Ewe lambs: Freemartins

[rosbif]

Discussing our ewe lamb replacements ( all kept from twins) the other day and it appears that there is the possibility in male/female pairs of the female not breeding. I've been well aware of this in cattle but have never considered it in sheep. Does anyone know the likely incidence?

 

[Downton_shep]

Pretty rare i would say. But i always kill the one's with tiny teats

 

[Devil's advocate]

Pretty rare i would say. But i always kill the one's with tiny teats

Culled one last week, a hogg with no teats (tiny nipples but nothing else) what so ever. Know for a fact she was a triplet with 2 male litter mates. So I think free martins exist. If you are worried scan & sell any barren ones but the above was the first I've ever seen out of a few thousand over the years.

How about tup lambs with large teats can they be gay?

 

[jonny]

Don't keep any ewe lambs of the barren ewes either

 

[neilo]

Don't keep any ewe lambs of the barren ewes either

The barren ewes wouldn't have any ewe lambs, or they wouldn't be barren.

 

[jonny]

The barren ewes wouldn't have any ewe lambs, or they wouldn't be barren.

Only jokin

 

[David.]

So is there a definitive answer to the question of ewe lambs kept off singles being more likely to themselves have singles? Killed 4 last week, but mainly because I suspect it will be a day or two before they are worth £100+ again

 

[Woolless]

Had a freemartin/intersex once. She was a quad with three male litter mates.

 

[GTB]

There's a lot to be said for keeping too many ewe lambs. Tupping them, scan and sell the empties.

 

[jonny]

There's a lot to be said for keeping too many ewe lambs. Tupping them, scan and sell the empties.

Last year had 90 ewe lambs scanned 1.35 9 empties in that. 3 in freezer The other 6 had twins this year. This year 80 ewe lambs scanned .8. 35 empties So I'll be keeping them on

 

[sherg]

There's a lot to be said for keeping too many ewe lambs. Tupping them, scan and sell the empties.

+1 I like the idea of the 'if it aint paying it aint staying' approach its a shame we don't keep our own replacements or we would go down that road

 

[sean m]

+1 I like the idea of the 'if it aint paying it aint staying' approach its a shame we don't keep our own replacements or we would go down that road

and quite often it coincides with the trade improving

 

[rosbif]

Last year had 90 ewe lambs scanned 1.35 9 empties in that. 3 in freezer The other 6 had twins this year. This year 80 ewe lambs scanned .8. 35 empties So I'll be keeping them on

I'd be content with results like that. Do you always breed as ewe lambs ? Quite a few here seem to keep either an extra year or sponge in May/June for lambing at 18-20months old.

 

[jonny]

I'd be content with results like that. Do you always breed as ewe lambs ? Quite a few here seem to keep either an extra year or sponge in May/June for lambing at 18-20months old.

Been breeding of ewe lambs for years now It makes them much better mothers. Lambed some older ewes last year in June that showed up empty that were with a dud ram Never again one lambing season a year is enough. How do you get them back into spring lambing again?