Easycare sheep experiment

[gwi1890]

I always thought working back from potential cull value when breeding your ewes was a bit defeatist. But with the trade they are nowadays, it has to be a consideration.

Easycares I sold fat this year were £9 more than the mules on the same day and cost a lot less to buy

Buyers in my area will use any excuse not to pay for an Easycare, add bit of texel and they are all over them, even if they are leaner. Looks shouldn’t be important but when selling live sometimes it’s all that matters unfortunately.

 

[TexelBen]

imagine saying that on the Facebook shedding group

We've enough on keeping "some" members polite, without bait like that

 

[Kingcustard]

Buyers in my area will use any excuse not to pay for an Easycare, add bit of texel and they are all over them, even if they are leaner. Looks shouldn’t be important but when selling live sometimes it’s all that matters unfortunately.

Mine went through as texel crosses, only one buyer knew they were easy cares and he bought them.

Mine will be 65kg+ so maybe not a typical easycare ewe which maybe helps

 

[unlacedgecko]

We've enough on keeping "some" members polite, without bait like that

She needs a breathalyser on her computer

 

[TexelBen]

She needs a breathalyser on her computer

There's not just the one tho

 

[CopperBeech]

I seem to upset folk on there to. It is a skill I have! No one was a fan of the feeding question

 

[neilo]

I would think the addition of texel blood would have the potential to include a few issues in exchange for a slightly meatier lamb.

There is a lot more money to be made in a lot more areas than an extra meaty lamb.

I think there is a place for those shedding texel genetics, but including them into the maternal shedding line is just a lazy mans way of improving carcass traits (with a trade off for something else).

Number one for me is scanning rate coupled with lamb survival.

It certainly has the potential to do so, which will of course depend on the particular Texel blood introduced.

I have added Texel genetics not only to bring them up to ‘R grade’ types, but also on the basis that it will improve temperament, hardiness, strength of constitution, and hopefully milkiness. All of which I have found lacking in the ewes he has been put over.
If he loses a percentage or two on scan numbers then I would consider that a good trade off if lamb survival is improved, which is where my shedders have disappointed here.

Time will tell as the experiment continues, but past experience means that I’m certainly not afraid to add certain Texel genetics to the maternal mix, just at limited levels (everything in balance, as ever).

 

[unlacedgecko]

There's not just the one tho

But fortunately, unlike here, Facebook has a block function.

 

[TexelBen]

I seem to upset folk on there to. It is a skill I have! No one was a fan of the feeding question

Molasses blocks don't count as feeding tho?

 

[TexelBen]

My Texel crosses (Texlana?) seem to be doing similar, and are a vast improvement over their mothers without being too ‘Texely’. They were all born with a decent birth coat and losing it already.
plan is to use these over the first cross ewe lambs.

View attachment 1042962

View attachment 1042963

Stop stealing my trademarked name

Texlana

 

[neilo]

Stop stealing my trademarked name

Texlana

Pah! It’s entered on my Psion stock recorder as a ‘breed’, so stick that up your pipe and smoke it.

 

[gwi1890]

Molasses blocks don't count as feeding tho?

Don’t forget tagging and ringing is meddling but lambing low input sheep indoors is ok.

 

[TexelBen]

Don’t forget tagging and ringing is meddling but lambing low input sheep indoors is ok.

I heard there was wintering of all stock, not just lambing.

Tups wintered inside........

 

[TexelBen]

Pah! It’s entered on my Psion stock recorder as a ‘breed’, so stick that up your pipe and smoke it.

View attachment 1043923

I created the breed,



You're welcome



I expect your subs to be Texlana breed society quarterly, and in cash

 

[CopperBeech]

I heard there was wintering of all stock, not just lambing.

Tups wintered inside........

Some of those rams on sale are on a mega ration and creep fed from early days until sold as shearlings.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Pah! It’s entered on my Psion stock recorder as a ‘breed’, so stick that up your pipe and smoke it.

View attachment 1043923

Funnily enough Exlana wasnt on Farmworks as a drop down box choice as a breed until i asked them to put it there

 

[neilo]

Funnily enough Exlana wasnt on Farmworks as a drop down box choice as a breed until i asked them to put it there

Why didn’t you just add it yourself?

 

[SteveHants]

Came out of a shedder x shedder. One of the earlier ones. Sheds clean and through mostly white clean shedding lambs. Just looks cool

I had a couple like that - one threw lambs that looked exactly the same whatever I put over her.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Why didn’t you just add it yourself?

Yes you can in 'Add breed' but the program comes pre populated with an awful lot of breeds but Exlana wasn't in there so when i was using it before i knew about the 'add breed' screen and on the phone to support about how to 'Add current animals 'and hes talking me through it as im doing it you couldn't find Exlana in that particular drop box (and not able to type it in the box there ) so couldn't move on to the next step.

I don't doubt its good software program but that's just an example of how much familiarity is required ,and very regular use to remember it all as well imo, else you're on the phone to support all the time which kind of defeats the object .

 

[Kingcustard]

Yes you can in 'Add breed' but the program comes pre populated with an awful lot of breeds but Exlana wasn't in there so when i was using it before i knew about the 'add breed' screen and on the phone to support about how to 'Add current animals 'and hes talking me through it as im doing it you couldn't find Exlana in that particular drop box (and not able to type it in the box there ) so couldn't move on to the next step.

I don't doubt its good software program but that's just an example of how much familiarity is required ,and very regular use to remember it all as well imo, else you're on the phone to support all the time which kind of defeats the object .

Have any of you tried Agriwebb, I love it, just click on fields on the map and do ecerytghbg field by field