lambs
pros - faster rate of generic gain. Respected Scottish breeder reckons all the best breeding tups are out of ram lambs and gimmers. Don’t know if I’d go that far, but if you’re looking to sell lambs I’d buy a lamb.
cons - Ram lambs can be 2@s. Some won’t look at the ewes, others will shag themselves out on the first one who comes on heat. If you’re running the lamb with 30 ewes there shouldn’t be any trouble with most, but by the time you find out if there is a big chunk of the season has gone. Fresh AI at least means you synchronise the ewes and test the fertility of the lamb, but you must have a plan B such as frozen semen or the use of a proven tup.
shearlings
pros - should cover more ewes. Problems that come out in a lamb’s first winter (teeth, legs, lack of growth) should be apparent
cons - a good looking shearling may well have been an ugly pillock as a lamb. Some lines are easy doers, others are high maintenance - they look good if you tip food into them, but will look shockingly bad if you don’t. They take a lot of feed, but need a lot of feed. If you’re looking to sell shearlings I’d buy a shearling.
As to general advice, now is the time to go to see breeders. Lambs are still on their mothers (so you can see them as well) and are basically being managed as any early lambing set up would be. After weaning is when the feeding regime gets ramped up. Also shearling tups will be freshly shorn, and that’s the time to really see them.
