Meatlinc ram over white faced welsh ewes

[Sheepbadge]

Hi, new to this forum so please go easy.. ?
I’m wanting to run some draft welsh ewes to breed some fat lambs. ideally after a ram thats lambs are quick to suck and hardy as we’re lambing outdoors it would be a bonus if lambs have fast growth rates and actually worth something at market unlike plain welsh on welsh. looking for suggestions really and previous experiences of meatlincs covering welsh ewes.
hope you can help

 

[Al R]

Where are you and when are you lambing?
Charollais.

 

[Sheepbadge]

We’re Based in Gloucestershire, lambing will be mid March, Last thing we’d want is to be pulling loads of lambs..

 

[andybk]

We’re Based in Gloucestershire, lambing will be mid March, Last thing we’d want is to be pulling loads of lambs..

good charollais will be ideal lambing then , avoid the tall leggy ones

 

[Tim W]

Next door has had Meatlincs for many years...his lambs always do very well & grade well, lambing issues are minimal , all outside 1200 ewes
I used one once and have no complaints ---lambs got up & suckled and graded well
Good health status of the Meatlinc Company is another asset to be valued

 

[Sheepbadge]

sounds like ideal tup then what ewes do you and your neighbour run?

 

[neilo]

Hi, new to this forum so please go easy.. ?
I’m wanting to run some draft welsh ewes to breed some fat lambs. ideally after a ram thats lambs are quick to suck and hardy as we’re lambing outdoors it would be a bonus if lambs have fast growth rates and actually worth something at market unlike plain welsh on welsh. looking for suggestions really and previous experiences of meatlincs covering welsh ewes.
hope you can help

Are you intending to sell live or dead? If live, use a Charollais or Texel, if dead then less of an issue as long as you get a good model of whatever breed.

Don’t get too excited about the Meatlinc’s grand claims on genetic progress over time. The whole breed is 3 or 4 flocks that are almost managed as one. If you compare their (admittedly impressive) progress with the top 3 or 4 flocks in Texels, Charollais or Suffolks, you will find a very similar rate of genetic gain. Average gain within those larger breeds are tempered somewhat by the number of breeders that only record to try to use it as a marketing tool, rather than as a breeding selection tool.

 

[Sheepbadge]

@neilo probably all go through the market, in short just want an easy lambing tup fast growth And lambs to look of better carcass quality than welsh.. meatLincs look fairly similar to a Charolais anyway. Might be better to use a pure and hope for some hybrid vigour

 

[Tim W]

sounds like ideal tup then what ewes do you and your neighbour run?

Next door have Lleyn types (i have Exlana's)
They sell live and dead

 

[Ysgythan]

Hi, new to this forum so please go easy.. ?
I’m wanting to run some draft welsh ewes to breed some fat lambs. ideally after a ram thats lambs are quick to suck and hardy as we’re lambing outdoors it would be a bonus if lambs have fast growth rates and actually worth something at market unlike plain welsh on welsh. looking for suggestions really and previous experiences of meatlincs covering welsh ewes.
hope you can help

You can put literally anything on them as long as you don’t over stock them. If you’re going for tradition and Downs/Suffolk get a performance recorded one so you can keep the fat score down or you’ll get ewe lambs overfat at 35kg. If you go for something white faced it’ll need plenty of character to stamp them. Leicesters or Cheviots have stood the test of time and give a nice breeding female. I’d say a good Texel, but then I would.

 

[neilo]

@neilo probably all go through the market, in short just want an easy lambing tup fast growth And lambs to look of better carcass quality than welsh.. meatLincs look fairly similar to a Charolais anyway. Might be better to use a pure and hope for some hybrid vigour

I know they’ve put a bit of Charollais blood in recently, but that’s just insulting....?

If you want to sell live, you’d be better sticking with something more conventional & consistent imo. Which part of Gloucestershire are you in? I’m running down that way with Charollais Through the summer, or @gatepost would have Texels not far away. Both flocks would be moving forward each year as fast as Meatlincs I suspect.

 

[hill farmer]

We've been using meatlinc on Welsh ewes for several years now, mainly on shearlings, fit lambs and mostly easy lambing, they aren't the best to sell live, can be a bit woolly headed, but fatten well.
We leave all our lambs as tups, the quickest growing out of Welsh would be Suffolks though, but can be harder lambing

 

[charlie77]

A durno from Logie Durno, quick to there feet, fast growing, easy fleshed and grade well. I’ve had meatlincs, although they done ok they were slower growing and had lots of feet problems

 

[gatepost]

I know they’ve put a bit of Charollais blood in recently, but that’s just insulting....?

If you want to sell live, you’d be better sticking with something more conventional & consistent imo. Which part of Gloucestershire are you in? I’m running down that way with Charollais Through the summer, or @gatepost would have Texels not far away. Both flocks would be moving forward each year as fast as Meatlincs I suspect.

That is quite possibly one of the best replies I've seen in a long time, keep up the good work.