Guiggs
Member
- Location
- Leicestershire
Welcome to my world!!
Bit of a dick move by the shearing contractor isn't it?
What do you think of your Suffolk lambs for fleshing over the loin in comparison to the texel/lleyns?So... I have had my first draw of Suffolk lambs away this week.
My man said at the Highland I was booked in for a Wed morning kill (this was on Friday afternoon, and nobody had been through the lambs ).
24 lambs drawn ranging from 37-42kg (with 1 weighing 44kg)
KO avg 18.2 @ 465p/kg.
An awful lot of lambs kicking on around the 35-36kg. All handling nice. I contemplated letting them all go, too - then doubted my weigh crate and chickened out
The new ground these have been on has slowed the job down a bit, I'm sure of it... due to it being old grass and weeds. I had wanted/expected 30-35 lambs to be ready. They are back at home, for now, on better grass and I expect another draw in a week-10days.
What do you think of your Suffolk lambs for fleshing over the loin in comparison to the texel/lleyns?
It would have been interesting to have a bunch of your lleyn ewes crossed with the same suffolks for a direct comparison. I'm guessing there will a bit of variation in quality in your bought in texel/mules (skins and fleshing especially) you'll see it easier now they are rearing lambs, this is pretty much unavoidable in bought in sheep.The fact the ewes are TexX ewes, they are not too bad! Much better than they would be out of Mules or some other breeds.
I will breed my own TexX ewes from now on, too, and I'm pretty confident I can improve performance across the board - the poorest lambs are the ones showing their BFL ancestry...
It would have been interesting to have a bunch of your lleyn ewes crossed with the same suffolks for a direct comparison. I'm guessing there will a bit of variation in quality in your bought in texel/mules (skins and fleshing especially) you'll see it easier now they are rearing lambs, this is pretty much unavoidable in bought in sheep.
Had a last minute call on Wednesday with a spot available to get lambs away on Thursday, for a Friday kill...
So fetched the Suffolks in, and 30 went.
They avg. 20kg and came to £88, meaning a 440ppkg. Very pleased with that - as I did not expect them to weigh quite so well.
I am liking the Suffolks, they look very well. We are short in copper which will affect them, and there are a few are raw to the touch... just not quite as easy fleshing as what I'm used to. Maybe the tups to blame for that, but I will use them another year.
Although they are home, probably needing a vit dose and maybe wormed. I'm still blaming the shot/rank grass on the new ground for holding them up a bit. Good filler for the ewes, but not milking or fattening grass for the lambs... But, I had to put something onto those fields and the other mobs would have just been too big.
Have you had a chance to work out kill out % compared to your tex n lleyns? Good price for lambs, is that through vivers ?
Viva les Suffolks
The texel/mule ewes might be playing their part in that as much as the Suffolk tups.I am liking the Suffolks, they look very well. We are short in copper which will affect them, and there are a few are raw to the touch... just not quite as easy fleshing as what I'm used to. Maybe the tups to blame for that, but I will use them another yea
The texel/mule ewes might be playing their part in that as much as the Suffolk tups.
That's why I asked a few weeks ago if you had tupped any of the lleyns with the Suffolk, just for a comparison. My feeling is you might get that extra bit of touch with that cross especially with your own home bred ewes.True.
Certainly the BFL blood can leave raw lambs with the Suffolk...
Had a last minute call on Wednesday with a spot available to get lambs away on Thursday, for a Friday kill...
So fetched the Suffolks in, and 30 went.
They avg. 20kg and came to £88, meaning a 440ppkg. Very pleased with that - as I did not expect them to weigh quite so well.
I am liking the Suffolks, they look very well. We are short in copper which will affect them, and there are a few are raw to the touch... just not quite as easy fleshing as what I'm used to. Maybe the tups to blame for that, but I will use them another year.
Although they are home, probably needing a vit dose and maybe wormed. I'm still blaming the shot/rank grass on the new ground for holding them up a bit. Good filler for the ewes, but not milking or fattening grass for the lambs... But, I had to put something onto those fields and the other mobs would have just been too big.
What weights were these live?
Died out very well then but they needed to at only 440p/ kgThey were drawn 10 days previous (but had been busy with silage and wanted to wait til over 40kg before sending) 38kg+ with the majority 38-39kg. So I'd guess 40-41kg