have rules changed regarding fat lambs and teeth ?

[unlacedgecko]

You are planning to keep 3000 ewes per labour unit??

In the region of. I know of several people doing similar or higher ratios.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Lots of hill farms will need to run 1200 ewes plus followers to produce 1000 lambs, we don't all farm in the land of milk and honey. They will have to do other work to support their income but it will be a full time job

But the 1000 lambs example was referring to lowland early lambing flocks.

Would think there's plenty of hill farms running more than 1000 ewes per man.

The point was using Guth's own figures I was suggesting it showed a decent profit margin, yet he was talking the job as disastrous.

 

[gone up the hill]

In the region of. I know of several people doing similar or higher ratios.

Very unlikely that farms are running 3000 ewes per 1 labour unit including lambing etc.

Most of these farms will no doubt have a lot more than one labour unit per 3000 sheep, prob one full time on the sheep and other staff both on the sheep and other sectors ( ie arable/ beef etc )

No way one person would be able to lamb 3000 sheep down themselves and do the job properly! ( even a late lambing outdoor flock )

 

[gone up the hill]

But the 1000 lambs example was referring to lowland early lambing flocks.

Would think there's plenty of hill farms running more than 1000 ewes per man.

The point was using Guth's own figures I was suggesting it showed a decent profit margin, yet he was talking the job as disastrous.

I never quoted 1000 lambs, that is a figure you have stated!

£80 head for early NSL is a complete and utter waste of time for all the work involved.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

I never quoted 1000 lambs, that is a figure you have stated!

£80 head for early NSL is a complete and utter waste of time for all the work involved.

Hilly mentioned the 1000 lamb figure, presumably as a sensible number that 1 man could produce with perhaps a bit of extra help at lambing. I ran with it as I viewed it as that.

How is it a complete and utter waste of time if you've costed in that time in your cop and still making £15-20 profit on top?

 

[gone up the hill]

Hilly mentioned the 1000 lamb figure, presumably as a sensible number that 1 man could produce with perhaps a bit of extra help at lambing. I ran with it I viewed it as that.

How is it a complete and utter waste of time if you've costed in that time in your cop and still making £15-20 profit on top?

£15 head isn't enough for all the work/ effort involved in early lambing imo.

Well one forum member appears to be claiming that one labour unit can produce 4500+ lambs single handed...........

 

[Poorbuthappy]

£15 head isn't enough for all the work/ effort involved in early lambing imo.

Well one forum member appears to be claiming that one labour unit can produce 4500+ lambs single handed...........

But if you've costed in all that work/effort....

 

[scholland]

I prefer to eat 18 month old hogg, i wish they didn't have to be split its just extra unnecessary cost.
The supply and demand of the product should dictate when each product sells for what price. Certainly should not be a cut off date when all the countries lambs become hoggs.

 

[unlacedgecko]

£15 head isn't enough for all the work/ effort involved in early lambing imo.

Well one forum member appears to be claiming that one labour unit can produce 4500+ lambs single handed...........

I don't know why your obsessed with single handed. Ovbiously 2 men can be more than twice as productive as 1.

Mt Linton station in NZ runs 42,000 breeding ewes. The commercial flock are run at 6,000 ewes per labour unit.

Utilising dispersed rented land my client lambs 2500 ewes single handed. Therefore 2 men should be able to lamb 6,000. This figure could well increase if on a single ring fenced block.

Just because you don't do it, does mean it can't be done.

 

[gone up the hill]

I don't know why your obsessed with single handed. Ovbiously 2 men can be more than twice as productive as 1.

Mt Linton station in NZ runs 42,000 breeding ewes. The commercial flock are run at 6,000 ewes per labour unit.

Utilising dispersed rented land my client lambs 2500 ewes single handed. Therefore 2 men should be able to lamb 6,000. This figure could well increase if on a single ring fenced block.

Just because you don't do it, does mean it can't be done.

NZ have far lower welfare standards than we do for starters!!

Been posted on here that they wait until lambing has fhinshed then have a couple of days of picking up trailer loads of dead stock..

That is NOT the impression that we should be given UK sheep farming, in NZ they can get away with it because most sheep farms are remote/ run over large acreages with no roads/ footpaths etc running thru the farms, totally different in the UK!

I imagine that Welfare is VERY low on your list of concerns!

I know plenty of very large/ efficient and good farmers running huge numbers of sheep and they will ALL tell you that its impossible for 2 men to lamb 6000 ewes on their own without compromising welfare!

Sooner or later you are in for a very large wake up call!

 

[gone up the hill]

But if you've costed in all that work/effort....

You cant cost in effort.

And no £15 a lamb isn't enough, aim is for at least a tenner net profit on store lambs with only 1/3rd of the work!

 

[unlacedgecko]

NZ have far lower welfare standards than we do for starters!!

Been posted on here that they wait until lambing has fhinshed then have a couple of days of picking up trailer loads of dead stock..

That is NOT the impression that we should be given UK sheep farming, in NZ they can get away with it because most sheep farms are remote/ run over large acreages with no roads/ footpaths etc running thru the farms, totally different in the UK!

I imagine that Welfare is VERY low on your list of concerns!

I know plenty of very large/ efficient and good farmers running huge numbers of sheep and they will ALL tell you that its impossible for 2 men to lamb 6000 ewes on their own without compromising welfare!

Sooner or later you are in for a very large wake up call!

http://www.fwi.co.uk/livestock/farmers-weekly-awards-2016-sheep-farmer-of-the-year.htm

9,500 ewe being shepherded, goat grazing enterprise and hay/straw enterprise and only 5 members of staff (including himself).

But lets assume your right. Rather than being purely negative and telling me what can't be done, give me the benefit of your vast experience and tell me what can be done. What is the max number of ewes which can be lambed per labour unit?

 

[gone up the hill]

http://www.fwi.co.uk/livestock/farmers-weekly-awards-2016-sheep-farmer-of-the-year.htm

9,500 ewe being shepherded, goat grazing enterprise and hay/straw enterprise and only 5 members of staff (including himself).

But lets assume your right. Rather than being purely negative and telling me what can't be done, give me the benefit of your vast experience and tell me what can be done. What is the max number of ewes which can be lambed per labour unit?

He has got SEVEN labour units for 9000 ewes for starters..

And as for the FWi awards, been clear for many years they aren't worth the paper they are written on as you nominate yourself.......................

1500 will be the max in the UK per labour unit.

Plenty of arable units run 2000 ewe units with one full time worker looking after them but crucially when it comes to lambing/ shearing/ holiday cover/ days off etc they can pull staff from the arable side to help/ cover!

 

[polk_farmer]

http://www.fwi.co.uk/livestock/farmers-weekly-awards-2016-sheep-farmer-of-the-year.htm

9,500 ewe being shepherded, goat grazing enterprise and hay/straw enterprise and only 5 members of staff (including himself).

But lets assume your right. Rather than being purely negative and telling me what can't be done, give me the benefit of your vast experience and tell me what can be done. What is the max number of ewes which can be lambed per labour unit?

What he has done is great, he's obviously incredibly driven. But whenever i read that article, i always think to myself, i hope that R4L is a typo. As how can you be sheep farmer of the year, when the majority of the lambs you produce are out of spec?

 

[unlacedgecko]

He has got SEVEN labour units for 9000 ewes for starters..

And as for the FWi awards, been clear for many years they aren't worth the paper they are written on as you nominate yourself.......................

1500 will be the max in the UK per labour unit.

Plenty of arable units run 2000 ewe units with one full time worker looking after them but crucially when it comes to lambing/ shearing/ holiday cover/ days off etc they can pull staff from the arable side to help/ cover!

So my client who lambs 2500 single handed?

 

[gone up the hill]

So my client who lambs 2500 single handed?

More than likely he has help/ poor lambing % etc if the truth be known.

 

[unlacedgecko]

More than likely he has help/ poor lambing % etc if the truth be known.

Flock age ewes scan at 170-190%. This year's ewe lambs scanned 140%.

 

[Hilly]

http://www.fwi.co.uk/livestock/farmers-weekly-awards-2016-sheep-farmer-of-the-year.htm

9,500 ewe being shepherded, goat grazing enterprise and hay/straw enterprise and only 5 members of staff (including himself).

But lets assume your right. Rather than being purely negative and telling me what can't be done, give me the benefit of your vast experience and tell me what can be done. What is the max number of ewes which can be lambed per labour unit?

Oh look, he keeps Romneys.

 

[gone up the hill]

Flock age ewes scan at 170-190%. This year's ewe lambs scanned 140%.

Lambs sold?

 

[unlacedgecko]

Lambs sold?

I don't know, as I only do some tack so don't get involved past mid March. Will ask and report back.