Beltex

[Hilly]

Any breeders of them here ?

 

[neilo]

@MJT
@Longlowdog
@liammogs
All been at it a while.

@beltextexel ?

I’ve been having a dabble for the last couple of years, but not sure they’ll be staying yet.

 

[M-J-G]

@MJT
@Longlowdog
@liammogs
All been at it a while.

@beltextexel ?

I’ve been having a dabble for the last couple of years, but not sure they’ll be staying yet.

They must be ok if you've had them 2 years and you've not gotten rid of them yet.

Or are you just slow at making your mind up.

 

[Agrivator]

Any breeders of them here ?

Do you have a copy of a Kelso catalogue, less than three years old.

Or go on their website and look under the Beltex or Beltex cross rings. The ones I can think of are: Corstane, (Broughton), Faughhill (Melrose), Bowsden Moor ( Berwick).

I recently saw John Hall of Inglewood Edge buying a Faughhill tup, and you can't get a better recommendation than that.

 

[Agrivator]

@MJT
@Longlowdog
@liammogs
All been at it a while.

@beltextexel ?

I’ve been having a dabble for the last couple of years, but not sure they’ll be staying yet.

There is nothing to beat a Beltex, - hence the need to be prepared to pay well over £1000 for a decent tup. And the best Beltex x Texels are even dearer.

All the producers of top show-lambs can't be wrong.

But there is still need to be wary of short necks and difficulty breathing - and that's just the sellers and auctioneers.

 

[neilo]

They must be ok if you've had them 2 years and you've not gotten rid of them yet.

Or are you just slow at making your mind up.

You can’t make your mind up on one year’s crop. I decided I’d throw a few £k at them for a couple of years, setting up a decent flock to start with. I’ve got some cracking lambs this year, but struggling to see that there’s going to be much profit in them going forward, given additional lamb losses/low output.

 

[Hilly]

I was thinking of tipping my draft ewes with one , or would I be better with Texel cross one ?

 

[Greythundercloudys]

I'm going to try and buy at least 4 beltex x texels, as l have mostly texx ewes and find they can be quiet small of the pure ones, usually buy at lanark in September, but l don't know what tup sales will be like this year. Also the ua at Stirling have a good sale for x tups, however l did have a beltex x texel tup years ago and l thought his lmbs were kind wooly buy September time, buyers like very tight skinned lmb, even if its not very big. That was a torrax tup.

 

[M-J-G]

You can’t make your mind up on one year’s crop. I decided I’d throw a few £k at them for a couple of years, setting up a decent flock to start with. I’ve got some cracking lambs this year, but struggling to see that there’s going to be much profit in them going forward, given additional lamb losses/low output.

When you said 2 years I assumed you'd been breeding them for 2 years.

I could possibly be tempted by a Beltex as a terminal sire, but it would never want to keep a pure flock of them.

What's tempted you to breed them?

 

[neilo]

When you said 2 years I assumed you'd been breeding them for 2 years.

I could possibly be tempted by a Beltex as a terminal sire, but it would never want to keep a pure flock of them.

What's tempted you to breed them?

1. I’ve always been a carcass man
2. They’ve worked well on hoggs here
3. It’s been an itch that’s needed scratching for a long time
4. I wanted to do an honest comparison here, side by side with the Charollais
5. I do like a challenge.

 

[steveR]

Anyone got some pics of fat lambs from a Beltex tup x to EasyCare ewes Please?

 

[Longlowdog]

I breed them, never did well at the premier sale with grass reared tups but have a solid from farm base now and picking up interest at our local tup sales.
I gave up breeding for bulging eyes and deeply dished faces when I stopped showing. Heavy culling ( and yes some attrition in the early years) has left me with sheep I greatly enjoy having about the place. Only thing is all other lambs look really poor from behind once you've had some Beltex lambs about the place.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

I was thinking of tipping my draft ewes with one , or would I be better with Texel cross one ?

I would go with a cross bred one for your first time

 

[Bones]

Anyone got some pics of fat lambs from a Beltex tup x to EasyCare ewes Please?

Would like to see that as well, but you might be better of with a Charlie, are you lambing inside or out,

 

[neilo]

Would like to see that as well, but you might be better of with a Charlie, are you lambing inside or out,

Different things though? Notwithstanding variation within breeds, the difference in growth rates between the Beltex and the Charollais is quite staggering. As a result they will be ready for market a lot sooner, but will potentially need more input, whether that be forage or feed.

 

[steveR]

Would like to see that as well, but you might be better of with a Charlie, are you lambing inside or out,

Neither, purely academic interest at present (according to Herself!!) but I'm interested in outdoor, to take advantage of the EC traits... allegedly The pure EC lambs will not find a ready market in the fat locally, I fear. Don't sell DW.

Going to have a lot of high protein herbal leys here that will need a good home in the Spring/Summer!! That or find a flying flock and shepherd in need of a short term place of abode.

 

[neilo]

Neither, purely academic interest at present (according to Herself!!) but I'm interested in outdoor, to take advantage of the EC traits... allegedly The pure EC lambs will not find a ready market in the fat locally, I fear. Don't sell DW.

Going to have a lot of high protein herbal leys here that will need a good home in teh Spring/Summer!! That or find a flying flock in need of a short term place of abode.

If you have plenty of herbal leys & cover crops to utilise, the Beltex x EC would likely make a cracking hogget for March/April trade. Given their fleeces, I wouldn’t be surprised if a few were shedding by then though?

Most easy lambing breeds would be OK for outdoor lambing on maternal ewes, at a low altitude in mid-Shropshire, provided you’re not trying to lamb in February.
Take your pick, the world’s your lobster Rodney.?

 

[MJT]

Bred them for 10 years, first few years were character building . After strict culling and natural selection I’ve got them at the stage where they are just run with commercial ewes on a forage system . Fantastic on hoggs , with regards to growth , use them on our commercial ewes alongside texels , you notice the average of the lambs are a couple of weeks behind but nothing major . Obviously growth wise against a Charollais they’re going to be left wanting .

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Anyone got some pics of fat lambs from a Beltex tup x to EasyCare ewes Please?

Will try and get some pics of Beltex lambs on Exlana hogs?

 

[Hilly]

I would go with a cross bred one for your first time

why do you say that? What’s the issues with them ?