Easy management sheep breeds

Sheep135

Member
I am looking to increase our flock from 1300 to 2000 maybe 2500 ewes in the next few years. Looking for sheep breeds that don't need messing about with and would be able to lamb outside without assistance and do their lambs well. I'd like to do away with lambing inside as it stops us from being able to keep more suckler cows or fatten more lambs and cull ewes. My thought is that the more sheep I can keep and manage myself the better off the farm would be.
My first thought would be lambing draft ewes but would like to know what others think.
 
I have little experience of lambing draft ewes but if you want a big flock of ewes which will lamb outdoors and require a minimum of shepherd input, then the best way to achieve this is with a closed flock. Kicking out the trouble makers is easy with low (ear notchers) or high (clever use of EID) tech. Identifying the best performers is more challenging but use of high genetic merit maternal tups will be a big help, even if you don't go into too much more detail.

I wouldn't feel right if I didn't point out that a flock which don't require shearing, dagging or fly treatment will cut costs considerably, unless you run Romneys or similar. Then you have a shot of making a genuine profit out of wool.
 

Sheep135

Member
I have little experience of lambing draft ewes but if you want a big flock of ewes which will lamb outdoors and require a minimum of shepherd input, then the best way to achieve this is with a closed flock. Kicking out the trouble makers is easy with low (ear notchers) or high (clever use of EID) tech. Identifying the best performers is more challenging but use of high genetic merit maternal tups will be a big help, even if you don't go into too much more detail.

I wouldn't feel right if I didn't point out that a flock which don't require shearing, dagging or fly treatment will cut costs considerably, unless you run Romneys or similar. Then you have a shot of making a genuine profit out of wool.
I agree with the merits of a closed flock but feel that you would need to record a fair bit of data with a closed flock to get any significant reward. Recording which tup went to which ewes and recording the best growing ewe lambs to then either run dry or lamb as hoggs would require a fair bit time which is what I'm trying to get away from. I think I may be asking for my cake and eating it but trying to increase output from the lambing flock while running other ventures and remaining as a 1 man band has to be the goal.
 

Agrivator

Member
I would concentrate on doing what you already do better.
If you are already doing a good job of what you're doing, them you are in a position to make gradual changes.
If you are not making a good job, what you are proposing would lead to disaster.
 

Wooly

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Romney Marsh
Location, location !!



But Romney's will be a good dam to start with........'A dam for any ram'.

Low depreciation,
Easy shepherding,
Can live/ lamb outside,
Survives without concentrates.
 

Green farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Agree exactly with wooless in culling hard with whatever breed you choice. My preference in a lowland setup would be the Lleyn. However would use just as happily use Romney or easycare or exlana as well. I think all those breeds have the ability to be scaled up. Don’t know nothing about hill breeds so can’t comment there. But Ive only 200 ewes on a small farm, so no actually experience of scaling up, but if I did, then they’d be my sheep of choice anyway.
 

Sheep135

Member
I would concentrate on doing what you already do better.
If you are already doing a good job of what you're doing, them you are in a position to make gradual changes.
If you are not making a good job, what you are proposing would lead to disaster.
Without sounding rude, But if I wanted to make a really good job of what I have I could run 500 ewes and make sure that every sheep was in perfect condition, never lame, sick or dirty and enjoy a nice life. But the aim has always been to carry as many sheep as possible while welfare standards are still maintained. Without the aim of being in a better position next year than I am this year what gives you motivation to get up early in the morning when it's freezing cold to go check sheep or draw lambs?
 

Sheep135

Member
Location, location !!



But Romney's will be a good dam to start with........'A dam for any ram'.

Low depreciation,
Easy shepherding,
Can live/ lamb outside,
Survives without concentrates.
Herefordshire, good lowland ground.
Romney's had crossed my mind as we aleady have a few older ewes in the flock but even old ewes cost a lot to buy in to and some of the ewes I've seen can be 100kg plus which surely must be inefficient if you consider you could carry 2 small draft ewes instead of 1?
 

Downton_shep

Member
Location
Leintwardine
I agree with the merits of a closed flock but feel that you would need to record a fair bit of data with a closed flock to get any significant reward. Recording which tup went to which ewes and recording the best growing ewe lambs to then either run dry or lamb as hoggs would require a fair bit time which is what I'm trying to get away from. I think I may be asking for my cake and eating it but trying to increase output from the lambing flock while running other ventures and remaining as a 1 man band has to be the goal.
You wouldn’t have to record everything if you didn’t want to. You could just start buy notching any ewe lamb you had to touch (lamb, feet, maggots etc) and just don’t breed from them no matter how good they turn out. You’ll soon end up with the flock you want.
But I think even with the best ewes going trying to run 2000+ ewes and x amount of cattle as a one man band is asking for trouble.
 

Tim W

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Wiltshire
I agree with the merits of a closed flock but feel that you would need to record a fair bit of data with a closed flock to get any significant reward. Recording which tup went to which ewes and recording the best growing ewe lambs to then either run dry or lamb as hoggs would require a fair bit time which is what I'm trying to get away from. I think I may be asking for my cake and eating it but trying to increase output from the lambing flock while running other ventures and remaining as a 1 man band has to be the goal.

Running a closed flock does have it's downsides but is generally worth it and doesn't have to be as arduous as you think----instead of trying to identify the best animals you can just concentrate on getting rid of the worst. Just cull anything that ever does anything wrong immediately as well as her lambs (you only need notchers for this approach) at the same time buy the best rams you can every year and you will soon be on the right road

If you can't do this then why not forget the closed flock idea and just mitigate all the problems that buying in brings? By which i mean buy replacements from the same farm every year (a farm that disease screens and does all the recording/culling) ---we have a number of customers that do this ---come to us every year for 100 females, they know they will get the best we can offer (regular customers are the best) , they know we disease screen and that we put lots of effort into selecting the right animals for the job

I man band for 2000 ewes shouldn't be a problem (subject to setup) as long as you have a bit of help for those occasional long days
 

CornishRanger

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cornwall
As other have said I would to run a closed flock. With that many ewes it will be easy to justify a good eid set up which will take a lot of hassle out of record keeping. If your buying in ewes you could be buying anything, if you bring in foot problems or scab or similarities you could quickly be swamped with alot of "high priority" work, making the record keeping which can be done when it's to dark/p*issing it down to be handling sheep seem alot less daunting. Also when you select homebred ewe lambs you will be picking the ones that preformed best on your farm, naturally selecting the best ewes for your farm.

Personally I'd have Lleyns, but Romney or Lleyn x Romney are very good ewes for the system. Have you considered breeding up from your own ewes? You could buy maternal rams and put across the ewes you feel are working best for you now. Depends how fast you want to make the changes and how much you can afford to invest.
 

GTB

Never Forgotten
Honorary Member
As others have said, Easycare/Exlana or Romneys. Personally I can't see the point of keeping anything inbetween. Now, if you're going to be running big numbers with little help I'd go for shedders as they do reduce the workload by a huge amount. Closed flock and ear notcher is the way to go. Breed the best half of the flock pure and use terminals on the poorest performers / older ewes. Once you're up to your target number you could reduce your purebred flock to 30/40%.

I'm cautious about this one man per 2000 ewes plus sucklers too. It's a two man job really. Even crossing sheep or cattle accross a road requires help as does calving, TB testing etc etc etc. The list of jobs you can't safely/sensibly do by yourself is endless and in any case why would you want to do it all by yourself, making life a misery?
 

Sheep135

Member
You wouldn’t have to record everything if you didn’t want to. You could just start buy notching any ewe lamb you had to touch (lamb, feet, maggots etc) and just don’t breed from them no matter how good they turn out. You’ll soon end up with the flock you want.
But I think even with the best ewes going trying to run 2000+ ewes and x amount of cattle as a one man band is asking for trouble.

As others have said, Easycare/Exlana or Romneys. Personally I can't see the point of keeping anything inbetween. Now, if you're going to be running big numbers with little help I'd go for shedders as they do reduce the workload by a huge amount. Closed flock and ear notcher is the way to go. Breed the best half of the flock pure and use terminals on the poorest performers / older ewes. Once you're up to your target number you could reduce your purebred flock to 30/40%.

I'm cautious about this one man per 2000 ewes plus sucklers too. It's a two man job really. Even crossing sheep or cattle accross a road requires help as does calving, TB testing etc etc etc. The list of jobs you can't safely/sensibly do by yourself is endless and in any case why would you want to do it all by yourself, making life a misery?
I work at home with my mum and dad but I am the main work force so it is not necessarily a 1 man band as they do help sometimes with big jobs and helping move stuff around but if it came to it I would take on a member of staff to keep everything ticking along nicely.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 80 42.3%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 66 34.9%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 15.9%
  • 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

  • 1,293
  • 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/
Top