Ram Crayons & Harnesses

[Sheepfog]

Does anyone know if the nettex crayons fit the orange mating marking harnesses (where the crayon just clicks in without using the pin)?

 

[gwi1890]

Yes but they seem to drop off occasionally have had to replace 3 crayons in 2 weeks on one ram here

 

[yellowbelly]

Does anyone know if the nettex crayons fit the orange mating marking harnesses (where the crayon just clicks in without using the pin)?

Yes but they seem to drop off occasionally have had to replace 3 crayons in 2 weeks on one ram here

Bought 4 new ones this year 'cos our sales rep said, "They're 'just the same' as Nettex"- had to drill them all so I could pin the old Nettex crayons in

Not very impressed with them either - the fudgin' clips keep breaking ...

There was a spare male clip with each harness - I bet the bu66ers knew they weren't strong enough for the job

 

[SteveHants]

I lost my patience with those things the first time I used them, rams would try to scratch them off on branches and end up semi suspended in trees, manage to work one leg out (in spite of me tightening it right up) and crippling themselves......
Couldn't go back to paste quick enough....

 

[neilo]

Does anyone know if the nettex crayons fit the orange mating marking harnesses (where the crayon just clicks in without using the pin)?

I was told, in Wynnstay, that the Nettex crayons have been changed so that they fit Mating Mark harnesses as well as those needing cotter pins. It’s a new change though, and only those crayons in boxes labelled as such will fit the Mating Mark harnesses. Lots of old stock in merchants that won’t fit, and only one of the boxes in that Wynnstay store was of the new type.

The bad news is that they are all of the ‘All Weather’ type of (hard) crayon, whereas the Mating Mark ones used to be still sold as ‘cold’ (softer) ones, that actually left a decent mark.

 

[SteveHants]

I was told, in Wynnstay, that the Nettex crayons have been changed so that they fit Mating Mark harnesses as well as those needing cotter pins. It’s a new change though, and only those crayons in boxes labelled as such will fit the Mating Mark harnesses. Lots of old stock in merchants that won’t fit, and only one of the boxes in that Wynnstay store was of the new type.

The bad news is that they are all of the ‘All Weather’ type of (hard) crayon, whereas the Mating Mark ones used to be still sold as ‘cold’ (softer) ones, that actually left a decent mark.

Have you tried them on a shedder yet? That's where most of my fun and games occured with them.

 

[neilo]

Have you tried them on a shedder yet? That's where most of my fun and games occured with them.

Not yet. Is there any point in raddling a shedder, if the mark will be long gone by lambing time?

 

[SteveHants]

Not yet. Is there any point in raddling a shedder, if the mark will be long gone by lambing time?

If you have more than one, yes. The ewes seem to retain it over winter, so you should (hopefully) be able to tell who tupped who when you give the pre-lambing jabs, and you can spray/make a note of accordingly.

 

[neilo]

If you have more than one, yes. The ewes seem to retain it over winter, so you should (hopefully) be able to tell who tupped who when you give the pre-lambing jabs, and you can spray/make a note of accordingly.

If I wanted to see who tupped what then I would always single sire mate. Otherwise I would expect most ewes to be tupped by several rams.

Too tight to buy many crayons here anyway, so I only raddle after 17 days in order to mark the few returns.

 

[SteveHants]

If I wanted to see who tupped what then I would always single sire mate. Otherwise I would expect most ewes to be tupped by several rams.

Too tight to buy many crayons here anyway, so I only raddle after 17 days in order to mark the few returns.

I found a small percentage tupped by both (or with two visible coulors at least). To be fair, I didn't often have more than one shedding ram for 100 nucleus ewes - was usually one and a sweeper (usually suffolk) so I could have just been lucky.

 

[500john]

Bought 4 new ones this year 'cos our sales rep said, "They're 'just the same' as Nettex"- had to drill them all so I could pin the old Nettex crayons in

Not very impressed with them either - the fudgin' clips keep breaking ...

There was a spare male clip with each harness - I bet the bu66ers knew they weren't strong enough for the job

I've found the same problem with the clips, I've stopped buying them. The red harnesses are far superior.

 

[andybk]

If I wanted to see who tupped what then I would always single sire mate. Otherwise I would expect most ewes to be tupped by several rams.

Too tight to buy many crayons here anyway, so I only raddle after 17 days in order to mark the few returns.

yea im getting like that , only raddle sweepers now , especially summer tupping and getting sores under legs , 1 ram 17 days then merge groups and sweeper with raddle ,

 

[NZDan]

I use Mating mark harnesses and have done for 20ods years. Normally only 8-12 rams a year mind. I've only had one broken clip and one broken ring in that time, and some rams will have harnesses on for 35 days.
One scanning customer used to harnesses 300 rams a year!!!!