Easycare sheep experiment

[unlacedgecko]

Why do you put back a Shetland prolapse surely it deserves to be shot

Wasn't my sheep to shoot.

Anything prolapsing in my flock would be shot.

 

[unlacedgecko]

That’s why he said his mrs has smaller hands… she puts it back in before he comes round the corner and shoots it

She's got much smaller hands, and is a hell of a lamber. She got this one out alive, without killing the ewe.

Not my ewe. Not my choice of ram. Not my pre lambing feeding regime. But the Mrs is a hell of a Shep.

 

[steveR]

They are the same as any sheep really, need to udder and teeth check before tupping and anything that is struggling for condition at tupping time is a risk to keep, irrespective of age.

They definitely seem to last longer though as the whole lambing process seems to be a lot easier on them.

That was my take on the matter. They just seem a bit less "delicate" from my modest experience ,and from speaking with far more experienced folks...

 

[CopperBeech]

It is sometimes a useful tool to get people to get people to springboard off your confidence though and give them the reassurance to try (and hopefully be successful).

The best way I can illustrate this was in a conversation I watched on a fishing programme years ago, some very old name in the angling writing world was talking to the interviewer about kids taking up fishing. He was explaining that a lad had written to him to ask where he could catch a chub. He'd written back, describing a stretch of the local river that had always looked like it should contain them, but he'd never managed to catch one there, after repeated trying.
Time passed and the youngster wrote back saying he'd caught a huge chub, first cast.
The old writer called that "fishing off someone else's confidence".

I’m not sure if I quite explained what I meant.

I see it a lot, in a lot of places, on here to.

People will recommend someone or speak about them with reverence ....with little to no knowledge of them in real life.

A couple of years ago, there was a young lad who came on here, looking for advice, mentoring and help. Lots of people suggested someone, as an expert in the field that the young lad wanted to go into, and a general top operator. The thing is..... none of those who suggested that, had ever met the guy they were recommending or actually knew anything about his operation.

The end result was that the young lad got mixed up with the online expert.....and ended up having a bit of a nightmare, ending up involved in a load of stress and sh!t and his financial reward wasn’t exactly forthcoming without a bit of pressure applied.

I sit back and watch it a lot. The amount of bull sh!t found is outstanding.

 

[NZDan]

With that, I’m off to buy a Ridgeline smock and cuddle my collies… well, two of them, I’m a little afraid of the third.

Ridgeline? As it that awful plastic sh!t?

 

[unlacedgecko]

F1 ewe hogg with an F2 myomax lamb by @Woolless ram. Born unassisted, licked up and sucked. That's the kind of lambing I like

 

[Kingcustard]

I've just started 235 ewes to the NZ Suffolk, with 60 Gimmers to the EC tup due next week.

Grass starting to grow on the hill which will hopefully help the whole job.

 

[Kingcustard]

F1 ewe hogg with an F2 myomax lamb by @Woolless ram. Born unassisted, licked up and sucked. That's the kind of lambing I like

Mine have just started shedding, I wish my hoggs were as big as yours, definitely need gimmered to be big enough for my liking.

 

[unlacedgecko]

Mine have just started shedding, I wish my hoggs were as big as yours, definitely need gimmered to be big enough for my liking.

Mine are first cross Shetland x easycare. They're 35kg lw tops.

 

[SR7]

Beltex sired single out of this easycare ewe lamb this morning

 

[Woolless]

Beltex sired single out of this easycare ewe lamb this morning
View attachment 1029931

I've got lambs sired by a smart Beltex/Texel tup this time. Really pleased with them so far.

 

[unlacedgecko]

Beltex sired single out of this easycare ewe lamb this morning
View attachment 1029931

What's the thinking with the beltex? Easy lambed slow growing lamb for hoggs?

 

[SR7]

What's the thinking with the beltex? Easy lambed slow growing lamb for hoggs?

First year having easycares and outdoor lambing. Didn't want to go buying tups so just used a beltex and a Charollais as it's what we had. Beltex lambs have a lot of get up and go. Charollais are a bit weaker and wool cover is poor

 

[Aspiring Peasants]

First year having easycares and outdoor lambing. Didn't want to go buying tups so just used a beltex and a Charollais as it's what we had. Beltex lambs have a lot of get up and go. Charollais are a bit weaker and wool cover is poor

Because Beltexes have a reputation for being shall we say "delicate" as mature sheep (and rightly so) , people are often surprised how much get up and go the Beltex sired lambs have irrespective of the mothers breeding

 

[gwi1890]

Charmoise x lambs out of hoggs has been hassle free so far, hoggs are nice and quiet when ringing lambs, less skittish than their mothers, I had 70 odd of the group used as training sheep on a young bitch I was training post weaning, almost certain that made a difference in regard to their temperament .

 

[unlacedgecko]

Charmoise x lambs out of hoggs has been hassle free so far, hoggs are nice and quiet when ringing lambs, less skittish than their mothers, I had 70 odd of the group used as training sheep on a young bitch I was training post weaning, almost certain that made a difference in regard to their temperament .

Looking well.

The ewes look quite woolly. Did you grade up?

 

[gwi1890]

Looking well.

The ewes look quite woolly. Did you grade up?

no I didn’t, I bought my starter flock from the original easycare flock , only have a handful of dry hoggs and they have all shed, as have the ram lambs, hoggs that are breeding have that short dense fleece, even though half of them shed a little bit pre weaning in august, picture below of a ram lamb and what the dry hoggs look like. So I’m guessing the fleece is more to do with running under more stressful conditions?

 

[Sheep92]

Will possibly be in the market for 250 to 300 pure easycare ewes/ewelambs this summer, any of you breeders over there advise me on the best way to go about this? Based in southern Ireland, do I go Wales England or Scotland? Is there much involved bring them over? Are many flocks mv accredited?

 

[unlacedgecko]

Will possibly be in the market for 250 to 300 pure easycare ewes/ewelambs this summer, any of you breeders over there advise me on the best way to go about this? Based in southern Ireland, do I go Wales England or Scotland? Is there much involved bring them over? Are many flocks mv accredited?

Speak to the easycare society. They will probably have members in Ireland.

Or give me a call. I have several contacts who can supply that amount from 1 farm. I can also undertake ewe lamb selection and organise transport.

 

[neilo]

Will possibly be in the market for 250 to 300 pure easycare ewes/ewelambs this summer, any of you breeders over there advise me on the best way to go about this? Based in southern Ireland, do I go Wales England or Scotland? Is there much involved bring them over? Are many flocks mv accredited?

I think the only flock that is Mv accredited is that fella in Northern Ireland, whose name escapes me, who has 3000 or so of them.
Everything here being mv accredited is one of the reasons I had to go with Exlanas, rather than Easycares, or a mix of them.