- Location
- South Pennines ol14
That’s why homebred replacements win every time.
They just seem to “do” on the ground they are born on
cobalt deficient lambs
- Thread starter GTB
- Start date
They just seem to “do” on the ground they are born on
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
I agree , i never know how these guys buying fancy ewe lambs heifers etc make it pay especially when i learn lot of them brought up on hoppers !! Self replacing is only way i can survive .
- Location
- South Pennines ol14
The downside I have being a relatively small farm is keeping land aside for the hoggs , otherwise it’s a no brainier for us , especially our moor sheep
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
Could always winter them away ? Id rather that than buy in , id give up livestock before i went back to buying female replacements again
- Location
- South Pennines ol14
Yes I could do with finding some wintering, but so could everyone else !
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
Bought in sheep certainly take a while to adapt to the disease and parasite challenges on a new farm, just as they take time to develop resistance to those challenges as young stock at home.
However, if you have production limiting trace element deficiencies on your holding, sheep won’t adapt to them ime, although left untreated, you might sort out those that are better able to cope and cull the rest. That’s a very different thing.
The sheep we brought here from the home farm in Glos started dropping like flies when faced with a whole different load of challenges. That’s a farm issue, not a sheep issue.
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
Aye its not easy for sure .
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
What was killing them ?
- Location
- South Pennines ol14
Yes I get your point , but then homebred replacements coupled with necessary bolus or drench or whatever is surely the best of both worlds
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
Copper deficiency was the biggest issue that first year, due to lockup from high molybdenum levels, made even worse by having to lime the whole farm on arrival (all pH 5.1-5.4).
Had high moly and associated copper problems at home, but nowhere near to this degree.
It was a steep learning curve, even for my vet!
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
Do you find copper or lack of it can cause lambs to skitter ?
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
My inbye fields are all reclaimed hill land which buggers up copper levels they say . When i wean and put lambs in fields they skitter badly , dose my head in …Yes, to death in our case. A liquid, light brown skitter.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
Fairly cheap to do a forage test on those fields to see if that’s the issue. High Molybdenum is the most common lockup for copper I think, but high iron, etc can also do it. Cheap enough to supplement copper if that is the issue. Lots round here just put cattle minerals out for the sheep, but that’s a bit gung-ho.
Iodine deficiency makes them skitter too ime, but a dark/black skitter normally.
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
Yea i think i might get a forage analysis done , be interesting to see .
- Location
- South Pennines ol14
We had ours done as a freebie by the feed rep
Maybe worth an ask , just had soil test in main meadow, more to help us improve the grass that was £30 so well worth while
Aspiring Peasants
Member
- Location
- North Pennines
This is what I’ve learnt and although I buy some in, living where I do I’ve got the pick of thousands of mules within a 10 mile radius, so the move is minimal. There’s probably not far short of a thousand sold off farms we adjoin. If this wasn’t the case I may do things differently. I’m now very wary of buying sheep without knowing about who’s bred them and where they’ve come from.
IME sheep are much more sensitive to mineral deficiencies than cattle, our ewes are bolussed twice a year, the cattle only get a salt lick and are fine. Sorting out mineral deficiencies in sheep is one of the best investments you can make.
Last edited:
- Location
- Western Washington
I would look at soil levels as well. Forage nutrition has to come from the soil. Sample with a probe to get to the level of the deepest root of the plants that will be in play. It will be variable throughout the year so more than 1 test is ideal if you really want to know. Average the test. That would be your baseline. Do the same for forage. Test at different stages of the annual production cycle and average the results. If you have high sulfur and moly in both averages then that is a good indication the copper is being locked up.
Livestock need copper. Just how much depends on the species and the genetics of the beast. Talk to someone who you trust to get it figured out. I use a chelated copper that is attached to a amino acid (protein). Because of this, I am less worried about copper poisoning in my sheep. My copper PPM is about 120 in my salt and trace minerals due to high sulfur and moly.
Clay loam soils are prone to tart in regions where you get more than 40" of precipitation a year. Sulfur levels in soil are always highest closer to the road way that intersects them. 100 meters away the Sulfur level will be something else.
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
I wish i knew an expert localy but i dont , i have a facebook friend who is a total boffin and knows his stuff but A talks in riddles and B broad Aberdonian I can’t understand a word he says ….