Confessions of the Sheep/Beef Cattle/Pig Addicts

[Nithsdale]

I didn’t say your, everyone of your pictures your feeding anyway.

You don't need to scroll to far up the page before you can see I typed sheep should work for their keep

 

[Aspiring Peasants]

View attachment 1082098
38kg @£2.52
View attachment 1082099
39.9kg unsold
View attachment 1082100
39.5kg unsold
View attachment 1082101
42.5kg@£2.50 and 1 blue spot 36kg unsold
All good lambs. There were plenty of lambs sold today that I wouldn’t have wanted to take the money for. 3/4 bred sorts @ £2.40…

I've got some in the mart tonight, nothing special, I'm expecting to be very underwhelmed, they're about 8kgs lighter than they should be

 

[Aspiring Peasants]

I personally think a lot of people run sheep to hard. I bit of forge if there’s no grass isn’t going to brake the bank. Next door to me aways uses the saying “the sheep should be working for you” the poor things are a welfare case really and make f**k all when he comes to sell them in the spring. He skates the hell out of me because I feed sheep. All my sheep are either on hay/ silage or beet now and the are eating like mad.

Anytime I've tried to save on feed it's caused problems later on. I put hay out for them once the weather turns. If they eat it I reckon they need it.!

 

[Nithsdale]

How long has it taken to get the flock to how it is now?

Do you think the reason they are good now is more down to breeding, culling etc rather than the breed? i.e you could have started with another breed, say Cheviots and through same management had as good a flock now?

I failed when I tried them, they just lost more lambs than mules or texel/mules and were more work

First Lleyn rams were bought in 2005, so 17 years of work to this point. Went onto Blackie ewes to start instead of the BFL. Then I put the to the Scotch Mule too and bred up from those original crosses. (Every cross away from the Mule was a big improvement, IMO)

Culling/selection is definitely the most important bit yes and you're very correct - you could take any breed and change them or get them to what I've gotten my own

I'm not fussed on the breed - they are my sheep.. but it was Lleyn rams I've used so to put a label on them, it's easier just to say they're Lleyns. I'm now using a bit more NCC because tups I like/want are easier gotten

 

[aangus]

I've got some in the mart tonight, nothing special, I'm expecting to be very underwhelmed, they're about 8kgs lighter than they should be

Trade looks good for what I have seen on internet

 

[AftonShepherd]

New filters. Do the one on the tank too. Are they kept inside?

No tank filter on this one. Massey 5470 with two cartridge filters and a paper pre-filter. Changed them all and still couldn't get it to go. On fitters advice I've bypassed the pre-filter and going now - can stay bypassed unless it starts costing a fortune in other filters lol.

Was in a covered silage pit last night but in sheep shed tonight so should be better

 

[Chae1]

ive put out hay and silage been white nearly a full week and -15, they are certainly eating it. Doesnt take long so dont see why you wouldnt, dosing yesterday was bit chilly without waterproofs on.

At least you won't be ploughtering in dubs!

 

[yellowbelly]

No tank filter on this one. Massey 5470 with two cartridge filters and a paper pre-filter. Changed them all and still couldn't get it to go. On fitters advice I've bypassed the pre-filter and going now

What happened to putting 5 gals of paraffin in 1000 gals of diesel

Or is that not the done thing anymore with these fancy new fangled diesels

 

[cattleman123]

View attachment 1082098
38kg @£2.52
View attachment 1082099
39.9kg unsold
View attachment 1082100
39.5kg unsold
View attachment 1082101
42.5kg@£2.50 and 1 blue spot 36kg unsold
All good lambs. There were plenty of lambs sold today that I wouldn’t have wanted to take the money for. 3/4 bred sorts @ £2.40…

I n my view you should have taken the money...their be plenty of chances to balance up going forward

 

[Anymulewilldo]

I n my view you should have taken the money...their be plenty of chances to balance up going forward

It doesn’t help that it was at Leek. I don’t like the place at the best of times as a fat sheep market. Trade was definitely dropping with every row of pens sold. The sheep have room for another 5/6kg before I’m thinking they are too big so they can be dipped and off onto turnips now. Could be one of those years to keep chipping away at the grazing ewes and hold the lambs until the trade is ready.

 

[hendrebc]

View attachment 1082098
38kg @£2.52
View attachment 1082099
39.9kg unsold
View attachment 1082100
39.5kg unsold
View attachment 1082101
42.5kg@£2.50 and 1 blue spot 36kg unsold
All good lambs. There were plenty of lambs sold today that I wouldn’t have wanted to take the money for. 3/4 bred sorts @ £2.40…

I think you did ok on the day. I had £2.43/kg for some 37kg and 43kg lambs and but only £108 for some 48kg ones at Ruthin today. Didn't go myself but dad said they dropped off towards the end when one buyer must have been full and more or less stopped buying.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

I think you did ok on the day. I had £2.43/kg for some 37kg and 43kg lambs and but only £108 for some 48kg ones at Ruthin today. Didn't go myself but dad said they dropped off towards the end when one buyer must have been full and more or less stopped buying.

The buyers at Leek had got as they were just wandering along not really looking at the lambs. Never mind, proved to myself once again to wait until there’s a wagon load and go north with them where they’ve 10+ buyers waiting. The cull cows were a good trade for what they were so I won that one

 

[Rossymons]

Fire lit, first of the outside Christmas lights are on, pie in the oven and I'll be having a beer too...

But my most pressing concern is if I go to market tomorrow? The lure of coming home with 5 calves is too great!

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Fire lit, first of the outside Christmas lights are on, pie in the oven and I'll be having a beer too...

But my most pressing concern is if I go to market tomorrow? The lure of coming home with 5 calves is too great!

Calves weren’t dear at all today from the ones I saw native heifers were peanuts. (Not that I’d be buying them even if I wanted some calves at the moment

 

[JockCroft]

What happened to putting 5 gals of paraffin in 1000 gals of diesel

Or is that not the done thing anymore with these fancy new fangled diesels

Parrafin not what it used to be. 5Lt of additive at £140 per 2000lt helps a little. But you need to use that anyway.

 

[DieselRob]

It doesn’t help that it was at Leek. I don’t like the place at the best of times as a fat sheep market. Trade was definitely dropping with every row of pens sold. The sheep have room for another 5/6kg before I’m thinking they are too big so they can be dipped and off onto turnips now. Could be one of those years to keep chipping away at the grazing ewes and hold the lambs until the trade is ready.

If they had that extra 6kg on today do you think they would’ve made 250ppk? What I’m saying is are they wanting bigger weights at the moment?

 

[Rossymons]

Calves weren’t dear at all today from the ones I saw native heifers were peanuts. (Not that I’d be buying them even if I wanted some calves at the moment

I'll tell the Missus to put her coat on.

Oh, we aren't going anywhere I'm just turning the heating off!

 

[Gulli]

This!! They're not a full on hill ewe, but they are an upland ewe

I always got on well with lleyn and lleyn x ewes here and I definitely wouldn't count as an upland farm! Gone away from them now but I still like them

 

[Top Tip.]

You're in the wrong part of the world if you want to avoid it...


Getting it now and January means the chances of it later are less likely. If there's very little snowfall by mid February you can expect it on March - seen it all too often.

The ewes will cope with snow fine and don't require more feeding. You need prolonged period with 8"+ cover before it's worth feeding them extra. These folks rushing out with silage and hay when there's 2-3" cover is just comedy - they don't seem to understand sheep have an instinct and will dig through snow and continue grazing

Put the first silage out to the ewes today only because the temperature got down to -17 last night and they were having a job getting through the snow.

 

[Bill dog]

Had to phone and postpone an artic of pig feed till Friday/Saturday. No way would a wagon get from the A68 up the C road to our farm. I should last hopefully till then, but I have just come back from emptying the salt bin in our local village . They don’t seem to need it !
I rang the council to ask if they would be doing our side roads. Lost the will to live , after press 1 for this, 2 for that , and then I’m in a queue of 12 !
That’s progress for you !!