Selling all my ewes

Well despite my best efforts I've had a bad year for mastitis only 86 ewes & 8 cases of mastitis, all rearing one lamb so could be worse.

So the whole lot off cull, will sell from weaning until mid April 2023 to average the price,

I know I'm a bit odd but I prefer a closed flock for many reasons so keeping all the gimmer lambs. They were sadly bred for market so not ideal breeding charollais cross. Plan is New Zealand Romney on the hoggs to start restocking with maternal types.

Any comments
 

Bokey

Member
Mixed Farmer
Well despite my best efforts I've had a bad year for mastitis only 86 ewes & 8 cases of mastitis, all rearing one lamb so could be worse.

So the whole lot off cull, will sell from weaning until mid April 2023 to average the price,

I know I'm a bit odd but I prefer a closed flock for many reasons so keeping all the gimmer lambs. They were sadly bred for market so not ideal breeding charollais cross. Plan is New Zealand Romney on the hoggs to start restocking with maternal types.

Any comments
I did it gives your ground sheds everything a break a big reset was starting to get more worms more mastitis some abortion foot problems building up year on year so sold the lot ploughed everything to barley for 2 years an start a fresh trouble is I'm in my 3rd year an still no sheep quite like just growing barley you should try it 😄
 

Hilly

Member
Well despite my best efforts I've had a bad year for mastitis only 86 ewes & 8 cases of mastitis, all rearing one lamb so could be worse.

So the whole lot off cull, will sell from weaning until mid April 2023 to average the price,

I know I'm a bit odd but I prefer a closed flock for many reasons so keeping all the gimmer lambs. They were sadly bred for market so not ideal breeding charollais cross. Plan is New Zealand Romney on the hoggs to start restocking with maternal types.

Any comments
Yes , Brittish Romneys are better than nz ones .
 

AftonShepherd

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Ayrshire
Well despite my best efforts I've had a bad year for mastitis only 86 ewes & 8 cases of mastitis, all rearing one lamb so could be worse.

So the whole lot off cull, will sell from weaning until mid April 2023 to average the price,

I know I'm a bit odd but I prefer a closed flock for many reasons so keeping all the gimmer lambs. They were sadly bred for market so not ideal breeding charollais cross. Plan is New Zealand Romney on the hoggs to start restocking with maternal types.

Any comments
Is mastitis not a heritable trait?
 

Anymulewilldo

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cheshire
I’d be inclined too agree with @AftonShepherd … if the ewes are very susceptible too mastitis, and you’ve crossed them too a terminal for market aimed finished lambs… won’t the lambs you’ve kept be just as bad if not worse?
Personally I’d go full clean out, buy a ruck of more maternal ewe lambs from somewhere. Dip, Zolvix, etc. So they are proper clean. Then when they come too lamb as shearlings your buildings etc will have had a good rest too.
 

aangus

Member
Location
cumbria
Well despite my best efforts I've had a bad year for mastitis only 86 ewes & 8 cases of mastitis, all rearing one lamb so could be worse.

So the whole lot off cull, will sell from weaning until mid April 2023 to average the price,

I know I'm a bit odd but I prefer a closed flock for many reasons so keeping all the gimmer lambs. They were sadly bred for market so not ideal breeding charollais cross. Plan is New Zealand Romney on the hoggs to start restocking with maternal types.

Any comments
And here’s me thinking it was only Texels that get mastitis
 

JockCroft

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
JanDeGrootLand
Once you’ve gone out of ewes I doubt you’ll go back in.
Never say never. I'm on 5th lambing after 25 years break without sheep. (Because of employment requirement).
Pensioner now. Started of with a small number 5 years ago. Right mixture of ewes, some good, some bad and some terrible. Mastitis not been biggest problem. Just starting lambing 140, mainly NCC and Texel crosses of them, aiming to be a closed flock from now on.
Question about Romney, have they got much smaller in recent years. Had one in early 70's, was a big framed very well fleshed with lambs having a better "get up and go" than the Cheviots. Think he was over 200kg when sold at 6 years. Would like to try one again for better selling weights of smaller ewes.
 
I’d be inclined too agree with @AftonShepherd … if the ewes are very susceptible too mastitis, and you’ve crossed them too a terminal for market aimed finished lambs… won’t the lambs you’ve kept be just as bad if not worse?
Personally I’d go full clean out, buy a ruck of more maternal ewe lambs from somewhere. Dip, Zolvix, etc. So they are proper clean. Then when they come too lamb as shearlings your buildings etc will have had a good rest too.
May be you are right.

I like home bred because drystone walls hold them, in my experience Mules need fences & that is expensive.

Try to lamb in different sheds too, sort of alternate with straw storage.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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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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