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- Fife
Looking for one lambing in Oct/Nov/Dec using a Dorset. Want to buy bottle lambs. Long term relationship preferred.
Sheep dairy
- Thread starter unlacedgecko
- Start date
M-J-G
Member
Is that the one that's owned by Crispin Tweddell?
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- Fife
Quite happy to have whatever ewe, but looking for one using a Dorset ram.
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- Mendips Somerset
Why use a Dorset ram ?are you keeping females?
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Yes. I want to retain Dorset x ewe lambs and put them to a carefully selected dorper for a shedding accelerated lambing flock.
Also, Dorset x ram lambs perform very well in my feedlot system.
Dorset to help the 2x year lambing?
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Yep! And put a bit of shape in the dairy ewes
Not sure how I guessed
How do you plan to time the lambing's? What times of year will you be aiming for??
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April and October. 21 days each time. All outside and off fully grazed forage.Not sure how I guessed
How do you plan to time the lambing's? What times of year will you be aiming for??
October lambers being grazed on cover crops, stubble crops etc? Aiming for each ewe to rear triplets??
Two things to be wary of, feet and soft sheep. Oh and terrible mother's, teat placement etc.
No disrespect at all, but I think he might be aware of that
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Yes October lambs on cover crops.
For accelerated lambing a weaning percentage of 130% per lambing is more realistic. This would give an annualised weaning percentage of 260%.
With my once a year Shetland based composite flock I'm not looking for each ewe to rear triplets, only that those that do have triples can rear them off grazed forage alone.
Suffolk Serf
Member
- Location
- Bury/Thetford
When I was at Harper (mid '80's) they had a flock of Finn x Dorset that lambed every 8 months (ie 3 times in 2 years). It seemed a massively expensive system, involving sponging and even some AI. I'm sure that they will have thought about/ given a try to lambing the every 6 months. It never caught on for some reason.
Mind you at today's lamb prices it might be worth the cost and hassle.
Mind you at today's lamb prices it might be worth the cost and hassle.
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I speak to an Australian over Facebook who has a dorper based shedding composite which lambs every 6 months.
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- Mendips Somerset
be wary of recorded ones , its not the recording as such just a lot were breeding for leanness and growth and IDF was put in (shh) they are very wary / wild sheep to handle , I think David Rossiter uses some NZ blood which is fine and prob more functional for what your looking for .if you can find stock from them , it might be worth ringing him see who buys his rams, there are a few big flocks of commercial ewes that supply waitrose contracts around
- Location
- West Wales
@unlacedgecko if their outside on a grazed forage system have you thought about worms and fluke.
I really wanted to do it years ago but when I eventually worked it all out I was better off staying with what I knew
I really wanted to do it years ago but when I eventually worked it all out I was better off staying with what I knew
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What about them?
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- West Wales
You can’t use a lot of them on lactating ewes or for their lifetime from what I remember, hence why most are indoor only systems. Plus most dairy breeds are known for very poor feet, not going to make that any better with Dorset and Dorpers