Newby
Member
- Location
- East Yorkshire
In everyone's expert opinion what is the earliest I could reliably go with Texel X ewes using natural service?
Early Lambing With Texel X Ewes
- Thread starter Newby
- Start date
For the last 2 years we have lambed our home bred texel X around the 21st of February as Gimmers and the 1st March and have had no problems!!!
They are out of Mules...
They do need to be in good condition and we flush all of ours before the tup goes out!
Havent used a teaser but we are looking at it just to tighten then up
They are out of Mules...
They do need to be in good condition and we flush all of ours before the tup goes out!
Havent used a teaser but we are looking at it just to tighten then up
Newby
Member
- Location
- East Yorkshire
I should have said they are texel x mules
Northeastfarmer
Member
- Location
- Cleveland
How early are you wanting to go? Pre Christmas?
sticky
Member
- Location
- Near Stratford upon Avon
I would put the tup out with them,with a raddle on, three weeks before you want to lamb. He would act as a teaser but you would know if there was the odd one early, a neighbour of mine use to do it this way and he used to start around the third week of January with the main bunch.
spin cycle
Member
- Location
- north norfolk
there's some kind of melatonin implant you can use...can't remember the name
......pulls season back about a month and claims to increase lamb% by 0.15
......pulls season back about a month and claims to increase lamb% by 0.15
Newby
Member
- Location
- East Yorkshire
I normally lamb in March, just want to try a few "early" just wondered what I could expect
Downton_shep
Member
- Location
- Leintwardine
Regulin [emoji3]there's some kind of melatonin implant you can use...can't remember the name
We used to lamb tex x mules using Regulin and sponging. Lambed end of Dec.
spin cycle
Member
- Location
- north norfolk
thats it
...packs of 50 costing £150?.....how was it to implant and did you notice any lamb % improvement?
Downton_shep
Member
- Location
- Leintwardine
thats it
Can't say if it improved lambing % as never tried it without and was about 20 years ago! Quite easy to put in once you've done a few( under the skin at the base of the ear).
Great lambing though 300 ewes 90% lambed in three days
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
I sponged my Texel x Cambridge shearlings for a few years, trying to get them to lamb at the beginning of January. I used a teaser as well beforehand, but never got much better than about 50% hold at that time of year. The Texel is a late breeder naturally, just look at when the bulk of the pedigree guys lamb. If they could lamb reliably in early January, you can bet they would all be doing it.
The ram breed needs to be active at the time you want to use him as well. When I sponged those ewes I used to turn a ruck of rams in, Charollais and a couple of Texels, thinking they might as well all be at it. I don't think I ever had a 3/4 Texel lamb born, which I put down to the rams being to far out of season in early August.
As above, Regulin should help (double dose rams too), but that's over £3/ewe again.
Gave it up as a bad job when early lamb trade made it hardly worth the effort & cost involved.
- Location
- Devon
As said, If you stick in a raddled ram 3 weeks early, you may get a few marked but find you get a bunch when you want.
Newby
Member
- Location
- East Yorkshire
I have teasers I just really wanted a ball park date based on other people's experience.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
Do you want them all to get in lamb early, or are you happy enough if only half take? The further you push them, the lower your conception rate will be.
If you tease them and go for mid-Jan lambing, you 'might' get 50% I suspect. If you tease and go for mid-Feb, you'd get a lot better strike rate.
If you want more early and want a tight lambing period, sponge and PMSG works well. If your happy with a 17 day lambing, Regulin would work well.