Lambing Ewe Lambs

TrewithickFarm

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cornwall
Used a highlander ram on highlander ewe lambs this year. Scanned at 140%, they're rearing twins no trouble at all. 70 have lambed so far and we've touched 4 of them - lambing outdoors. Trick with ewe lambs we've found is keep the singles really tight in the 6 weeks up to lambing - twins and triplets (yes we had 5 ewe lambs scanned with trips) get the best. We've had a couple of large singles but on the whole they've been good but they are grazing bare earth almost!
 
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Texel Mule hogg with pair of 3 week old Shetland x lambs at foot.

Sorry not great photo.

TSS
 
Charmoise here, home grown tups, culled hard and selected for functionality and the ability to grow and thrive off grass (none of this dispersal sale rubbish with a short use by date ;) )

Hit the ground running, grow off crap grass and kill from mid summer, can't really go wrong

Welsh mule ewe lambs with Charmoise sired lambs just after shearing, end of June

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Shetland ewe lamb (yes they can breed as ewe lambs) with charmoise lamb, end of June last year

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Crossbred ewe lambs with charmoise ewe lambs, July last year

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The product

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JHT

Member
Location
Wales
Chamois or Roussin work well here and grow into tidy lambs. Hardly ever pull one.
How do the Charmoise and the Roussin compare for lambing ease/growth rates @GTB ? Have been using Charmoise Rams on Welsh and Lleyn x Welsh yearlings for 3 years- all outdoor lambing with great results- very easy lambing and great will to live. Was a bit disappointed with the growth rates though- so tried some Berrichon and Beltex Rams as well this year- pulling/loosing a lot of these lambs and wishing I'd stuck with the Charmoise now!
 

Man_in_black

Member
Livestock Farmer
Used charmoise last year. Very easy born & bounced straight up to milk. Lambs were small & never really caught up, mine didn't grow particularly well, but he was a cheap last minute purchase so possibly not a fine example.

I don't favour heavy birth weights IF they impare birth ease. But equally, I think there is a balance of ease of lambing/low birth weight & never quite catching up. Used a lleyn this year. Lambs are recorded birth & are noticeably heavier than charmoise, just as easy & same will to live.

I think it's important for people to look at end product too. Yes, a small live lamb is better than a big dead one, but growth rates & killing out % have to always be in back of mind.

If I was staying lleyn, then I'd be using charollais on ewe lamb this year.
 

JHT

Member
Location
Wales
It's a tough one isn't it- I've had my fair share of big lambs this time with it being such a grassy time and an open winter. Also running smaller/hardier ewes than most so try to buy the best Rams I can which sometimes comes at price. How are the hoggs from Wales lambing @CopperBeech ??
 

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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