Ram lamb on ewe lambs?

[PhilipB]

Planning on breeding from a few ewe lambs this year.

The Rams have their mid-term change-over in a couple of weeks.

I was thinking I'd put the lambs to ram then.

I've got a couple of ram lambs, should I put them to ewes, and pull out a mature ram for the lambs, or put ram lambs on the ewe lambs? Presumably this increases the risk of nothing happening, but is it much of a risk?

 

[Woolless]

Old ewes, young tup. Young ewes, old tup?

I have used a tup lamb on ewe lambs several times. He should be fine if mature enough but last year I had one that took three or four days to really get going.

My preference would be put an older tup on your ewe lambs BUT whatever is most likely to result in an easier time at lambing should be priority.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

I know a few dairy farms that buy ewe lambs, buy char tup lambs, tup the EE lambs, sell in spring with lambs at foot, run the dry hoggs too shearlings along with the tups and cash the lot in August, then start again. Not sure I agree with swapping tups that work and produce the right thing but it works for them.

 

[yellowbelly]

Tup lambs will serve ewe lambs - just look how many that scrawny bugger, that you missed ringing at lambing, manages to tup in a mob of feeding lambs

Like @Woolless says, it can be a case of 'the blind leading the blind' for a few days at the start.

 

[Bill dog]

I know a few dairy farms that buy ewe lambs, buy char tup lambs, tup the EE lambs, sell in spring with lambs at foot, run the dry hoggs too shearlings along with the tups and cash the lot in August, then start again. Not sure I agree with swapping tups that work and produce the right thing but it works for them.

Why on earth would they sell the tups annually? Can’t be arsed having a handful of tups for a few months ? Crazy!
The rest of the idea sounds good !

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Why on earth would they sell the tups annually? Can’t be arsed having a handful of tups for a few months ? Crazy!
The rest of the idea sounds good !

I’ve never fathomed that out myself. When I get a tup that throws good lambs that slip out the last thing I want too do is sell it!!

 

[Nithsdale]

Why on earth would they sell the tups annually? Can’t be arsed having a handful of tups for a few months ? Crazy!
The rest of the idea sounds good !

Know a man buys tups to a budget... (sticks to the same breed every year)
Uses them on ewe lambs then culls them at the big sales in January.

He says it's easier than having tups to look after through the rest of the year - and no shearing

 

[Bill dog]

He should buy a shedding tup. Good lambs, and no tups to clip.
And by “ a budget” , do you mean out the cull ring ?

 

[Gedd]

Planning on breeding from a few ewe lambs this year.

The Rams have their mid-term change-over in a couple of weeks.

I was thinking I'd put the lambs to ram then.

I've got a couple of ram lambs, should I put them to ewes, and pull out a mature ram for the lambs, or put ram lambs on the ewe lambs? Presumably this increases the risk of nothing happening, but is it much of a risk?

Did you have to take an old fella out with you when you were young to show you how to go on

 

[Nithsdale]

He should buy a shedding tup. Good lambs, and no tups to clip.
And by “ a budget” , do you mean out the cull ring ?

No. Char shearlings...

 

[Midlist]

I've bought a couple of Welsh ram lambs this time after one getting at my ewe lambs last year. 60 out of 70 ewe lambs have been served in 2 weeks at this rate the ram lambs will be in the market next week.

 

[neilo]

He should buy a shedding tup. Good lambs, and no tups to clip.
And by “ a budget” , do you mean out the cull ring ?

I am exploring the shedding route myself, so not blind to the advantages. But, which shedding breed are you suggesting throws ‘good’ lambs, from the slaughter lamb POV?

 

[Bill dog]

Slight licence with the word good!
I’m hoping much the same as you. I’m very much hoping my easycare lambs will be at worst on par with my pure Romney wether lambs. Now I know that’s not aiming high , but I’m genuinely enthusiastic about the experiment.
Which fair beats the usual world weary scepticism!

 

[neilo]

Planning on breeding from a few ewe lambs this year.

The Rams have their mid-term change-over in a couple of weeks.

I was thinking I'd put the lambs to ram then.

I've got a couple of ram lambs, should I put them to ewes, and pull out a mature ram for the lambs, or put ram lambs on the ewe lambs? Presumably this increases the risk of nothing happening, but is it much of a risk?

Ideally, you should put experienced rams with ewe lambs, but needs must sometimes. Mature ewes will seek out the tup when they are cycling, so they will find an inexperienced ram and waggle themselves in front of them demanding service. Ewe lambs don’t generally do that, so safer with experienced, mobile rams, that will seek them out.

If I use ram lambs on ewe lambs then it is at a much lower ram:ewe ratio than I would use older rams. I’ve just fetched a March born ram lamb in from my pedigree ewe lambs though, where he tupped almost all of them in the first cycle (only at 1:25 though).
100 crossbred ewe lambs are currently running with 2 experienced rams and a Beltex ram lamb, who are all hunting round them looking for action.

 

[Wishful Thinker]

First for me last year ram lambs on ewe lambs for 1 month. Roughly 1:5 scanned in lamb. Bit of a disaster.
This year shearlings to ewe lambs. Will be pulled out on Saturday, 2 days later than last year. Raddle used this year too. Nearly length of 4:5 marked. Hopefully in for a better hit. Every day see rams chasing something never saw that when they were lambs. Need some joy bought too dear, won’t get out selling these ones fat.

 

[Jackov Altraids]

I've only bought ram lambs a few times and it was clear I had no idea what I was doing.
I think you need to be pretty experienced to pick a ram lamb that will grow into a type that will be easy lambing whereas it is much easier to judge one that is mature.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

I've only bought ram lambs a few times and it was clear I had no idea what I was doing.
I think you need to be pretty experienced to pick a ram lamb that will grow into a type that will be easy lambing whereas it is much easier to judge one that is mature.

Knowing which ones haven’t been fed on turkey pellets and cabbages all their lives is a big part of it. We stopped buying ram lambs 10/12 years ago. Too many didn’t grow out to expectations. Rather pay an extra £300 for a well grown shearling (preferably from someone I know so I know they aren’t cabbaged too death too!)

 

[Hillfarmer18]

I am exploring the shedding route myself, so not blind to the advantages. But, which shedding breed are you suggesting throws ‘good’ lambs, from the slaughter lamb POV?

An NZ farm I worked on had a couple polled Wiltshire tups which they used for ewe lambs, they had no regard for the wool shedding attributes it was just a terminal sire which was easy lambing and vigorous. They had reasonable confirmation better than any easycares I’ve seen anyway