Best breed of ewe for lowland/indoor lambing

[Devil's advocate]

So accepting proper sheep farmers lamb outside.

What about us part time/arable/dairy types who don't have quad bikes, catching dogs, time to shoot foxes etc. What should we keep?

I need a ewe that is docile (so I can catch it when lambing & to reduce fencing costs), reasonably prolific, sells well as cull & produces a premium lamb which grows quickly.

My unusual choice is Charollais x Hartline, they work well for me, if slightly too fertile. I've tried 75%/25% either way & that was not so good, the 75% Charollais is too short of milk & can be bad tempered with lambs, the 75% Hartline big drop in value as cull & lambs not quite so good, suprisingly harder to lamb (but that could be overfeeding)

If I was buying Suffolk x Mules are redily available & ok.

 

[spin cycle]

FFS you've had ALL winter to ask this...now in the middle of lambing us poor fekkers have got to endure a bloomin 150 pages of debate

for what it's worth i'd recommend a new 'composite' breed being developed around my way called 'the norfolk hurdler'

 

[Al R]

Texel X ewe surely I dread to think how a Suffolk X Texel ewe would do but I’m sure someone has tried them, % of body weight weaned would be the issue with 2 big breeds?

 

[delilah]

Friesland ram onto Suffolk ewes. Keep the ewe lambs and put to terminal sire of choice.

 

[Devil's advocate]

Texel X ewe surely I dread to think how a Suffolk X Texel ewe would do but I’m sure someone has tried them, % of body weight weaned would be the issue with 2 big breeds?

Texel, hard to lamb, go lame, prone to mastitis otherwise great sheep

 

[Al R]

Texel, hard to lamb, go lame, prone to mastitis otherwise great sheep

Mine are only hard to lamb as the twins were so fat so bad management on my part Don’t get lameness or mastitis with them though but mine are a closed flock

 

[ImLost]

@paul&mandy has some for sale that are exactly what you are looking for

So accepting proper sheep farmers lamb outside.

What about us part time/arable/dairy types who don't have quad bikes, catching dogs, time to shoot foxes etc. What should we keep?

I need a ewe that is docile (so I can catch it when lambing & to reduce fencing costs), reasonably prolific, sells well as cull & produces a premium lamb which grows quickly.

My unusual choice is Charollais x Hartline, they work well for me, if slightly too fertile. I've tried 75%/25% either way & that was not so good, the 75% Charollais is too short of milk & can be bad tempered with lambs, the 75% Hartline big drop in value as cull & lambs not quite so good, suprisingly harder to lamb (but that could be overfeeding)

If I was buying Suffolk x Mules are redily available & ok.

 

[spin cycle]

soay

 

[hubbahubba]

Texel x mule. Best ewe there is, just hard at at self replacing.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Texel out of a Cheviot mule cross to a Charalais or beltex x texel. Ewes are ignorant as hell but throw a good crop of right nice selling type lambs.

 

[CopperBeech]

There is no ‘best’ breed or system, despite what many would have you believe. It’s always a mixture of what works on your farm, what you like and what you come across.

I would think in a lowland / indoor setting, assuming good grazing, a good size maternal ewe with a fast growing terminal over it would be the idea, whatever way you went. It’s just what you can with with and make work.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

There is no ‘best’ breed or system, despite what many would have you believe. It’s always a mixture of what works on your farm, what you like and what you come across.

I would think in a lowland / indoor setting, assuming good grazing, a good size maternal ewe with a fast growing terminal over it would be the idea, whatever way you went. It’s just what you can with with and make work.

Bang on.

 

[Aspiring Peasants]

How about this. Suffolk mule x beltex/texel hogg, lambed twins the other night to a charrolais x beltex tup,

I've a few of these, quite like them

 

[will6910]

Watching this with interest as I’m investigating about adding some new breeding into my flock. My system is very very different to a lot on here. Come inside at Christmas at the latest and lamb inside end off February and outside then soon as weather allows. Has to have fast growing strong lambs to hit good trade earlier in the season

 

[Anymulewilldo]

How about this. Suffolk mule x beltex/texel hogg, lambed twins the other night to a charrolais x beltex tup,

I've a few of these, quite like them

I’ve seen plenty of people with shearlings that size. looks a smart outfit.

 

[unlacedgecko]

Personally I think if I had the sheds and permanent ground I'd be lambing twice a year.

An open composite which sheds and breeds aseaonally.

 

[Al R]

Personally I think if I had the sheds and permanent ground I'd be lambing twice a year.

An open composite which sheds and breeds aseaonally.

Dorper

 

[unlacedgecko]

Dorper

Why restrict yourself to a single breed? Just take the best from wherever you can.

Do race horse breeders try and breed the fastest white horse? Or do they try and breed the fastest horse?

 

[Al R]

Why restrict yourself to a single breed? Just take the best from wherever you can.

Do race horse breeders try and breed the fastest white horse? Or do they try and breed the fastest horse?

Aseasonal shedders would be rather restricted breed wise I thought? Barbados Black Belly, Persian, Kahtadan??
But I know the Dorper does this

 

[Mc115reed]

Why restrict yourself to a single breed? Just take the best from wherever you can.

Do race horse breeders try and breed the fastest white horse? Or do they try and breed the fastest horse?

No but mule breeders try and breed the prettiest face [emoji23]