Cecil snear
Member
Bought a elite abermax ram few years ago, top figures but left the slowest growing lambs I've ever had, complained to innovis ,didn't want to know ,used him over 3years ,same every year
Broken mouthed ewes on twitter
- Thread starter Northumberland
- Start date
Whats the best age to cull mules have just culled 6 years old should have done at 5 i think
Northumberland
Member
If the ewe is correct and in good condition why cull on age?
Skintagain
Member
- Location
- Perched on the Pennines
I agree. Some should be culled as shearlings but some should be kept until they are 10
livestock 1
Member
Probably because of what this thread is about. It would highlight a bad mouthed leicter tup coming through in the gimmers later on or not so later on as the case may be. It would also highlight the better mouthed ones too.
livestock 1
Member
rubbish
Reason i ask is i never have any problems till six yr olds so to save hassle would it not be easier to cull all at 5 yr old and have no hassle
- Location
- West Wales
I went through all my 2013/2014 born mules the other day, 8 broken corners and 72 still full mouthed. Not bad for a grass and green crop diet. I’m guessing they were 130-140 ewe lambs and would have all reared as ewe lambs. All homebred off my homebred rams.
I didn’t want to keep these ewe’s Due to their age but another breed has fallen short a few years early so these have got to do another.
Woolless
Member
- Location
- Berwickshire, Scottish Borders
I don't know. I was speaking to bloke a couple of years ago and he said he tended to get three crops out of his mules
livestock 1
Member
They like to talk don’t they. I have mules. I have done for a lot of years. Three crops wouldn’t be sustainable for me.I don't know. I was speaking to bloke a couple of years ago and he said he tended to get three crops out of his mules
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
I tend to keep if they are fit & correct, as I believe longevity is a valuable trait to breed for in a closed flock.
However, it has been shown that %loss increases dramatically after 5 (unsurprisingly). By culling everything at 5 you would reduce ewe losses, and get higher cull income. Obviously that would come at the cost of buying more replacements though, if that’s your bag.
- Location
- Fife
Lambing other people's cull ewes is not great fun.
- Location
- Fife
I don't see how it could sustainable for anyone.
Woolless
Member
- Location
- Berwickshire, Scottish Borders
That's what I thought but they also run a significant other agricultural business, so the sheep would be a bit of a sideline. No reason for him to make it up, though.
- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
It isn't uncommon. When you go to these sales year on year, and you know the farms buying - you know how many they buy every year and how many ewes they're running... replacing around 25% is definitely the norm.I don't know. I was speaking to bloke a couple of years ago and he said he tended to get three crops out of his mules
Keep them if they are correct here, used to sell swales at draft sales but just keep them till they are no good now.
- Location
- north Wales
Bloody Lleyns are worse than mules
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
That would depend on what you sell the draft ewes for. After three crops of lambs, they still have a decent value, selling to those that are prepared to accept the losses of an older flock in order to buy cheaper replacements.
Doesn't @dlm do something similar?
livestock 1
Member
It’s worth remembering that there’s a lot of farms mainly lowland farms kill ewes in July after the lambs have gone. This will distort replacement figures you quote. It helps their cash flow and means that they have less sheep to look after at certain times. Also let’s accountants and banks see a profit rather than looking at flock depreciation something that many can’t get their heads round as in the figures.