TexX ewes - which Tup to use?

Yesterday morning when I checked the pure Texels i thought the crayon was missing from the tups harness... I fetched them in to put a new one on to find in reality he had wore it out, down to the plastic serving the 3 Gimmers my homebred girl has a slight purple tinge to her so I think she's been served too, after the crayon was worn out. A new (blue) crayon on, nothing new last night or this morning but 5pm tonight and the oldest ewe is served so I think that's them all Very, very pleased with how tight a group they will lamb in and I might even put them in the shed for it

If you all can remember back to lambing this year, both pures had twins. But one lamb died leaving a pair and a single... comparing sizes now, the 'single' is a lot bigger than the twin (both boys are good - but the twin female is pretty crap so won't be keeping her), so I'm mulling over the idea I should lift any multiples, just letting the Texels rear a single and I'll foster the one I lift onto a commercial ewe...

Lambing them inside, lifting multiples... oh god, I'm starting to mollycoddle them

Tin, rails, posts and gates are all ordered for the site of my old sheep pens. To be delivered before end of next week so that's the next job coming up.
I've also started looking round at new quad bikes to take over my work from the diesel - it's 7 in January, with nearly 30,000 miles on the clock. Time for a change I'd say...

Had the store/fat lambs in today for a Multi-vit dose. Think they're really needing it... they should be onto feed by now, too, as grass is losing quality and there isn't as much about but I'm holding off - there's lambs close to going so I'll get them away before this month ends but I see no point having anything ready in early November - there's just too much uncertainty with the B word... my last 30 cast ewes are going into Dumfries in the morning and I'm away in the afternoon helping a friend wean and sort out his suckle calves getting ready for sale.

Our store bullocks are in the shed now, that's them housed for winter. Almost a year to the day, but heifers are still out... they'll be coming in soon. The way it's going the sucklers will be in earlier this year, bit we will see how it goes

Was away helping a friend yesterday sort out his suckled calves for sale. Came home late last night but there was a wee surprise waiting for me this morning.
All the gates, posts, tin etc I ordered had been delivered early


Said to brother this morning I'd crack on with some of the gates...
When I said crack on this is not what either of us had in mind


Glass and glue ordered for tomorrow delivery... so guess what tomorrows job is

Cock up aside, 3 cattle gates hung this afternoon



Been needing to do these gates for years, but dad was abit against it saying they weren't needed. 2 field gates across the road (which the cattle jumped/flattened) and a cattle hurdle between the shed was fine...
He went home before I started, so he will see the done job tomorrow (he might moan but at least there was no ear nipping when I was getting on with it )

primmiemoo said:

Smart work, there. Pity about the caber technique, though.

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Know your audience!!

Don't comment about tossing on here

yellowbelly said:

I bet @primmiemoo was relieved that window copped it and not your chin

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The chin is definitely safe

Meant to post this yesterday...


Nice new window installed by yours truly passing comment that I need to be more careful was made




Store heifers came in today. That's them all in for winter, and there's 6 drawn for sale on Monday...

Noticed this morning I thought I was short a few tups from the field at my house. Shifting cows this afternoon I find 6 of the buggers about half mile from where they should be having at it with the commercial ewes could they not just have waited until Friday when they are going out anyway?!? Left them where they are... the Texels would probably stay, but 2 Lleyns have went - once they know there's ewes in season there is no stopping them!!...

P*ssing down yesterday, I pondered the escapee tups. Decided to leave the Texels out, but I rounded up the Lleyns and a group of ewes and fetched them in. The dearer of the 2 new buys got a harness and I took them out to the hill ewes... I'll fetch in the well behaved tups tomorrow and let them go out aswell...

As promised, @scottish-lleyn here is my own homebred Lleyn. He is 2015 born.



And here are some more of the 2 new boys

First up - on the left is the £550, middie £250 (who has a slightly swollen face from some fighting) and on the right is the homebred boy. (Texel hiding at the rear)


Left - Homebred, middle - £550, right - £250


Nearest - Homebred, Middle/right - £250 and the one at the back £550


Left/whole body is the £250 tup, arse of the £550 and head of the homebred


Head down is the £550 boy, left is £250 and Homebred at the back.



That £250 tup has some real style/character when out with the ewes. Leaps like a gazelle when running! The £550 tup took the sulk when I put him in the bike trailer, thought I was taking him away from the ewes... he didn't perk up until I let him out with the hill girls

Guiggs said:

That home bred tup has some depth/ power to him, a lot like my current tup but I do like your 550 tup, he's the "type" I look for to breed my replacements.

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Cheers. Yeah he is a whole world of power he is naturally done off grass his entire life. He never loses condition and just takes it all in his stride.

The £550 is very similar and will hopefully fill out the same way. He has a harness on him and I intent to keep rams from him.

Like you, that is the "type" I like/want and try to buy or breed... there's not enough at the sales like them, though and they usually go for stupid money.

The £250 should be a solid ewe making ram, though

Guiggs said:

It's very difficult to judge anything from a picture but the 250 tup in the last picture but one looks a fair animal, bit of length to him! slightly broader head than the 550 but at 250 quid I don't think you can go wrong!

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This is the picture I didn't post...


That's the £250 one nearest camera. LONG!!


You're right, thicker head and a little heavier boned - but not much. Good tup for breeding females, IMO... and he is growing on me a lot

AftonShepherd said:

If I decide to try lleyns again I'll need to pick your brains. My (now-ex) boss bought a couple to try and I got a heap from the farm owners other flock but they're horrible narrow looking things that I can't abide. Yours look good sheep. I'm back to only using park type NCCs but the ewes are pains in the backside at lambing time and prolificacy could be better.

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Too many in the sales I don't like... the breed may be going in a direction I don't like - but anything like the 2 blocky in my pics are in demand.


This little poser is one of the Lleyn X Park NCC Gimmers