Profit (!) Per Ewe.

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Now now Mr O.
That's just stirring of the highest degree!🤣
You obviously thought different to that to invest in trying these awful sheep.

Not sure why it need be fewer lambs.
Even need not be lower value (than what?).
And there's a whole lot more cost than the shearing to wool.

Just gotta iron out their other bad points...

Moi?😇

What are the other bad points, aside from the lower numbers of lambs reared and the lower value lambs?

I jest of course, I realise that there’s no reason at all that sheep should be any worse just because they shed, but there’s a hell of a long way to go ime.🤐
 

Poorbuthappy

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Devon
Moi?😇

What are the other bad points, aside from the lower numbers of lambs reared and the lower value lambs?

I jest of course, I realise that there’s no reason at all that sheep should be any worse just because they shed, but there’s a hell of a long way to go ime.🤐
Flightiness/ escapologists are the main downsides I have experienced.

Must get a pic of my latest experiment and stick on the shedder thread.
Don't like to think of you having all the fun/ glory with this lark of experimenting with breeding. 😆
 
You could say the same of the increased popularity of shedders of course. Folk producing fewer lambs, of lower value, because the wool comes to 50p less than the cost of shearing (temporarily hopefully)?🤔
I suppose it depends how you manage the sheep. I’d like to think more sheep, less labour, plenty of lambs, low cost. Average lambs maybe, but just what the market wants. But I think if done right the wool shedding is just another useful trait in a good maternal sheep. You just need more than just the ability to shed wool and rear an average lamb. High performance, low maintenance wool shedders is what you want.
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
I suppose it depends how you manage the sheep. I’d like to think more sheep, less labour, plenty of lambs, low cost. Average lambs maybe, but just what the market wants. But I think if done right the wool shedding is just another useful trait in a good maternal sheep. You just need more than just the ability to shed wool and rear an average lamb. High performance, low maintenance wool shedders is what you want.

I agree. I’d love to have decent sheep that shed, and appreciate there’s no reason why that shouldn’t be possible.
Current experience though is below average lambs and lamb losses that are far too high due almost entirely to poor mothering at birth.
I don’t put that down to the fact they shed, but down to poor selection decisions in the background.
 

unlacedgecko

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Fife
I agree. I’d love to have decent sheep that shed, and appreciate there’s no reason why that shouldn’t be possible.
Current experience though is below average lambs and lamb losses that are far too high due almost entirely to poor mothering at birth.
I don’t put that down to the fact they shed, but down to poor selection decisions in the background.

Once I've fixed my ewe type I'll MV accredit some just for you 👌
 

Al R

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
West Wales
I suppose it depends how you manage the sheep. I’d like to think more sheep, less labour, plenty of lambs, low cost. Average lambs maybe, but just what the market wants. But I think if done right the wool shedding is just another useful trait in a good maternal sheep. You just need more than just the ability to shed wool and rear an average lamb. High performance, low maintenance wool shedders is what you want.
To me the fact mine shed their wool is a big bonus, it’s everything maternal which is great about them. The welsh is the almost perfect ewe apart from they can lack size and their bloody stubborn. Hence why I’ve bred every one of my shedders up from glamorgan welsh, the escaping gene is still very prominent in the shedders I’ve got but when you’ve got ewes that run at 5 strand barb and big fat 70kg welsh able to jump hurdles adding in a more streamline long legged breed wasn’t the best idea but the shedders escape far less than the welsh
 
27BEE1D4-A163-42D2-B324-F65197B6A5A8.png
 

yellowbelly

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
N.Lincs
Do they shed their tails too :scratchhead:

PS. I also love the way he's shed that 'square' of wool/hair from round his arse 👍

:playful::playful:

In all seriousness, not looking forward to the week ahead, clipping a cartload of worthless wool off all ours before the maggots eat them to death.

Shedding may be the way forward although I see there's a report out saying that wool is 50% carbon and it may be a factor in 'saving the world' as sheep are taking the sequested carbon from grass, turning it into wool and allowing the grass to sequester more from the air.
No idea why the wool board aren't shouting it from the roof tops :scratchhead:
 
Do they shed their tails too :scratchhead:

PS. I also love the way he's shed that 'square' of wool/hair from round his arse 👍

:playful::playful:

In all seriousness, not looking forward to the week ahead, clipping a cartload of worthless wool off all ours before the maggots eat them to death.

Shedding may be the way forward although I see there's a report out saying that wool is 50% carbon and it may be a factor in 'saving the world' as sheep are taking the sequested carbon from grass, turning it into wool and allowing the grass to sequester more from the air.
No idea why the wool board aren't shouting it from the roof tops :scratchhead:
It’s not sequestering f**k all when it’s burnt after clipping 😂
 

Poorbuthappy

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Devon
Flightiness/ escapologists are the main downsides I have experienced.

Must get a pic of my latest experiment and stick on the shedder thread.
Don't like to think of you having all the fun/ glory with this lark of experimenting with breeding. 😆
Well, after @CopperBeech 's pic I'm not sure I should post mine. But then, mine's not supposed to be terminal.
20220524_125338.jpg
20220524_125333_resized.jpg

Judging by how hard it was to get a decent photo, I haven't improved on flightiness much🤣
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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