Beltex on hoggs?

[Devil's advocate]

Considering options for next year.

@neilo recommends Beltex. Are others doing the same. Alternatives & feeding ideas welcome too.

I've used Hartline or Charollais for years, worked well but

Charollais can be soft.

HARTLINE WORKED REALLY WELL but they are getting a bit too close to been pedigee Hartlines down.

Remarkably my Hartline hoggs are lanbing at 150% Started off easy lambing, then lambs started getting too big. So removed the lifeline buckets & now lambing easily again.

 

[MJT]

Use Beltex across 200 hoggs here . Small lambs born , real vigorous when born and teet seeking missiles. Slower growing so don’t drag hoggs down , and end up with real good shaped lambs at end of the day .

 

[yellowbelly]

Beltex on Charolais X hogg

Pic from last year - not lambed any hoggs this year.

 

[Nithsdale]

You'll never go wrong with Beltex on hoggs.

But, you'll get abuse on here for saying Chars are soft

When I lambed my hoggs, the last few years I just used a Lleyn on them (Lleyn hoggs). Very easy lambing and much hardier than the Char

 

[Bones]

Charmoise

 

[neilo]

Considering options for next year.

@neilo recommends Beltex. Are others doing the same. Alternatives & feeding ideas welcome too.

I've used Hartline or Charollais for years, worked well but

Charollais can be soft.

HARTLINE WORKED REALLY WELL but they are getting a bit too close to been pedigee Hartlines down.

Remarkably my Hartline hoggs are lanbing at 150% Started off easy lambing, then lambs started getting too big. So removed the lifeline buckets & now lambing easily again.

I’m using Beltex rams on mine, as well as trialling a Roussin on my Highlander hoggs. Roussins possibly have the edge on lambing ease, due to slighter shoulders and longer necks, but carcass won’t be as good obviously.

Neither are any hardier than Charollais ime, but they have lower birth weights generally (Charollais birth weights have crept up as the breed has chased mature size for the show & sale rings ). Both will grow far slower than a decent Charollais, but in doing so, will pull the hoggs down less.

Six hoggs lambed out today, resulting in 10 live lambs without touching any. One twin lifted to machine as a precaution but the rest rung & left on. I just wish they’d all go on like that, shepherdlessing at it’s best.?

 

[neilo]

Charmoise

Now they were soft......?

 

[Bill dog]

Doubt your Charmoise weren’t from @MRT !
My lambs are as hardy as anything .
But you will be glad to know that my first year using charollais tups again has been a big success.
You may never convince the Scottish Suffolk society chairman @Nithsdale Farmer, but I’m converted !

 

[Agrivator]

Six hoggs lambed out today, resulting in 10 live lambs without touching any. One twin lifted to machine as a precaution but the rest rung & left on. I just wish they’d all go on like that, shepherdlessing at it’s best.?

''shepherdlessing at it’s best''

That's plagiarism at its worst. ?

 

[MRT]

Doubt your Charmoise weren’t from @MRT !
My lambs are as hardy as anything .
But you will be glad to know that my first year using charollais tups again has been a big success.
You may never convince the Scottish Suffolk society chairman @Nithsdale Farmer, but I’m converted !

Were or were not?

 

[MRT]

Now they were soft......?

Aye soft and alive, and finished, and profitable by the time the first charollais x (that survived!) was here - thats why we went about importing and breeding them!

 

[Aspiring Peasants]

Regarding Beltex on Hoggs. I wouldn't use anything else if you want a small fine boned lively lamb. Below is one born a couple of days ago and then one born a couple of weeks ago to show how they change. They don't grow fast but they can be roughed on and sold now. Got £114 for some last week at 41 kgs

 

[Nithsdale]

Doubt your Charmoise weren’t from @MRT !
My lambs are as hardy as anything .
But you will be glad to know that my first year using charollais tups again has been a big success.
You may never convince the Scottish Suffolk society chairman @Nithsdale Farmer, but I’m converted !

Now, tell the truth. You had to take drastic measures and move farms all the way to the East Coast to make sure the Char was a success


Even with my prominent position within the Suffolk world... I don't think I'd be championing using them on hoggs no matter how good my dark faced lambs are looking at the moment

 

[Skintagain]

Charlie’s are good and they make up for it massively been so keen when born unless the weather really turns and they are the first to suffer.

Beltex (Dutch texel types) are my favourite breed nowadays as common texel a have got too plain and heady. These Dutch texel type beltex’s what ever people want to call them are what a texel was/should be like imo.

Jacobs cannot be beaten ease of lambing for Hoggs. Randy little buggers too.

 

[hally]

Charlie’s are good and they make up for it massively been so keen when born unless the weather really turns and they are the first to suffer.

Beltex (Dutch texel types) are my favourite breed nowadays as common texel a have got too plain and heady. These Dutch texel type beltex’s what ever people want to call them are what a texel was/should be like imo.

Jacobs cannot be beaten ease of lambing for Hoggs. Randy little buggers too.

Aye but looking at a Jacob for the next six months

 

[Skintagain]

Aye but looking at a Jacob for the next six months☹

I know. Buy some ram hoggs then kill I think is the only way.

 

[neilo]

Doubt your Charmoise weren’t from @MRT !
My lambs are as hardy as anything .
But you will be glad to know that my first year using charollais tups again has been a big success.
You may never convince the Scottish Suffolk society chairman @Nithsdale Farmer, but I’m converted !

You are correct, they weren't from @MRT , who may well be breeding hardier things. The ones I had were sufficiently soft to know I don't want them again though, much poorer in all respects than the Charollais and Beltex born alongside them.

That perhaps illustrates why we shouldn't just say that one breed is hardier than another. SOME 'ugly pig sheep'/Charmoise are incredibly tender (you could see light through their thin ears ffs), SOME thin skinned Charollais are soft things, and SOME Beltexes are born with such little birth coat that they don't stand a chance in a stiff breeze. Others within the same breed will be a completely different kettle of fish, depending on which way the breeder has been selecting them.

 

[ford4000]

I've used a primera and texels the last few years, the primeras are lively things, and long and thin to get born easier, but I wouldn't want to lamb them outside, they can be very bare at birth, and not particularly well fleshed to be Hardy

 

[ford4000]

Texels are not quite as easy to give birth too, one leg back often, but hardier, stockier stronger lambs that don't need as much looking after once they are born

Primeras grow like stink and I can sell some at weaning, but texels much nicer lambs for selling live

 

[z.man]

Charollais here, beltex lambs out of Texel cross hoggs can be born blue(with fair width of heads) and I can’t get the rams to live long enough either? will wean at 12 weeks latest and normally get a pick of lambs away at this point , beltex are without doubt the best selling fat lamb but they ain’t for me