Easycare or Exlana

[Man_in_black]

Sorry to @beefandsleep for slightly highjacking his thread

Having never seen any exlanas or easycares in person (no one has any round here) looking at pictures the exlana looks a good ewe, what are the lambs like if you say use a beltex on them?

I've seen & handled easy with tex at foot. Lambs look like a very tight skinned X bred tex ram. If anything it works in the lamb favour, if they have good confirmation (as beltex should) then the tight skin just accentuate that.

 

[beefandsleep]

Is neighbours constantly telling you that you have scabby sheep an issue in spring and summer? How long does it take for them to lose their fleece and is there wool everywhere looking untidy?

 

[Man_in_black]

Is neighbours constantly telling you that you have scabby sheep an issue in spring and summer?

Would rather neighbours being wrong about that, than being right telling me have struck/cast/lame sheep......

 

[Man_in_black]

@Tim W @GTB @willy @CopperBeech

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Some pics I took when visiting an Exlana breeder last summer to see if I could put up with the mess.
These were his 'worst fields' - being his nursery fields during lambing. Edit - first 2 pics were 'nursery fields'

 

[Yantantethera]

I run 840 easycare ewes and my ram team is a 50/50 split between Exlanas and Easycares - all rams recorded.

In truth it is too early to make any conclusive comparisons, with just last years lamb crop to go on. However, I have been very impressed with vigour at and around birth from both lines.

We tried lambing a few singles inside to set lambs onto last year and it was almost worthless as they lambed so quickly and were up, licked dry and sucked as soon as you turned your back - what I call a good problem!

Whilst I haven't had particular problems, I have to say that 18 months after purchase I prefer the foot structure of my Easycare rams.

So, the jury is still out really, but using recorded rams from like minded breeders is what will drive continued genetic improvement for us.

 

[wee man]

Both are white faced, wool shedding, composites (Easycares might claim to be pure but they are not and all the better for it), with numerous breeds in their back ground. Exlanas are all performance recorded, 5 flocks of Easycares are performance recorded. Exlanas are currently only bred in the south west, recorded Easycare are currently only bred in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

I personally don't worry about the difference and have used Exlanas on my recorded Easycares. As a group the Exlanas I bought haven't been significantly better or worse on any trait than our flock of recorded Easycares.

 

[neilo]

So over say a mule are the only attributes wool shedding?

Surely the better comparison would be against another medium sized, efficient grazing animal, that has been bred for functionality and can be run as a self contained flock? Whilst mules have their followers and work well on lots of farms, the above description wouldn't apply IMO.

Having never seen any exlanas or easycares in person (no one has any round here) looking at pictures the exlana looks a good ewe, what are the lambs like if you say use a beltex on them?

Without any breed bashing, I would suggest that, as the Easycares and Exlanas are medium sized breeds, a Beltex wouldn't be the way to go with them. To get 40-44kg lambs without waiting 12 months, you are going to need a bigger terminal sire over that smaller ewe.

 

[S J H]

So over say a mule are the only attributes wool shedding?

Self replacing aswell I expect.

I think the attributes described in this thread except for wool shedding can all be found in a lot breeds.

I don't go with the idea that the only ewe that can lamb outside and be low input is a shedder.

 

[willy]

Self replacing aswell I expect.

I think the attributes described in this thread except for wool shedding can all be found in a lot breeds.

I don't go with the idea that the only ewe that can lamb outside and be low input is a shedder.

You are indeed correct, but the idea of lambing outside is generally about minimal labour requirements per head of stock, and so on that theme you may as well have these attributes along with no clipping or dagging or fly strike and so I would ask why not have a wool shedder.

Look as Australia the wiltipoll is their fastest growing breed and they are traditionally a wool producing nation

 

[willy]

With regards to easycare lambs, I have concluded for me that a terminal sire is the way to go and just keep a proportion pure for replacements. By having A terminal site ram on easy care it does give you more options regards marketability and the lambs tend to have a tight fleece and look as good or better than other woolly bred maternal sheep lambs.

 

[GTB]

Personally I can't see much difference between the two breeds and I can see them morphing into one breed in the future. I'd quite happily, and plan to, use exlana tups on my Easycare ewes. There is a much larger variation in types within the Easycares which is a good thing. Our Easycares ewes would average probably 50 to 55 kg live and scan anywhere from 150 to 170% but there are plenty of bigger ewes about that will scan at 200% or more. It's all about getting the type that suits your farm and system.

 

[S J H]

You are indeed correct, but the idea of lambing outside is generally about minimal labour requirements per head of stock, and so on that theme you may as well have these attributes along with no clipping or dagging or fly strike and so I would ask why not have a wool shedder.

Look as Australia the wiltipoll is their fastest growing breed and they are traditionally a wool producing nation

I see what you mean, but no offence to anyone with them, but I couldn't enjoy looking at them.

Fly strike was a problem last year, but I didn't clik early enough,

Also for me selling stores in the autumn, I don't think they'd be very saleable in market.

 

[Dkb]

Do people with shedders use no blowfly preventions. No clik at all? Surely some if even a very small percentage would get problems if not?

 

[willy]

Do people with shedders use no blowfly preventions. No clik at all? Surely some if even a very small percentage would get problems if not?

I use 1 squirt (3rd of a dose) just on their arse end.

 

[Dkb]

I use 1 squirt (3rd of a dose) just on their arse end.

That makes sense. Thanks

 

[GTB]

Do people with shedders use no blowfly preventions. No clik at all? Surely some if even a very small percentage would get problems if not?

We don't clik ours at all but we do have to put crovect or similar on certain hills to prevent ticks. We do clik all crossbred lambs though.

 

[Woolless]

Do people with shedders use no blowfly preventions. No clik at all? Surely some if even a very small percentage would get problems if not?

No clik on pure Easycare lambs and very little issue with strike. Major black mark if struck.

 

[Woolless]

So over say a mule are the only attributes wool shedding?

A Lleyn without wool would be a better comparison.

 

[GTB]

With regards to easycare lambs, I have concluded for me that a terminal sire is the way to go and just keep a proportion pure for replacements. By having A terminal site ram on easy care it does give you more options regards marketability and the lambs tend to have a tight fleece and look as good or better than other woolly bred maternal sheep lambs.

This is what we're doing too. We cross about half with terminal sires and breed the rest pure. This way you can pick the better ewes to breed replacements whilst using those with defects like not fully shedding etc to breed a butchers lamb.