/default.aspx

The price tends to follow roughly the same pattern every year

Lamb was over 7/kg for a while i thought

Siamsa Sessions

charolais0153 wrote: »

Lamb was over 7/kg for a while i thought

It was too I think. Plus I didn't think the price peaked in mid-May this year.

I didn't look too closely before I posted the link, but it seems to be slightly out.

The Farmers Journal one here seems more accurate: https://www.farmersjournal.ie/toolbox/mdata.php?id=2

grayh0und

Ended up selling some of the ram lambs in Dingle today.

37 kg brought €69

34 kg brought €52

Surprised the lighter ones did as bad as they did

Am considering trying to get some of the rest of the ram lambs on nuts as have weaned them now so will only be going backwards I guess for awhile.

Siamsa Sessions

grayh0und wrote: »

Ended up selling some of the ram lambs in Dingle today.

37 kg brought €69

34 kg brought €52

Surprised the lighter ones did as bad as they did

Am considering trying to get some of the rest of the ram lambs on nuts as have weaned them now so will only be going backwards I guess for awhile.

No consolation but prices are back across the board this year.

The few nuts will help the others. Build them up slowly, with maybe 100g per head per day. If you put out more, some might gorge on it if others don’t eat theirs. Just try get most of them coming to the trough first.

grayh0und

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

No consolation but prices are back across the board this year.

The few nuts will help the others. Build them up slowly, with maybe 100g per head per day. If you put out more, some might gorge on it if others don’t eat theirs. Just try get most of them coming to the trough first.

Thanks for the advice. Would it help to have them housed for a few days with an older ewe? What could we expect for weight gain per day if they were supplemented with nuts?

wrangler

grayh0und wrote: »

Thanks for the advice. Would it help to have them housed for a few days with an older ewe? What could we expect for weight gain per day if they were supplemented with nuts?

A creep feeder if you have it is the best to train them, putting an experienced sheep with them will only sicken the one that knows how to eat.....she could eat two or three pounds while the others are coming to the trough.
The creep feeder will have it there for them 24hrs a day and also keep the ration dry
I wouldn't put them in while they're learning either but a small paddock would be a good idea
We'd often have lambs putting on two or three kilos a week when we'd build them up to eating one kilo per day.
Ram labs should even do better than that, we always castrate them at a day old here