aberfield sheep

Jim75

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Easter ross
Has anyone had any experience with aberfield x Cheviot ewes? Just wondering how folk found the aberfield x and what the scanning % of the above cross would be like on a lowland farm?

Some may call us lowland but I wouldn’t, I’d call us upland and on old permanent pasture. Gimmers bought from @scrubbuster did a smidge over 200%.to a hill cheviot tup. They were run in the same group as our other cheviot gimmers who averaged 145%. They’re big sheep and look a bit silly in the field next to our cheviot gimmers. Somewhere in the middle would suit us.
We’ll be putting more aberfields out for next year, this years crop of ewe lambs are looking decent at the minute having just weaned them.
 
Last edited:

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Some may call us lowland but I wouldn’t, I’d call us upland and on old permanent pasture. Gimmers bought from @scrubbuster did a smidge over 200%.to a hill cheviot tup. They were run in the same group as our other cheviot gimmers who averaged 145%. They’re big sheep and look a bit silly in the field next to our cheviot gimmers. Somewhere in the middle would suit us.
We’ll be putting more aberfields out for next year, this years crop of ewe lambs are looking decent at the minute having just weaned them.

Just for balance..... I know someone that had Aberfield X Cheviots running alongside their Cheviot dams, all on a lowland farm. The Aberfield crosses were scanning at 130% IIRC, whilst the Cheviots were around 150% I think.:censored:

You might suggest they were perhaps sired by a rogue ‘wrong ‘un’, but they were sired by several different Aberfields running in a group. But hey, they’d look sharp, so what else matters?(y):rolleyes:
 

Pilatus

Member
Location
cotswolds
I see that Sandringham Estate (Home Farm) that is now farming organically now have flock of Aberfield sheep. Are they living up to your expectations on your own farms.
I only ask as a retired farmer ,but interested in Prince Charles farming ethos ;).
Ps I wonder if his ethos would be different if he was a Duchy Tenant having to pay a commercial Duchy Rent set by by Duchy Land Agents.
 

Zak5465

New Member
Hi everyone,
Just had my first experience with aberfield X penderyn Welsh yearlings lambing to texels. So far it's been a nightmare, Lambs are way too big, had to pull all of them, it's like the ewes are not mature enough, plenty of milk, good want to be mothering. Have not been overfed, winter tack on pasture. I weighed one lamb at 7.1kg, the reason for trying the aberfield was for low maintenance and easy outdoor lambing, but this is not the case. Have I made a mistake putting texels on them as yearlings, most of the twins are normal size but need assistance. Any suggestions of what ram to use on yearlings. Most of the texel rams we use are of the commercial type and not the cabbage heads. Just really disappointed with the aberfield performance, or and they are wild as folk....
 

MRT

Member
Livestock Farmer
Hi everyone,
Just had my first experience with aberfield X penderyn Welsh yearlings lambing to texels. So far it's been a nightmare, Lambs are way too big, had to pull all of them, it's like the ewes are not mature enough, plenty of milk, good want to be mothering. Have not been overfed, winter tack on pasture. I weighed one lamb at 7.1kg, the reason for trying the aberfield was for low maintenance and easy outdoor lambing, but this is not the case. Have I made a mistake putting texels on them as yearlings, most of the twins are normal size but need assistance. Any suggestions of what ram to use on yearlings. Most of the texel rams we use are of the commercial type and not the cabbage heads. Just really disappointed with the aberfield performance, or and they are wild as folk....
Lot of variables to blame the AF. But if you want an easier lambing try charmoise.co.uk
 
Hi everyone,
Just had my first experience with aberfield X penderyn Welsh yearlings lambing to texels. So far it's been a nightmare, Lambs are way too big, had to pull all of them, it's like the ewes are not mature enough, plenty of milk, good want to be mothering. Have not been overfed, winter tack on pasture. I weighed one lamb at 7.1kg, the reason for trying the aberfield was for low maintenance and easy outdoor lambing, but this is not the case. Have I made a mistake putting texels on them as yearlings, most of the twins are normal size but need assistance. Any suggestions of what ram to use on yearlings. Most of the texel rams we use are of the commercial type and not the cabbage heads. Just really disappointed with the aberfield performance, or and they are wild as folk....
I would be wary about using a Texel on gimmers (yearlings), commercial or not. I have used Hampshires on all my commercial ewes and found them pretty easy lambing but they're not for everyone. Have used a Beltex/Texel this time, with decent lambing ease so far. Beltex or Char for first timers? NZ Suffolk?
 

unlacedgecko

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Fife
I would be wary about using a Texel on gimmers (yearlings), commercial or not. I have used Hampshires on all my commercial ewes and found them pretty easy lambing but they're not for everyone. Have used a Beltex/Texel this time, with decent lambing ease so far. Beltex or Char for first timers? NZ Suffolk?

Your myomax ram has gone to my tupping ewe lambs 😱😱
 

Tsa115

Member
Livestock Farmer
Hi everyone,
Just had my first experience with aberfield X penderyn Welsh yearlings lambing to texels. So far it's been a nightmare, Lambs are way too big, had to pull all of them, it's like the ewes are not mature enough, plenty of milk, good want to be mothering. Have not been overfed, winter tack on pasture. I weighed one lamb at 7.1kg, the reason for trying the aberfield was for low maintenance and easy outdoor lambing, but this is not the case. Have I made a mistake putting texels on them as yearlings, most of the twins are normal size but need assistance. Any suggestions of what ram to use on yearlings. Most of the texel rams we use are of the commercial type and not the cabbage heads. Just really disappointed with the aberfield performance, or and they are wild as folk....
IMG20220327093047.jpg

We run some out of tregaron welsh put to the char, lambed on rough ground for shelter, hardly pull any, very happy with them , scan around 175. We had more issues with welsh singles, more to do with the dry weather and sun last week i think, theyve come better since the rain. Now for the plug.... Will have some hoggs with lambs at foot to sell in a months time or ewe lambs in september if anybody is interested...
 

Yale

Member
Livestock Farmer
Hi everyone,
Just had my first experience with aberfield X penderyn Welsh yearlings lambing to texels. So far it's been a nightmare, Lambs are way too big, had to pull all of them, it's like the ewes are not mature enough, plenty of milk, good want to be mothering. Have not been overfed, winter tack on pasture. I weighed one lamb at 7.1kg, the reason for trying the aberfield was for low maintenance and easy outdoor lambing, but this is not the case. Have I made a mistake putting texels on them as yearlings, most of the twins are normal size but need assistance. Any suggestions of what ram to use on yearlings. Most of the texel rams we use are of the commercial type and not the cabbage heads. Just really disappointed with the aberfield performance, or and they are wild as folk....
We found Aberfield crosses seemed to be more difficult to lamb than our Highlander crosses, seemed smaller pelvis.

There are a few left however we have stopped breeding them because of various issues including lower lambing percentage.
 

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