Ewe Lamb or Hoggett

Tomjim

What are people's view on this.

I normally buy ewe lambs, this year I paid 145 for them and got 100 euro for cull ewes which I thought was good value

However out of 8 ewe lambs;

1 - got caught at head and I lost the lamb

3 - I had to get vet out as lambs too big - no live lambs here

2 - not in lamb

2 - had 2 lambs

Any other year, I came out of it ok , would have 8 live lambs maybe out of 8 ewe lambs

Anyone any views on this?

White Clover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058293091/ewe-lamb-or-hoggett

What breed ewe lambs and ram used. Were they scanned?

Jonnyc135

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058293091/ewe-lamb-or-hoggett

I personally would always go for Hoggetts - Had 22 hoggets this year scanned 41 and have 40 live lambs running with them now 2 scanned as twins came as triplets. I was fairly watching them and had to intervene on a good few occasions, the usual one leg down, backwards, head first and some big singles one put out an 8.2kg single needed a good pull though.

My honest opinion is a ewe lamb well managed should be fine, I do find twins wouldn't be overly great (finnishing time) out of a ewe lamb as milk would be down when compared to hoggett or ewe.

Tomjim

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120497118#Comment_120497118

white borris, ram is a charollais. Not scanned

wrangler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120497249#Comment_120497249

They need to be scanned and the doubles fed well and the singles not so well. feeding all the same will only lead to small doubles and over sized singles.

paddysdream

Horses for courses really as both have their advantages and disadvantages.

Ewe lambs in lamb means getting them into production one year earlier(probably not an issue if buying in) plus a sheep that carried a lamb as a ewe lamb makes an much better mother and easier managed as a hogget.Single lamb is ideal with a ewe lamb as they struggle at times with rearing twins.

If they don't go inlamb/any other issues you likely have a hogget to sell in April/May rather than a sheep at cast ewe price.This is the first year though you would be better off having the older sheep due to cull ewe price at present.

Putting them in lamb as a hogget gives them more time to grow as sometimes a ewe lamb can stagnate if she gets a hard time rearing a lamb.Hogget is in the main easier to get a lamb from (can often be a poorer mother though) and will usually have a better crop of lambs.Ewe lambs really need to be managed seperate to mature ewes whilst hoggets can be put in with the main flock.Hogget will,in the main, recover after weaning better than a ewe lamb

Tomjim

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120497315#Comment_120497315

how much did a hoggett cost last year?

paddysdream

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120497327#Comment_120497327

Anything from 100 to 250 euro depending on time of time of year and quality

Tomjim

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120497737#Comment_120497737

how much would a nice quality hogget bought in say Sept/ Oct cost?