Beltex on Welsh ewes

[Estate fencing.]

Iv got 100 Welsh yearling to lamb next year and thinking what to put on them, atm I put nz over older Welsh ewes but they seem to get massive singles (loss far to many) and don’t really want to risk yearlings that will be mainly singles. I’m think of beltex and running the lambs until may/June as nice 32/36kg hoggs. Anyone tried this cross?

 

[texelburger]

I would imagine they would be a good cross,especially if you're going to run them on grass and not try to finish early. There has been great improvements in Welsh sheep over the last few decades with many types larger with better confirmation.

 

[unlacedgecko]

Iv got 100 Welsh yearling to lamb next year and thinking what to put on them, atm I put nz over older Welsh ewes but they seem to get massive singles (loss far to many) and don’t really want to risk yearlings that will be mainly singles. I’m think of beltex and running the lambs until may/June as nice 32/36kg hoggs. Anyone tried this cross?

Would sell well as stores of finished. But I'd be worried about growth, I don't think they'd hit those weights in that time frame.


Speak to @MRT or @Keepers and join the charmoise Mafia.

Alternatively, the cult of the shepherdlesser is recruiting. There's an excellent easycare flock within spitting distance of you.

 

[Estate fencing.]

I would imagine they would be a good cross,especially if you're going to run them on grass and not try to finish early. There has been great improvements in Welsh sheep over the last few decades with many types larger with better confirmation.

These are proper small Welsh many 30kg now. Just thought I might be a way for producing cheap home bred hoggs.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

These are proper small Welsh many 30kg now. Just thought I might be a way for producing cheap home bred hoggs.

you’ll get some little stunty hoggs I’d imagine

 

[Farmer 83563]

Iv got 100 Welsh yearling to lamb next year and thinking what to put on them, atm I put nz over older Welsh ewes but they seem to get massive singles (loss far to many) and don’t really want to risk yearlings that will be mainly singles. I’m think of beltex and running the lambs until may/June as nice 32/36kg hoggs. Anyone tried this cross?

We tried for a few years and got short and stumpy lambs that need very good grass. Char or CharxTex is the best terminal we've had on Welsh ewes here. They wont have pretty faces but they'll be better lambs.

 

[unlacedgecko]

These are proper small Welsh many 30kg now. Just thought I might be a way for producing cheap home bred hoggs.

I'm a big fan of lambing ewe lambs. But I think the lamb is the least valuable part of the exercise.

In my mind lambing ewe hoggs makes better 2 tooths. And early identification of low fertility/poor mothering ewe hoggs means they can be killed as lambs rather than cull ewes. It also helps keep the size down.

 

[Estate fencing.]

I just want to produce nice finished hoggs in may that have been run with ewe hoggs over winter and forgotten about really, but don’t want to have to pull lambs out of young ewes. What are Charolais like for lambing on Welsh.

 

[neilo]

Like using them on hoggs, a Beltex would make for an easy lambing, and the slow growth would mean they’d not drag the (draft?) ewes down much. They make cracking hoggs the following Spring, but just need that time to get there ime. Mine mostly get to high 45-50kg from Highlander hoggs at 12 months, run cheaply.
They are smart things that will find a ready market as couples or stores, should you need to cash them quickly.

The downside is that the rams won’t last, or cover as many ewes as some breeds, so your ram cost per lamb will be higher.

Of course, a well reared Charollais would get round those problems, and produce a lamb that could be cashed much sooner and/or many kilos heavier, giving you cash to buy as many stores as you had keep for….

 

[Farmer 83563]

I just want to produce nice finished hoggs in may that have been run with ewe hoggs over winter and forgotten about really, but don’t want to have to pull lambs out of young ewes. What are Charolais like for lambing on Welsh.

We have very little bother as the hoggs are still growing themselves, but we do cheat by using mainly performance recorded tups!

 

[Aspiring Peasants]

Hedge your bets, Charrolais X Beltex?

 

[unlacedgecko]

We have very little bother as the hoggs are still growing themselves, but we do cheat by using mainly performance recorded tups!

What breed of tup? Who from?

 

[Farmer 83563]

What breed of tup? Who from?

CharxTexel from Innovis, they do well here.

Edit: but don't tell anyone they're from Innovis!

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Its 10 years since our last welshies went. We ran most terminals over them over the years but we settled on the Char in the end. Nice long hoggs when they were ready that consistently hit 38- 42kg in March-April

 

[MRT]

Speak to @MRT or @Keepers and join the charmoise Mafia.

Best idea I've heard all day!

 

[Pistonbroke]

Cleaner headed Charollais will leave less tufty heads

 

[Anymulewilldo]

TBF we killed a lot of the Char lambs straight off the ewes at weaning. Singles 38-42kg, twins just a couple of kg behind. But the singles had been on rough grazing while the twins were around home.

 

[hendrebc]

I used to help out a friend who used Dutch texel on Welsh ewes so pretty similar to a beltex bit bigger maybe and had more go in tjem than any beltex ive ever seen. They will do what you want them to do I'd imagine beltex would do the same. He would be able to get lambs from 35kg+ range from mid summer onwards though but his Welsh ewes were a decent size.
Good cross all in all very little trouble lambing them outside.

 

[Estate fencing.]

TBF we killed a lot of the Char lambs straight off the ewes at weaning. Singles 38-42kg, twins just a couple of kg behind. But the singles had been on rough grazing while the twins were around home.

That what I do now with the older ewes and nz but the lambs get far to big before they lamb. So looking for something easy to lamb and run round for 12 months really. Like I say I’ve got 100 that cost me in a £65 by tupping so just want an easy lambing and some cheap hoggs to finish in 2 years time.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

That what I do now with the older ewes and nz but the lambs get far to big before they lamb. So looking for something easy to lamb and run round for 12 months really. Like I say I’ve got 100 that cost me in a £65 by tupping so just want an easy lambing and some cheap hoggs to finish in 2 years time.

Go Shetland?