Thoughts on ram lamb

[saitek1989]

Have a ram lamb I think I'm guna keep he is a pure lleyn

Hes a single but off a hogget he's about 46-48kg can't mind witch now @ 14 weeks old

he was born a big lamb probably 6kg or so would I be wise to keep him and breed replacements from him reason is bought his dad a year or two ago to breed reps for £700

but he decided to commit suicide via a flying head butt to another ram and broke his neck so need another if I want too breed my own

Would I be wise or should I bite the bullet again and buy another off someone with more experience

Also I have had quite a bit of sclad in lambs this year but this fella hasn't had it not even a little bit

Also he has had 0 creep feeder is there as I was Guna start creeping the lot after weaning but now the price has taken a tumble I'm not sure I'f I will
Pics

 

[Keepers]

I wouldnt want to keep him if he was 6 kilo at birth,
If I was keeping a maternal ram I would keep one from twins that were born average size but have a high DLWG and also from a ewe which you know has done you well year after year

He is a nice looking lad though

 

[Nithsdale]

I tend to agree with Keepers...

BUT

he is a good looking lad! You could always use him this year, on a handful of aged ewes - see how he and his lambs do. If no good, problem lambings or poor do-ers cull him as a shearling. If all goes well and fine and your happy youve got yourself a good tup.

Me personaly - iv started retaining my own tups... youl only know if hes worth keeping, by keeping him (clear as mud, eh!)

 

[saitek1989]

Just wonder would I be mad to breed replacements from him when I know nothing of his mother as she's only been here since last autumn

 

[JD-Kid]

out of unrecoarded ewes if he's better than the rams you buy get a better breeder or i would be saying your breeder will be supplying better rams
the one you brought would be lower than studs would be buying (well yer hope studs are buying better )

we had some early lambs last year to a run away ram lamb lambs looked good but killed out crap
worth a shot useing him maybe across cull ewes if he's OK then maybe across breeding ewes the following year at least will cull ewes you will not efect your picking of ewes etc

 

[neilo]

Was he born unassisted at 6kg, indicating a large pelvis on the dam perhaps?

As above, I would tend to avoid if he had a high birthweight, but......... he might be worth a dabble on a few to test him properly.

 

[saitek1989]

I'm just guessing on the weight would a good sized single not be 6kg or so if a twin is 4-5

 

[saitek1989]

He was born unassisted yes

 

[saitek1989]

Btw Neilo db buckets seem to have worked a treat on the Orf either that or its just had its time I suppose never had it as bad before

 

[spin cycle]

how do you know if you buy another ram that it was from twins?....keep him he'll come in handy...looks good...thrifty and you can allways sell him as a cull in the future?

 

[scholland]

Wouldn't worry about him being a single seeing as he was off a hogg. Looks a nice lamb. Un assisted birth and thriving so well worth a go.

 

[Keepers]

how do you know if you buy another ram that it was from twins?....keep him he'll come in handy...looks good...thrifty and you can allways sell him as a cull in the future?

There may be no way of knowing, was just putting how I (and others) would choose a home grown (maternal) tup

 

[saitek1989]

Thanks fellas I'll see what he's like come the autumn thought I'd see what others thought of him .

what size would you be looking a ram lamb to be ready for work ?

 

[reverand]

Lovely colours, beautiful face, bright eyes, well set ears. Seriously remember to check its gob and feet

 

[Nithsdale]

Thanks fellas I'll see what he's like come the autumn thought I'd see what others thought of him .

what size would you be looking a ram lamb to be ready for work ?

Well if a shitty little scroat of a rigg lamb can do some damage amongst cast ewes and lambs...

Your boy will do just grand when your other tups go out

 

[neilo]

Thanks fellas I'll see what he's like come the autumn thought I'd see what others thought of him .

what size would you be looking a ram lamb to be ready for work ?

As @Nithsdale Farmer , size isn't really a good guide. I used two April born Highlander ram lambs (weighing about 50kg) on ewe lambs one November at 1:75. They gained weight over tupping and only had 10% empties after 2 cycles. As long as he's keen & active, and within his natural breeding season, he'll get by. I'm assuming of course, that he's fertile and has legs he can walk on.

 

[Nithsdale]

As @Nithsdale Farmer , size isn't really a good guide. I used two April born Highlander ram lambs (weighing about 50kg) on ewe lambs one November at 1:75. They gained weight over tupping and only had 10% empties after 2 cycles. As long as he's keen & active, and within his natural breeding season, he'll get by. I'm assuming of course, that he's fertile and has legs he can walk on.

Dont need legs

Tupping time 2013 - i had a home bred tup lamb, jumped a gate in the pens and broke a hind leg. Put him in with the ewe lambs just to keep him quiet whilst the other boys were out working...

little bugger managed to tup 80, out of the 90 lambs before the break had even healed! Couldnt believe it when they started lambing and i checked back the dates.

Stoked the gf's ego no end how good a job she did splinting his leg...

 

[Man_in_black]

Bit young now I guess, but best to regularly check the most basics of a tup - his equipment! Sound silly but know people overlook things like 2 testicles or not! Body size perhaps not the be all and end all, but do prefer tup with big balls (bigger balls, more sperm & better fertility).

 

[GTB]

Have a ram lamb I think I'm guna keep he is a pure lleyn

Hes a single but off a hogget he's about 46-48kg can't mind witch now @ 14 weeks old

he was born a big lamb probably 6kg or so would I be wise to keep him and breed replacements from him reason is bought his dad a year or two ago to breed reps for £700

but he decided to commit suicide via a flying head butt to another ram and broke his neck so need another if I want too breed my own

Would I be wise or should I bite the bullet again and buy another off someone with more experience

Also I have had quite a bit of sclad in lambs this year but this fella hasn't had it not even a little bit

Also he has had 0 creep feeder is there as I was Guna start creeping the lot after weaning but now the price has taken a tumble I'm not sure I'f I will
Pics

He's too good to hang up. Try him for a year but if the Lambs are all too big send him on. The high birth weight could be from his dam side so don't be too hasty to judge him just yet.

 

[BELOWAVERAGE]

Bit young now I guess, but best to regularly check the most basics of a tup - his equipment! Sound silly but know people overlook things like 2 testicles or not! Body size perhaps not the be all and end all, but do prefer tup with big balls (bigger balls, more sperm & better fertility).

I don't know why people make such a fuss about their tackle, bought a really good tup cheap a few years ago, as he only had one testicle, but he did the job fine.