Crossing over to the dark side!

Guiggs

Member
Location
Leicestershire
So I have taken my first steps towards not having to deal with wool and the people that remove it, the sooner the better as far as I'm concerned! Not the best pictures I'm afraid, they obviously haven't had a lot of human contact!
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gwi1890

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
North wales
I have to say im also pleased with my jump into them , I wont get strung up on names having seen the wonderful debate on Facebook yesterday 🤣 but I was interested for years but was always put off by people telling me they where goaty no conformation low scanning % sheep , people tend to think that it’s a case of sacrificing as desirable trait wether it shape or longevity or whatever to only gain in not needing to shear but the truth is from my experience they’re no worse than any commercial sheep from my experience they are better there are definitely more benefits than just not having to shear.
 

exmoor dave

Member
Location
exmoor, uk
Do they have to leave the tail on?


When we started in shedders, we continued to take tails off, then one day in some ewes who had missed getting tailed I noticed how much they used their tails to seemingly swiss flys away,
So have left tails ever since, on everything other than first crosses out of wooly mothers.


Nature gave sheep a long tail for a reason after all
 

exmoor dave

Member
Location
exmoor, uk
I have to say im also pleased with my jump into them , I wont get strung up on names having seen the wonderful debate on Facebook yesterday 🤣 but I was interested for years but was always put off by people telling me they where goaty no conformation low scanning % sheep , people tend to think that it’s a case of sacrificing as desirable trait wether it shape or longevity or whatever to only gain in not needing to shear but the truth is from my experience they’re no worse than any commercial sheep from my experience they are better there are definitely more benefits than just not having to shear.


I'm sure TimW won't mind me saying....but the early exlana were fairly 'goaty', but have come on leaps and bounds in appearance and uniformity.

Wilts are just goaty full stop 🤣
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
I'm sure TimW won't mind me saying....but the early exlana were fairly 'goaty', but have come on leaps and bounds in appearance and uniformity.

Wilts are just goaty full stop 🤣

Got a few like that... Herself truly hates them when compared to her beloved Tex X, but after the issues with them this time, I am not sure the stonking price warranted the work... and expense at lambing time...and shearing!
 

Bury the Trash

Member
Mixed Farmer

Guiggs

Member
Location
Leicestershire
Do they have to leave the tail on?
No welfare reasons for docking it just aesthetic ones.
I know what you mean though as I never used to like the look of long tails but over the last couple of years I've got used to them and don't mind them anymore.
I suspect a time will come when docking tails will be banned so might as well get ahead of the game!
 

unlacedgecko

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Fife
No welfare reasons for docking it just aesthetic ones.
I know what you mean though as I never used to like the look of long tails but over the last couple of years I've got used to them and don't mind them anymore.
I suspect a time will come when docking tails will be banned so might as well get ahead of the game!
Undocked tails in sheep don't have to be long. Almost all of my F1 Shetlands have tails above their hocks.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.0%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 66 35.1%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.0%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 7 3.7%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,290
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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