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Feeding broken mouth ewes

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  • 16-09-2020 10:42am
    #1
    OneMan37
    Registered Users Posts: 222 ✭✭


    I have a bunch of broken or aged ewes. Putting them to the ram this week or next. Should I keep feeding them now with meal as some of the bunch are thin enough, maybe help flush them. Or is feeding ewes when the go to the ram a bad idea ?


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    #2
    sandman30
    Registered Users Posts: 113 ✭✭sandman30


    OneMan37 wrote: »
    I have a bunch of broken or aged ewes. Putting them to the ram this week or next. Should I keep feeding them now with meal as some of the bunch are thin enough, maybe help flush them. Or is feeding ewes when the go to the ram a bad idea ?

    No point putting thin broken mouthed ewes to the ram; they should be culled. Margins are too thin in sheep to be feeding meal pre tupping.


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    #3
    Farmer_3650
    Registered Users Posts: 575 ✭✭✭Farmer_3650


    OneMan37 wrote: »
    I have a bunch of broken or aged ewes. Putting them to the ram this week or next. Should I keep feeding them now with meal as some of the bunch are thin enough, maybe help flush them. Or is feeding ewes when the go to the ram a bad idea ?

    If they are on meal I'd continue feeding it and make sure they've good grass when running with the ram. It should help flush them but they might not gain much condition in that space of time.
    sandman30 wrote: »
    No point putting thin broken mouthed ewes to the ram; they should be culled. Margins are too thin in sheep to be feeding meal pre tupping.

    That'd be my way of thinking too but I know men who buy broken mouth ewes and breed them, and make as much money as anyone. I had an uncle who used to be at that craic and he was making more out of sheep than we were.


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    #4
    sandman30
    Registered Users Posts: 113 ✭✭sandman30


    Farmer_3650 wrote: »
    If they are on meal I'd continue feeding it and make sure they've good grass when running with the ram. It should help flush them but they might not gain much condition in that space of time.



    That'd be my way of thinking too but I know men who buy broken mouth ewes and breed them, and make as much money as anyone. I had an uncle who used to be at that craic and he was making more out of sheep than we were.

    I've bought and bred broken mouthed ewes too. They do fine, so long as you select them carefully. Need to make sure you don't run short of grass in the spring. Also don't breed from the bad/thin ones. First thing I do when they come off the lorry Is drive them hard with dogs to far end of farm. Any that hangs back are slaughtered immediately. Anything still thin a month later would also be slaughtered. Amazing what condition they can put on in a month on half decent grass, if they have come off heather/poor grazing. Trying to breed from anything that doesn't fatten is a disaster.


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