Easy management sheep breeds

[Sheep135]

impressed you in what way, they haven't even lambed yet....

Just the fact that they don't go lame or sick like the better bred ewes do, apart from being fed a bit silage they are stocked 11 to the acre on some rougher ground and have gained condition well.

 

[Sheep135]

Can you keep the Welsh sheep in. I had some once and they escaped from places no sheep has gone through before or since.

Some and some depends how much grass they have infront of them.

 

[GTB]

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.

Very wise. You'd be better off with 3000 ewes between two men than 1500 for one IMO. Especially if you want a day off every now and then. Most jobs can be done singlehandedly but can often be done in less than half the time with two. And safer!

Btw, those Penderyn ewes you've got would be an ideal base for an Easycare flock.

 

[Sheep135]

Very wise. You'd be better off with 3000 ewes between two men than 1500 for one IMO. Especially if you want a day off every now and then. Most jobs can be done singlehandedly but can often be done in less than half the time with two. And safer!

Yeah luckily majority of our ground is all in 1 place and there is only a quite road through the farm but most people who drive through it are sensible so moving stock around on your own isn't a huge task.

 

[Sheep135]

The only thing that puts me off a closed flock apart from recording would be the amount of diseases and problems we would buy in from grazing ewes and store lambs, with the setup we have at the moment it is almost impossible to have them they do not pass each other's field or on the odd occasion that 1 escapes and gets with the other bunch. With it being like that it seems as though alot of the things that could be gained by having a closed flock would be lost.

 

[GTB]

The only thing that puts me off a closed flock apart from recording would be the amount of diseases and problems we would buy in from grazing ewes and store lambs, with the setup we have at the moment it is almost impossible to have them they do not pass each other's field or on the odd occasion that 1 escapes and gets with the other bunch. With it being like that it seems as though alot of the things that could be gained by having a closed flock would be lost.

Maybe in that case a flying flock or draft ewes? A farmer not far from here has gone from a closed flock to a flying flock and he sells all his ewes after one season and starts again.

 

[Sheep135]

Maybe in that case a flying flock or draft ewes? A farmer not far from here has gone from a closed flock to a flying flock and he sells all his ewes after one season and starts again.

That was the plan with draft ewes, have seen good under ewes sell for £20-30 so buying a quantity wouldn't an arm and a leg and knowing the ewes would be worth what you paid for them the next year would help with buying them back.

 

[beardface]

I’d put the draft ewes to an Aberfield the mules to an nz texel and chuck the Suffolk cross in the cull pile. The texel x you’ve got could go to a romney. I’d then put romney over the ewes out of the mules and draft ewes if that makes sense. Will have texel right through the flock which makes a good base in my opinion and then keep grading up the romney. Nice easier care flock with a fleece worth shearing and less faff having to breed it off them. How many cattle you run? 2500 ewes plus say 50+ cattle I’d look at a contract farm arrangement with a young lad. Will spread workload no end and give plenty incentive for them to do a good job.

 

[Sheep135]

I’d put the draft ewes to an Aberfield the mules to an nz texel and chuck the Suffolk cross in the cull pile. The texel x you’ve got could go to a romney. I’d then put romney over the ewes out of the mules and draft ewes if that makes sense. Will have texel right through the flock which makes a good base in my opinion and then keep grading up the romney. Nice easier care flock with a fleece worth shearing and less faff having to breed it off them. How many cattle you run? 2500 ewes plus say 50+ cattle I’d look at a contract farm arrangement with a young lad. Will spread workload no end and give plenty incentive for them to do a good job.

Have about 50 cows plus calves from last 2 years plus buy old cows with calves at foot that we buy in the spring and about 200 store cattle. I'm only early twenties myself so as keen and motivated as can be.

 

[neilo]

Have about 50 cows plus calves from last 2 years plus buy old cows with calves at foot that we buy in the spring and about 200 store cattle. I'm only early twenties myself so as keen and motivated as can be.

Ah, that infallible age. I’m 49 now, and increasingly aware that if I stop, it all stops. There’s a lot to be said for having a backup plan, or so i’m Told.

 

[neilo]

FWIW, I would either go with a closed flock of Easycare/Exlana or Romney/Highlander OR buying draft ewes each year, milk what you can from them and cash them in, before starting again. If you are set up for fattening old ewes already, you’ll be able to make every last draft ewe pay well enough I expect.

If you expand the flock so far, will you still be buying in ewes/store lambs to fatten, or would you have enough of your own to work with?

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Ah, that infallible age. I’m 49 now, and increasingly aware that if I stop, it all stops. There’s a lot to be said for having a backup plan, or so i’m Told.

Ah you've answered a long standing question of mine! I thought those boyish looks were hiding someone of a similar age to myself

 

[neilo]

Ah you've answered a long standing question of mine! I thought those boyish looks were hiding someone of a similar age to myself

Lol. Maybe I’ve not spent as much time scratching my head? Thinking about it, maybe I should have spent more time doing so, then perhaps I’d have a set up like yours....

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Lol. Maybe I’ve not spent as much time scratching my head? Thinking about it, maybe I should have spent more time doing so, then perhaps I’d have a set up like yours....

Do you mean the farm or the lack of thatch on my head?

 

[Sheep135]

FWIW, I would either go with a closed flock of Easycare/Exlana or Romney/Highlander OR buying draft ewes each year, milk what you can from them and cash them in, before starting again. If you are set up for fattening old ewes already, you’ll be able to make every last draft ewe pay well enough I expect.

If you expand the flock so far, will you still be buying in ewes/store lambs to fatten, or would you have enough of your own to work with?

I think il probably stick to the draft ewe plan, knowing they will be worth what I paid for them is an added bonus but I like the simplicity of just having a bunch of ewes I chuck the tups in to and leave them to it. Yeah I will look to increase the numbers of store lambs and cull ewes fattened dramatically. I very much believe sheep are as much work as you make them, I know farmers with 3-400 ewes who spend more time faffing around with their sheep in a week than I would in a month.

 

[neilo]

Do you mean the farm or the lack of thatch on my head?

A bit of both. My weekly trip to the hair stylist costs me a fortune. I wouldn’t mind so much, but the only do a standard clip in Welshpool.

 

[Ysgythan]

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.

Welsh ewes to Suffolk, NCC, Texel, Border Leicester or Blue Faced Leicester traditionally. Seen them do good work with the other continentals as well as less fashionable down breeds.

 

[MJT]

I think draft ewes will be the way forward, they’re sensible money , very readily available and should do the business outdoor lambing on your ground. Would buying ewes and couples be an option ? Hard works done , you haven’t had to winter /scan/jab/vaccinate/drench them , theoretically had most of the losses related to the run up to lambing and lambing itself . Quite often see Hill ewes with lambs making sensible money , taken down onto your ground they would motor .

 

[mghley]

Out of interest how many acres are you proposing to run the 2000 ewes plus suckers on and do you keep all the ewes at home in the winter or send away on keep ?