Easycare sheep experiment

[Kingcustard]

 

[Kingcustard]

That's the kill sheet for the last 14 EC hoggs of the year, 1 with teeth up and one was small and thin but it wasn't staying.

I am not sure that they have the pointy sharp shoulders of which you speak @neilo . Or maybe it is the texel blood in Richard Cooks ewes haha

 

[DanM]

Richard and his family are top people.

We've been really happy with the stud ewes we got from him. So happy we had another 59 ewe lambs last year.

And I've sold him a dog.

But yes I believe the flock was bred up from pure texels. I shouldn't be surprised if there's a bit of myomax floating around in there.

It means my ram breeding project has plenty of texel on both sides.

Easycare bred up from pure texel x 3/4 texel 1/4 Cheviot inverdale ram.

Then the resultant daughters put to 1/8 texel 7/8 easycare ram. With hopefully the sons from this breeding testing positive for inverdale and myomax, as well as shedding clean.

Have you got lambs on the ground yet with your desired traits and if not at what stage have you reached to date??

 

[unlacedgecko]

Have you got lambs on the ground yet with your desired traits and if not at what stage have you reached to date??

Will need to DNA test this year's lamb crop. Should be 10 or so with the required gene combination.

 

[exmoorromney]

There is good One i Know of down this way, they breed Exlana Rams for ' the Group ' also Sufftex .Suffolk and Texel Rams
The Suffolks have a bit of NZ in them .

Peter Baber

 

[neilo]

That's the kill sheet for the last 14 EC hoggs of the year, 1 with teeth up and one was small and thin but it wasn't staying.

I am not sure that they have the pointy sharp shoulders of which you speak @neilo . Or maybe it is the texel blood in Richard Cooks ewes haha

If you want to be a proper shepherdlesser, and have Easycare (with Texel in the back pedigree ) that can throw a tail end like that, why do you want to pee about with a terminal sire over them?

I seem to remember @willy posting a similar grading sheet several years ago, where the pure EC had graded at least as well as those bred from them by NZ ‘terminals’.
Unless you are going to get a significant lift in growth rate or conformation, AND get paid for it, then why bother complicating things? Just put another EC (x Texel ) ram over them and have more replacements to select from…

 

[unlacedgecko]

If you want to be a proper shepherdlesser, and have Easycare (with Texel in the back pedigree ) that can throw a tail end like that, why do you want to pee about with a terminal sire over them?

I seem to remember @willy posting a similar grading sheet several years ago, where the pure EC had graded at least as well as those bred from them by NZ ‘terminals’.
Unless you are going to get a significant lift in growth rate or conformation, AND get paid for it, then why bother complicating things? Just put another EC (x Texel ) ram over them and have more replacements to select from…

Definitely. I'd say the effort to reward ratio for most people with maternals that have a b flock to a terminal is pretty minor.

Put everything maternal, then just don't retain stuff out the B flock ewes.

 

[Kingcustard]

If you want to be a proper shepherdlesser, and have Easycare (with Texel in the back pedigree ) that can throw a tail end like that, why do you want to pee about with a terminal sire over them?

I seem to remember @willy posting a similar grading sheet several years ago, where the pure EC had graded at least as well as those bred from them by NZ ‘terminals’.
Unless you are going to get a significant lift in growth rate or conformation, AND get paid for it, then why bother complicating things? Just put another EC (x Texel ) ram over them and have more replacements to select from…

Pulling the pin on the NZ Suffs this year, yet again the lambs are tremendous but we have had a cold spring with little grass and the ewes have milked themselves hard and I don't like being hard on the ewes like that.

Like the look of the texels so will give some NZ Texels a whirl and up the number of pures.

Don't like putting all my eggs in the deadweight basket, the marts need supporting and there are times when there is more money to be made selling live.

Pure ECs can sell really well but if the buyers decide they don't want them you are stuffed.

Still at the experimental stage as you can see.

 

[bobajob]

Did willy not post he was moving away from the ec ewes.?

Too plain, and the lamb sale prices weren't v good.?

 

[Tim W]

As i have a count up here i have 157% at foot on the maternal Exlana flock ---after lambing under a bit more pressure again (9+ twins/trips to the acre) Exlana tagging these pics are from last year but you get the idea of the maternal qualities of my ewes

Just for interest here's a composite ewe ( with a snappy title of ''CharTexlana-ish'' ) Terminal type shedder with a lamb by another composite terminal shedder type sire
The ewe shed last year and i imagine she will this year
These terminal types have 125% at foot ---reared in amongst the Exlana's under the same pressure etc

 

[Woolless]

Definitely. I'd say the effort to reward ratio for most people with maternals that have a b flock to a terminal is pretty minor.

Put everything maternal, then just don't retain stuff out the B flock ewes.

Having a B flock is a sound idea. Using a terminal on them gives more flexibility with marketing those lambs. Most of my Beltex/Texel x lambs were gone by late August. But I take your point.

 

[neilo]

Did willy not post he was moving away from the ec ewes.?

Too plain, and the lamb sale prices weren't v good.?

I believe he did, but I didn’t want post that as it would upset @Kingcustard and the other enthusiasts if I said it.

 

[Kingcustard]

..... Shots fired.....

..... just away to the gun shop to get some more ammunition....

 

[JHT]

Having a B flock is a sound idea. Using a terminal on them gives more flexibility with marketing those lambs. Most of my Beltex/Texel x lambs were gone by late August. But I take your point.

I agree with this- I’ve been all pure until this time but there are some ewes that I really don’t want to keep replacements out of (mainly not hardy enough). I don’t record anything but do cull fairly hard- but come autumn I have no idea which ewe lambs are out of which ewes so a B flocked crossed to terminal a simple way around this.

 

[Kingcustard]

I believe he did, but I didn’t want post that as it would upset @Kingcustard and the other enthusiasts if I said it.

We need to start a sheep exchange programme where everyone sends 10 of their sheep to a fellow contributer but someone who has varying opinions.

@neilo send me some of your Charollais to lamb on the hills in the wind and rain and I will send you some of my texel composite shedders.

We might both be surprised, I certainly will be as almost everyone I know has come to the same conclusion of them and went back to a hardier terminal...

......

 

[Kingcustard]

In fairness I do know plenty of farmers who also hate ECs, with a passion, same people that have shepherds to do the work, have sheep on land that could grow tatties and creep feed everything to catch the early market..... that's obviously the future of sheep farming haha

 

[neilo]

As i have a count up here i have 157% at foot on the maternal Exlana flock ---after lambing under a bit more pressure again (9+ twins/trips to the acre) Exlana tagging these pics are from last year but you get the idea of the maternal qualities of my ewes

There’s a 20 second video there, of a ewe nuzzling while you’re processing the lambs and where you’re heard to say “that’s what you want, good maternal genetics”.

I agree, absolutely. That is exactly what I want, what I get from every Highlander ewe, and what I get from only a very small handful of the pure Exlanas I have, managed alongside them.
They’ve had long enough here now, and enough have been slung out, that it isn’t environment causing the issue. It can only be genetics at work in that cohort.

 

[Kingcustard]

There’s a 20 second video there, of a ewe nuzzling while you’re processing the lambs and where you’re heard to say “that’s what you want, good maternal genetics”.

I agree, absolutely. That is exactly what I want, what I get from every Highlander ewe, and what I get from only a very small handful of the pure Exlanas I have, managed alongside them.
They’ve had long enough here now, and enough have been slung out, that it isn’t environment causing the issue. It can only be genetics at work in that cohort.

Not long til they will be needing clipped, that's always a fun time of year, or do you get someone else in to clip them and stand and watch.....

...... MULTIPLE SHOTS FIRED....

 

[Kingcustard]

There’s a 20 second video there, of a ewe nuzzling while you’re processing the lambs and where you’re heard to say “that’s what you want, good maternal genetics”.

I agree, absolutely. That is exactly what I want, what I get from every Highlander ewe, and what I get from only a very small handful of the pure Exlanas I have, managed alongside them.
They’ve had long enough here now, and enough have been slung out, that it isn’t environment causing the issue. It can only be genetics at work in that cohort.

Is this the same shedders that have been getting put down the road for the last 10 years hahaha

 

[neilo]

We need to start a sheep exchange programme where everyone sends 10 of their sheep to a fellow contributer but someone who has varying opinions.

@neilo send me some of your Charollais to lamb on the hills in the wind and rain and I will send you some of my texel composite shedders.

We might both be surprised, I certainly will be as almost everyone I know has come to the same conclusion of them and went back to a hardier terminal...

......

I’d have no problem buying some shedders from a different source, if only I could find one that shared Mv accredited status with me. I have enquired of several, to no avail.
I’ve not been keen enough to go through the rigmarole of isolating and double testing to bring them up to the same status as yet (assuming they came back clear), nor willing to complicate management here by letting my status drop.