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Changing sheep breeds

Bones

Member
Location
n Ireland
Thinking of changing my sheep breed from mule and mule x ,and trying wool shedding easy care type ewes, a lot of my ewes are getting old ,so this would be a good year to change . is there any breed of sheep you could compare them with so I could have some idea what I'm getting into , I know there will be differences with in any breed and how they are culled. But just a rough idea ?
 
There is big variation. Some wool shedders are very like welsh mountain ewes, only more prolific. Others are more like lleyns, or even mules. There is a lot of size variation etc. You will get different type and quality depending upon where you buy.
 

Bones

Member
Location
n Ireland
There is big variation. Some wool shedders are very like welsh mountain ewes, only more prolific. Others are more like lleyns, or even mules. There is a lot of size variation etc. You will get different type and quality depending upon where you buy.
Welsh mountain, lleyns,mules, I'd be happy enough with those characteristics
 

Bones

Member
Location
n Ireland
So if you end up with lambs just as wooly as normal, won't they be as susceptible to blowfly as normal lambs.

Big own goal if you ask me.

Blowfly control doesn't cost a lot for ewes anyway.
The real reason I would be getting into them would be to cut down on ewe numbers , ,,working away from the farm , ,,,but if I cut down on the numbers of the Woolie sheep that I have now I would never get a Shearer to clip them , they like big numbers around here , hoping to go from 220 to 120 sheep , not big numbers I know , but when working and lambing doesn't mix that we'll
 

Nithsdale

Member
Livestock Farmer
So if you end up with lambs just as wooly as normal, won't they be as susceptible to blowfly as normal lambs.

Big own goal if you ask me.

Blowfly control doesn't cost a lot for ewes anyway.


I think the point of woolshedders is the savings in checking stock for coupies, and then the work of Shearing - so it's fuel, time, labour, shearers...

There's an argument a ewe 'wastes' alot if energy growing wool, so shedders are potentially cheaper to keep too by taking less feed.

Flystrike prevention/control is only 1 aspect, of a much larger picture.
 
Surely wool shedders still grow wool, it just sheds.

I was up north a few weeks ago and walked a field with about 100 or so Easycares and lambs. I thought they looked shocking. The lambs didn't look to be thriving, neither the ewes. A dozen or so were extremely lame and I could see a couple had infected udders. As soon as I got a plastic bag from my pocket to take a soil sample their ears pricked up. They knew what a bag was even though the owner claimed everything he did was off grass.

I'm no expert, but I wasn't impressed at all.
 

Bury the Trash

Member
Mixed Farmer
The real reason I would be getting into them would be to cut down on ewe numbers , ,,working away from the farm , ,,,but if I cut down on the numbers of the Woolie sheep that I have now I would never get a Shearer to clip them , they like big numbers around here , hoping to go from 220 to 120 sheep , not big numbers I know , but when working and lambing doesn't mix that we'll
is there any way you could adjust your shearing date - so that even a smaller number would appeal to the shearers?
 

Bones

Member
Location
n Ireland
is there any way you could adjust your shearing date - so that even a smaller number would appeal to the shearers?
That's what I do at the moment , winter shearing, means ewes are housed a long time , and it was a bad spring to be turning out ewes , but it does work , its all up in the air yet I might never change my system, its just housed ewes cost money, only concern I would have with easycares would they be as attentive as say a scotch mule . and how Hardy they would be . most reports on here are good , as said before I would use some kind of terminal sire on them, wounder do they have a wide birth canal like a mule ? ... I have no knowledge of the breed at all
 
Surely wool shedders still grow wool, it just sheds.

I was up north a few weeks ago and walked a field with about 100 or so Easycares and lambs. I thought they looked shocking. The lambs didn't look to be thriving, neither the ewes. A dozen or so were extremely lame and I could see a couple had infected udders. As soon as I got a plastic bag from my pocket to take a soil sample their ears pricked up. They knew what a bag was even though the owner claimed everything he did was off grass.

I'm no expert, but I wasn't impressed at all.
I'm sure I could find a field of Hampshires which looked like that somewhere! Sounds like they are just bad sheep, poorly managed.

I think @ Nithsdale Farmer expounded the benefits of a shedding ewe as well as I could.
 
I'm not starting a woolly sheep/shedding sheep argument, just saying what I saw.

I'm sure they're good sheep, but I don't like like the look of even a great flock. If all you want is to make money I'm sure they're great, but if I wanted to make money and enjoy looking at my flock, I don't think I would keep them.
 

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Webinar: Expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive offer 2024 -26th Sept

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On Thursday 26th September, we’re holding a webinar for farmers to go through the guidance, actions and detail for the expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer. This was planned for end of May, but had to be delayed due to the general election. We apologise about that.

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