Woolless
Member
- Location
- Berwickshire, Scottish Borders
Maybe if you handled them 100% would reach spec? Doesn't take much to put a hand on them when they're in the weigh crate.
Getting that finish on lambs?
- Thread starter devonbrion1998
- Start date
Woolless
Member
- Location
- Berwickshire, Scottish Borders
101 reasons why folk would sell as stores, lack of grass and cash flow the two main ones. If I had endless grass and a big cash buffer, then I would finish all of mine.
mghley
Member
- Location
- Derbyshire
Each to their own, there certainly is a strong store trade but if you want to finish them then do so. Sounds to me like the lambs have gone a bit stale, first thing I would do is give them a good change of wormer to ensure no feeding problems ( FEC if need be to check status) If they have sufficiently matured then they should finish off good grass but if you want to get them finished give them some corn outside, finisher pellets aren’t cheap, but if you genuinely think you have an outlet for them at circa £140 they will stand £5-£10 a piece in corn.
Pistonbroke
Member
Lamb finisher bought in small lots could easily be £300+ a ton. Doesn't take long to put £20 into a big frame lamb
- Location
- sw scotland
You definitely have to handle them. We have given up on scales in August as all going to be 40kg + if they feel fat. The market wants well fleshed lambs
Last edited:
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
To be fair, I understand the required spec at Farmers Fresh isn't very onerous, with O grade lambs being acceptable and paying up to 22kg. I've seen a couple of grading sheets from them and they certainly pay well for what would be very 'ordinary' lambs. 80% in spec isn't a high bar there tbh.
As above, surely it's worth the extra effort of handling them?
pauld
Member
- Location
- Pershore Worcestershire
Too many people buy high index ultra lean tups when they don't suit a grass based system, because of all the hype attached to ebvs. Don't get me wrong I am a big believer in figures but I want a tup that matches my ewes and farm. The tups I prefer will carrry a bit more fat than average but be above average on growth and muscle.
beardface
Member
- Location
- East Yorkshire
I'd sell store, be a biggef finisher that can finish them a lot cheaper than you can in small numbers.
CopperBeech
Member
- Location
- A Welsh man lost in England
Sure its been said but those big framed lambs will fly in the store sales at the moment. Lots of smaller lambs doing £80. They should do £95 or better.
- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
I just can't get my head around anyone drawing FAT lambs by weight only and not handling for condition at all 
No wonder markets and processors complain of too many out of spec lambs... which we all know drives down trade
No wonder markets and processors complain of too many out of spec lambs... which we all know drives down trade
CopperBeech
Member
- Location
- A Welsh man lost in England
Totally agreed.I just can't get my head around anyone drawing FAT lambs by weight only and not handling for condition at all
No wonder markets and processors complain of too many out of spec lambs... which we all know drives down trade
We draw on weight and condition and expect 98% to be in spec over a year.
Having said that with the right genetics and feed we are finding if it’s 44 kilo plus it’s fit.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
I just can't get my head around anyone drawing FAT lambs by weight only and not handling for condition at all
No wonder markets and processors complain of too many out of spec lambs... which we all know drives down trade
I remember years ago, a small local mart had a fieldsman that did just that. Apparently weight was all that mattered, regardless of type of lamb, condition, etc.
I’ve never held mart fieldsmen in high regard, but he was about the worst.
- Location
- Cheshire
When I was at college it was all about weight in the classroom. It was only when you got too the Shepherd that he told you weight was an afterthought. It’s finish that matters.I just can't get my head around anyone drawing FAT lambs by weight only and not handling for condition at all
No wonder markets and processors complain of too many out of spec lambs... which we all know drives down trade
Woolless
Member
- Location
- Berwickshire, Scottish Borders
Been at my mate's on-farm Hampshire Down tup sale tonight. He got a flying trade with full clearance. I only managed to buy one. What's other folks experience of tup trade at the moment?
CopperBeech
Member
- Location
- A Welsh man lost in England
Having said that, weight does pay. A 20 kilo R2 pays better than an 18 kilo R3. So it’s a bit of both.
- Location
- Cheshire
His theory (which Matched what I’d been taught at home) was that if it didn’t touch right you shouldn’t waste time weighing it.
- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
Hand and eye are king to any stockman.
You should be able to walk into a pen of lambs and draw to weight (say 40kgs and above) going by your hand and eye alone. You will, ofcourse, get the odd one wrong but you shouldn't be a million miles away if you know what you're doing - the scales then remove that small error and ensure you've draw to the desired weight.
But regardless of that. It is incomprehensible if a lamb is caught in a weigh crate - right Infront of you - that you wouldn't put your hand on it to check body condition
mghley
Member
- Location
- Derbyshire
One of the main problems, certainly in live markets is that when trade is good and lambs are in short supply there often isn’t a big enough price difference between well finished lambs and lean lambs. This is exacerbated by the fact that some buyers ( Farm Fresh has been mentioned) seem to like lambs on the leaner side and at this time of year many men under pin the fat trade by buying the leaner lambs as stores to feed on.
- Location
- sw scotland
Our local market report asked us not to send in lambs just by weight. Well-fleshed wanted and no panic that the price was about to drop so keep them a bit longer.
CopperBeech
Member
- Location
- A Welsh man lost in England
