Flock plans

[sherg]

Just wondering what everyone is planning to do numbers wise for next year? just seen the report from Welshpool yesterday and they sold 5088 cull sheep which is a record for them which seems crazy considering the amount of sheep that are around compared to years ago and that a lot of people haven't gone through their ewes after weaning yet. Think we will stay around the same number but are a lot going to cut right back or get out altogether, are we going to see a reduction in the national flock?

 

[neilo]

Crikey, that's a lot of culls. Where did they put them all, as lamb numbers would be up as well now.

I'm told there are a lot of retained empty ewes about after last winter, one guy (3000 ewe flock) I heard of had 500 empty ewes at shearing, after culling the older ones out! Have some of those folks had a change of heart after the lamb price dropped.

 

[sherg]

Crikey, that's a lot of culls. Where did they put them all, as lamb numbers would be up as well now.

I'm told there are a lot of retained empty ewes about after last winter, one guy (3000 ewe flock) I heard of had 500 empty ewes at shearing, after culling the older ones out! Have some of those folks had a change of heart after the lamb price dropped.

About 5300 lambs as well the place would of been full, stories like that make you realise what a kicking some people had this year cant blame them for keeping less

 

[JD-Kid]

if we were dropping in numbers it would be by culling a bit harder just to tidy up a few rough edges then lift numbers back up useing a better base flock .. too many years playing catch up after takeing a big hit a few years back

place seems to sit around 4000 sheep higher we tend to start haveing alot of added costs animal health and a drop in output

last year a bit of a kicking avged with the year before not too bad but i can understand people getting out or dropping numbers and useing land for other things crops dairy support etc

to be fair the numbers need to get stable wild swings in the industry bad for all

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

In our area there are some large flocks cutting back considerably. Two well known flocks reducing from 2500 down to less than 1500.
The costs of the last year and the poor returns added to the severe drought making grass availability difficult are all adding to a reduction in numbers.
While grain prices are falling it is still easier to grow a cereal crop on marginal land than keep sheep.
Labour cost being the main reason, they will go down to one part time man operations.

There are not the numbers of small farmers wanting to buy a few sheep either.
The cost of fuel has risen faster than the returns from sheep so expanding flocks by taking on more land is not viable unless the land is very close together or a large enough block.
The impending changes in the CAP reform will also not encourage sheep numbers to increase unless more money is put into the environmental schemes to compensate for the loss of ELS.

However I am very confident that efficient operations on all grass systems will come through well, providing that weather conditions allow it!

 

[Only]

We are dropping ewe numbers from 2000 down to 1800 we got severely canned by the snow and we will cut further next year , we have a dairy herd and are increasing numbers on the dairy

 

[Tim W]

+ 1 ----Good assessment Frank

 

[Gulli]

Will be sending a few on as culls in a couple of weeks. But aiming to keep numbers roughly the same in my small flock. Thinking of trying a few different breeds so will see what happens

 

[rhifsaith]

reducing from near a 1000 head to 700.also only turning the tups in for 21 days.probably be a few barrens extra that way.been embarrassing
this year how little grass I've had till now.reducing the aberdale's more than the welsh ewes tho.

 

[Penmoel]

reducing from near a 1000 head to 700.also only turning the tups in for 21 days only.probably be a few barrens extra that way.been embarrassing
this year how little grass I've had till now.reducing the aberdale's more than the welsh ewes tho.

Need to increase by about three hundred to help pay for some additional land we have bought Anyone know where I could "borrow" 300

 

[Spartacus]

We always had 500-550 in the past but got up to 600 for a couple of years recently, winter got us back to the 540 mark and I think we will probably drop back down to 500. Lambing percentage was suffering (was edging to 165% but more sheep had it down to 150%) for having more sheep though so its not a knee jerk reaction to the winter just gone, was already in our minds before it.

 

[rhifsaith]

Need to increase by about three hundred to help pay for some additional land we have bought Anyone know where I could "borrow" 300

do you a buy now pay later scheme if you want

 

[Shetlandsheep]

Our shetlands had one barren out of 16, lambing 150% year in year out with no interventions with births or mismotherings, one lamb tubed as was dopey but that was fine after 24 hours. So business as usual, we are used to the hard winters and the sheep are well suited to coping, even with just windbreaks against the blizzards and gales. 800 ft up directly facing onto the edge of the Cairngorms. Never have triplets, just singles and twins, so have never had to rear anything or adopt it onto another ewe

Downside is not worth much commercially for meat but when the ewes only cost £25-30 each and they eat hay we produce ourselves with very little concentrate , just a lick bucket close to lambing, it makes sense for the lamb and hoggett we produce for ourselves and friends and family.

Just acquired a handful of Herdwick ewes with HerdwickxRyeland lambs at foot, will be interested to try the meat from the lambs there too.

 

[Johnny400]

Will have around 500 ewes and hoggs to tup so we will be about the same as last year. Going lamb 100 in mid febuary this time

 

[Johnny400]

Yes have heard of quite a few cutting back on numbers locally or quitting all together. Not a big sheep part around here anyway but add all the small bits and numbers soon add up.

 

[exmoor dave]

Staying at around 700 to lamb. Hopefully getting the toxo under control.

Going to lamb more earlier. Currently 300 Feb and 400 April. Will even that up to 350 each this coming year. Then hopefully go to 400 Feb and 300 April. I'd do it this year but the extra housing is still going thro planning. If it fails I can handle 350 in Feb with the space I have. But not 400.

Feb flock is Defo more profitable and the April flock really is there to supply replacements for the Feb flock.

Plus we'd have very dry summers like this where the farm turns brown probably 3 out of 5 years so more lambs gone in June is preferable.

Longer term I'm keen to explore the wool shedding idea for the April ewes and also out door lambing for April as I'm currently paying for 2 lots of night lambing on 2 small groups of ewes.

 

[Penmoel]

do you a buy now pay later scheme if you want

Is that Wonga rates or mates rates?

 

[Tim W]

Find me the land and I will keep more sheep , would like to get to 2000 so I afford to get some help in

 

[rhifsaith]

Is that Wonga rates or mates rates?

buy now,pay 2nd December hopefully your euros would be in by then

 

[Tamar]

Find me the land and I will keep more sheep , would like to get to 2000 so I afford to get some help in

I thought you had easy care sheep!

2000 would still be part time job if you had the right sheep, just ask the Kiwis.