Buying a ram
- Thread starter gerr
- Start date
Depends on the breeder you go to if he sells the bast as lambs and keeps the rest to sell as shearlings. We prefer shearlings but ours are commercial and we want to put them to more ewes. I wouldn’t buy a ram lamb that’s spent it’s life in a creep feeder breeders tend to feed less if they intend to sell as shearlings
- Location
- Cheshire
I stopped buying tup lambs, they are forced far too much in a lot of cases too hit the huge DLWG. Just melt to nothing with a knackered liver when yo get them in a commercial farm setting.
I'm another who buys shearling but manly of people who only sell shearling. I like to put them straight to work on 100 ewes, if they cant stick that they are gone again.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
There are plenty of shearling producers that feed them hard too, and for a lot longer than they would lambs.
- Location
- Cheshire
If mine can’t stick it the first I know of it is a dead tup. Usually smiling in death though
- Location
- Cheshire
Yep, totally agree. Trick is too know which ones they are!!There are plenty of shearling producers that feed them hard too, and for a lot longer than they would lambs.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
I’d buy either tbh, if he’s the right one. As someone once said to me, when you see a good stick in the hedge cut it out then, ‘cos you won’t see it again.
If a lamb can’t serve 30 ewes then there’s something wrong imo, and a ‘strong’ sale shearling is just as likely to have been made temporarily infertile with excessive feeding as a lamb.
Where you get him from has more bearing than whether he’s a lamb or a shearling, but you’ll need a backup plan either way.
There a tup producer (who you will know), you can’t tell the difference between the shearling and lambs. I wouldn’t want either but definitely wouldn’t want the shearlings!There are plenty of shearling producers that feed them hard too, and for a lot longer than they would lambs.
- Location
- Mendips Somerset
as above , ask around at market , any decent lamb or shearling producer will have regular customers ,a few of ours go back to the 80s , avoid the biggest best looking cake in the window if at a sale ,
Woolless
Member
- Location
- Berwickshire, Scottish Borders
Collie dog Sid
Member
I tend to buy shearlings for my commercial flock, finding the right breeder to suit your needs is the most important thing in buying rams I think. I found the breeder I've been looking for last year and I'll be back there this time for more
What is your aim? to produce /have a go at the pretty tup lamb job, or the super huge shearling market, you will need a deep pocket and a friendly cake merchant to do either, or hard commercial shearlings to do a job, problem is, they often don't make the most in the ring. just make sure you buy what you intend to breed, and don't listen to any rubbish, and leave your cheque book at home for at least the first 2 sales.
- Location
- Cheshire
That just results in asking the auction for a couple of days credit. If I see a tup I like at the right money I buy it! They only get sold once, and they may well jump £100 as the season progresses.
Ask around, people will usually be happy too tell you who’s tups they like and for what reasons.
TBH if you aren’t sure, better too buy from home. That way you can see the rest of the sheep and get a fair quick impression how pampered they are. Whereas in the mart you haven’t a clue. Made the mistake many times while working out who too buy from. Good luck
- Location
- Mendips Somerset
would prob say a lot of best breeders dont even enter the sales , certainly one biggish suff breeder down here , sells out quite quickly hardly ever goes through ringThat just results in asking the auction for a couple of days credit. If I see a tup I like at the right money I buy it! They only get sold once, and they may well jump £100 as the season progresses.
Ask around, people will usually be happy too tell you who’s tups they like and for what reasons.
TBH if you aren’t sure, better too buy from home. That way you can see the rest of the sheep and get a fair quick impression how pampered they are. Whereas in the mart you haven’t a clue. Made the mistake many times while working out who too buy from. Good luck
You could invite your self to a few breeders, most worth their salt are happy to show folk what they do, just be straight with them and say your on a mission to gain knowledge, that will give you an idea. Other wise , you will need a get out solution, if only running one ram , a spare!
Woolless
Member
- Location
- Berwickshire, Scottish Borders
Yes, a cheap one to bring off the subs bench at 18 days in is a good idea.
Some of us don't feed our rams or ewes with creep
Danllan
Member
- Location
- Sir Gar / Carms
If I were you I'd buy from someone you know, or know of by reputation from people with opinions you trust. Anything else is a fool's gamble... the points above about forcing are valid for shearlings and lambs.
We started a new flock here about six years ago, not Texels, and have bought five rams in since then and bred others, we've kept and used the very best and sold on the 'nearlys'. Now we have what we want - and, at last after mistakes, a fair eye for replacements - we'll only be buying a ram in every few years and then just for a specific trait(s)*.
*Currently getting our shedders' tails shorter and less haired; happy to hear from anyone with similar aims.
- Location
- Left in the middle of nowhere
I've started breeding my own rams because I can't find the qualities I require for outdoor lambing by buying ram lambs or shearlings. I want vigorous lambs with plenty of get up & go, so head shape, leg length and ease of lambing leading to very little assistance are essential. That vigour includes the time it takes a lamb to start suckling.
EBV seems to be the barometer by which most rams are sold, and my experience with it has been that it's another piece of data to baffle people with. The most expensive rams we ever bought (a few years back) were high EBV Texels. One did one season, the other did two. They both died in their sleep, not cast, no pneumonia, nothing to pick up on - here one minute, gone the next! So buying a ram on the grounds of carcass & growth rates is really only half the story. I came to the conclusion I'd rather have pocketed every lamb life I've lost ahead of growth rates & carcass finish (especially when the EUROP carcass system has no validity where taste & texture are concerned). I'd want to see the previous year's lambs from a ram if I was going to buy one now & that's what makes the ram lamb or shearling sales (where the ram has never been put to the ewes) so bizarre - you're buying a promise most of the time.
EBV seems to be the barometer by which most rams are sold, and my experience with it has been that it's another piece of data to baffle people with. The most expensive rams we ever bought (a few years back) were high EBV Texels. One did one season, the other did two. They both died in their sleep, not cast, no pneumonia, nothing to pick up on - here one minute, gone the next! So buying a ram on the grounds of carcass & growth rates is really only half the story. I came to the conclusion I'd rather have pocketed every lamb life I've lost ahead of growth rates & carcass finish (especially when the EUROP carcass system has no validity where taste & texture are concerned). I'd want to see the previous year's lambs from a ram if I was going to buy one now & that's what makes the ram lamb or shearling sales (where the ram has never been put to the ewes) so bizarre - you're buying a promise most of the time.
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