Going out of sheep

[Swaley]

Hello all,
I have around 100 breeding ewes that run along side the family flock of 500 beltex ewes. I work off farm relief milking and odd full days calf rearing way from home making a decent wage for myself. But as I’ve hit the age of 20 I no longer have the inthusiasm to lamb ewes
Meaning I have to take a month off work to lose out on a good months wages to knacker myself and at the end of it to make nill. So I was wanting to know if I am to go out of sheep would it be worth buying some calves or stirks in to sell as stores or to Finnish. We are ex dairy so have a lot of shed space that doesn’t get used. It doesn’t have to make a fortune I just want something to run around to call my own. Thanks.

 

[Ysgythan]

Maybe an idea to put caravans in the sheds, and buy stores or running ewe lambs.

 

[Bury the Trash]

why does lambing 100 ewes need month off work ?
shouldnt have to 'lamb' them they should lamb themselves .

 

[Hill Ground]

I think the buying and selling cattle margin is as tight as the breeding flock margin, maybe even worse!

Streamline your lambing or convert the sheds is my vote

 

[ImLost]

Hello all,
I have around 100 breeding ewes that run along side the family flock of 500 beltex ewes. I work off farm relief milking and odd full days calf rearing way from home making a decent wage for myself. But as I’ve hit the age of 20 I no longer have the inthusiasm to lamb ewes
Meaning I have to take a month off work to lose out on a good months wages to knacker myself and at the end of it to make nill. So I was wanting to know if I am to go out of sheep would it be worth buying some calves or stirks in to sell as stores or to Finnish. We are ex dairy so have a lot of shed space that doesn’t get used. It doesn’t have to make a fortune I just want something to run around to call my own. Thanks.

Do your ewes lamb at the same time as the family flock of 500 beltexes?

 

[Swaley]

why does lambing 100 ewes need month off work ?
shouldnt have to 'lamb' them they should lamb themselves .

Its the100 of mine and the 500-600 ewes of the family’s that I lamb but if I didn’t lamb ewes I wouldn’t need to lamb theres

 

[Swaley]

Do your ewes lamb at the same time as the family flock of 500 beltexes?

Yes

 

[Johnnyboxer]

Its the100 of mine and the 500-600 ewes of the family’s that I lamb but if I didn’t lamb ewes I wouldn’t need to lamb theres

If that’s the case why can’t they lamb your 100, as well as their 500?
Leaving you to work elsewhere as you say ?

 

[ringi]

Do you get to return home each day when doing relief milking?

 

[ringi]

Its the100 of mine and the 500-600 ewes of the family’s that I lamb but if I didn’t lamb ewes I wouldn’t need to lamb theres

Why are you not charging for lost earnings while lambing the family's ewes?

 

[steveR]

I think the buying and selling cattle margin is as tight as the breeding flock margin, maybe even worse!

Streamline your lambing or convert the sheds is my vote

@Swaley needs to find some ewes that are easy lambing...

Got a friend who lambs 150-200 ewes outdoors* and has a strictly hands off approach to the whole lambing period. He runs another business and his check is rudimentary. He has done his numbers and considers that his losses are no more than if he was full on intervention style lambing, maybe less!

I am not that brave, but try to be as minimal as possible...


* breed type will be left unsaid

 

[Swaley]

Do you get to return home each day when doing relief milking?

Yes I do

 

[Bury the Trash]

* breed type will be left unsaid

 

[DB67]

why does lambing 100 ewes need month off work ?
shouldnt have to 'lamb' them they should lamb themselves .

You saying you never lamb a ewe? Or check them at lambing? Ludicrous statement.

 

[ringi]

You saying you never lamb a ewe? Or check them at lambing? Ludicrous statement.

Why is a check once a day with shooting any ewes that are in distress not enough?

 

[Bury the Trash]

Why is a check once a day with shooting any ewes that are in distress not enough?

just walking distresses Beltex, apparently .

 

[YELROM]

Do you pay anything to keep your sheep at home, surely you make enough out of your sheep to make it worth while taking a month off

 

[hoff135]

Why is a check once a day with shooting any ewes that are in distress not enough?

Rifle would be glowing red here

 

[Ysgythan]

why does lambing 100 ewes need month off work ?
shouldnt have to 'lamb' them they should lamb themselves .

Oh no the shouldn’t!

sorry, got carried away with Pantomime season

 

[Wood field]

@Swaley , you’ve hit 20 and no longer have enthusiasm for lambing . Then you need to put your time in to the things that earn you a wage and what you enjoy
It doesn’t matter if it’s 100 or 1000 if you don’t have the enthusiasm then get rid and earn your money elsewhere
Farming is a funny old game , but no one but you knows what your up against
I keep myself busy with 600 sheep and a handful of cows others will say “ what do you do after breakfast “
At the end of the day you could always come back to the sheep job in a few years time, best of luck whatever you decide