TexX ewes - which Tup to use?
- Thread starter Nithsdale
- Start date
With different breeding would they have gone away fat and not stores though?
Aspiring Peasants
Member
- Location
- North Pennines
On current trade they would have been worth less!
- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
With different weather and a different trade they would have gone fat yes.
We aren't burnt out but there's f**k all grass compared to a month ago and the lambs are going backwards condition wise
Same here have never known grass so bad this time of year.
- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
Last year was a lot worse here, but the silage fields haven't greened up much since being cut 3 weeks ago.
Lambs do appear to be growing on fine, but they're not putting the flesh on - makes the f**k with the Texels and hill singles getting mixed even worse as a lot of them were very close to going and could've been away just at the start of the price drop
They look nearly fat anyway , low input and get them gone so I personally I think he's systems bang on
- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
They won't take a lot to finish. Weaned on Monday so will need 10 days to get over that. If they're onto some good grass they'll be gone in 4 weeks (hopefully trade is lifting by then and the buyer gets out of them fine)
2 wormers, 1 multi-vit and 1 spray of Crovect is all those lambs have had... and technically they're a by-product as it's the females I value/want.
Definitely there a credit to ya, some of ours had dropped off so ya deffo done right thing
- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
Thank you. The reaction I've had from those photos means a lot. I like my sheep and breeding but it's different when other people like them too
Aspiring Peasants
Member
- Location
- North Pennines
Just out of interest are you running more of a hybrid Lleyn/ Cheviot/ Texel type sheep now or have I got that wrong
- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
Most of the ewes are still pure Lleyn. I've been using a Cheviot on a small % over the last 4 years as a bit of experiment, retaining those females and most of them go back to the Lleyn. I have kept CheviotxLleyn rams and am using them on Lleyn ewes to add a small infusion into the wider flock. Also putting them onto some ChevX ewes to almost stabilise the cross and see how that goes (seems to work well!)
I'm not a big fan of the direction the Lleyn breeders seem to be going - getting good rams is becoming harder (and much more expensive!). I still intend to utilise the Lleyn but at the moment it's looking more like it'll be a criss-cross with the Cheviot..
So I'm on the market for Lleyns or Cheviots this year - I probably need 3 (of either, or 2 of 1 and 1 of the other... haven't decided just what I'm doing yet)
The Texel crosses were ran totally separate and originally put to the Suffolks. Despite what many claim there is no Texel in my pure Lleyn and ChevX ewes (unless other breeders whose rams I have bough, have used Texel - in which case the Texel blood is miniscule)
Also, the TexX ewes which started this thread are in a transition period - I think I'm going to cull hard and keep the strongest Texel ones and then breed into pure. The very best will be kept pure lambing to the Texel and the lesser ewes will lamb to the Beltex... Beltex-Texel ewe lambs will just go fat**, maybe some of the tup lambs will be kept/sold. Pure Texel ewe lambs will almost all be retained, I'll use the best rams on my own ewes and possibly sell others**
**go for the vanity of entering Christmas fat lamb shows for some banter
Aspiring Peasants
Member
- Location
- North Pennines
Thank you. I'm always interested in other people's breeding situations. ( that doesn't sound right somehow but I am talking about sheep
)- Location
- East Ayrshire
I may well see you at Lockerbie then ...
- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
- Location
- East Ayrshire
Probably going for a Parkie, but not 100% sure yet. Trying to breed a few of my own but could do with a fresh stud lol.No sure which day, but I'll be there
- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
Know the feeling haha
I'm tempted for a Hill type this time just for a change but maybe better sticking with what's working and get another Park similar
- Location
- East Ayrshire
Tried hill type before but didn't think they grew big enough on our ground. They're sweeter for selling in the store ring though.
- Location
- Scottish Borders
What’s the size difference roughly between hill and park tups/ewes ?Only really had anything to do with hill types, either from Lairg as lambs to store , or ewes from Lockerbie !