Best time to sell ewes. Scanned in lamb or lambs at foot?

[gower_webb]

Afternoon all. We are planning on reducing our flock and wondering when is the best time to sell them. Sell them scanned in lamb or after they have lambed with lambs at foot but what age would the lambs need to be. Thanks in advance for the advice

 

[MF 135 Man]

When are they due to lamb? I think that makes quite a bit of difference to the value.

 

[gower_webb]

Going in with the rams in 2 weeks for April lambing

 

[DB67]

Definitely with lambs at foot.

 

[copse]

Get lambs to about 3 weeks old and sell ewes with lambs at foot. When buyers get grass fever you can't go wrong!

 

[hindmaist]

You'll make more by selling them with lambs at foot.

 

[gone up the hill]

You'll make more by selling them with lambs at foot.

In theory yes but you need to allow for all costs to come off the sale price, ewes with lambs at foot are currently making £55/60 life down here, at that price nearly all the costs/ extra work will have to come off any that have twins which wont leave much more profit ( if any ) than selling in lamb.

Local sale of early in lamb ewes the other day and they were all around the £130/140 mark apparently.

Also if grass is short in the spring then ewes and lambs will take a knock trade wise.

 

[Nithsdale]

Going by the prices this year (Jan-May) definitely sell with lambs at foot.

Nobody wants the risk (hassle?) of getting lives on the ground, they'd rather someone else do the hard bit.

 

[Al R]

In theory yes but you need to allow for all costs to come off the sale price, ewes with lambs at foot are currently making £55/60 life down here, at that price nearly all the costs/ extra work will have to come off any that have twins which wont leave much more profit ( if any ) than selling in lamb.

Local sale of early in lamb ewes the other day and they were all around the £130/140 mark apparently.

Also if grass is short in the spring then ewes and lambs will take a knock trade wise.

In April/early May here lambs at foot - nothing special were making £65/life. Lambs were 2-3 weeks?

 

[hendrebc]

Make more selling wuth lambs at foot but id think about selling twins in lamb and singles with lamb at foot spread the risk a bit. The singles will be easier and cheaper to lamb than the twins and he singles will do better to sell with a lamb at foot. If you get a poor spring you might he kicking yourself for keeping them all to sell with lambs at foot, you will he struggling to feed them for the first 3 weeks and no one will want them as they have no grass to feed them either.

 

[neilo]

If you have the room/time/inclination to lamb them down, you will always be rewarded by the effort. More and more these days, seem to want to not do the work, but still have lambs to sell. Take the lazy buggers’ money.

 

[Woolless]

If you have the room/time/inclination to lamb them down, you will always be rewarded by the effort. More and more these days, seem to want to not do the work, but still have lambs to sell. Take the lazy buggers’ money.

You're right but it's not helping the store trade up here at the moment!

 

[gower_webb]

Thank you everyone for your advise and input. Keep your eyes peeled late April for my ewe's FOR SALE post. Thanks

 

[Nithsdale]

You're right but it's not helping the store trade up here at the moment!

I was thinking stores seemed decent compared to fat. Longtown looked OK to me yesterday (going by report).

 

[Woolless]

I was thinking stores seemed decent compared to fat. Longtown looked OK to me yesterday (going by report).

Yes, does sound better and their report is backed up by a first hand account I've had.

 

[Nithsdale]

Yes, does sound better and their report is backed up by a first hand account I've had.

Been through my lambs today... haven't drawn weights, just anything that's fit (back in tomorrow for weighing). Seriously considering a load of fit lighter lambs away store at current trade Ito save clipping them, too!

I had fed some for about a month mid August - Mid September (they are gone now) but the mess they were making I didn't feed the rest... fairly reluctant to start again