Rams
- Thread starter Mervyn
- Start date
johnspeehs
Member
- Location
- Co Antrim
What????? "Never had their head in a bucket" !!!!!! "Don't know what hard feed is" !!!!!!!!! "Never saw the inside of a house" !!!!!!!!!!!. Or the slightly more honest ones ,, " just had a wee lick the last month before the sale " Yea right.
Most have probably had their head in a bucket from they were born and I dread to think how much they would have consumed, a shearling could eat as much as a decent stirk every day..
Most have probably had their head in a bucket from they were born and I dread to think how much they would have consumed, a shearling could eat as much as a decent stirk every day..
Born end of Feb. Ad lib creep available 4 weeks to weaning although it's 6-8 weeks before they do more than nibble. Wean at 12-15 weeks. Flat rate 2.5lb per head of course mix per day from weaning through to sale in September. Split feeds, morning and night.
- Location
- Mendips Somerset
A friend of mine who used to do a lot for builth measured it one year , he reconned half a tonne of top quality feed (@3-400 a tonne) from birth to builth in sept for charollais ram lambs , even then they wernt the biggest in the sale ,and if you think you will get a good working rumen in those good luck ! Many of the shearlings would have been kept going on till the next year ,as a lot dont have winter grazing He is now out the pedigree job (any wonder) but plenty taking up the mantle .
Problem is buyers wont look past the size and shape that comes from over feeding , Many Commercial buyers ask for all they get in my opinion , Speaking as someone thats been sell rams for 40 years You simply cant sell at builth unless you overfeed or run them on kale or cabbage but thats hormonal feed .
The biggest eye opener for me was visiting a flock that always had very big ram lambs at sales and their best meated stock rams were smaller than mine .
Last edited:
Northeastfarmer
Member
- Location
- Cleveland
No wonder tups never last, full of bait and cabbages
No. They do t last because farmers go looking for them the day before tupping.
Northeastfarmer
Member
- Location
- Cleveland
You buy them when the tup sales are on...
Do you sell all as lambs or run on to yearlings ? Do u sell at Builth ?
Try to sell all as lambs. Yes we do sell at Builth - Aman flock. Best thing is to come and see them in their natural habitat.
CharcoalWally
Member
- Location
- West of Scotland
Who cares how much these rams are fed? What does it matter? What matters is whether you buy them or not.
If you don't like overfed rams , don't buy them. Do something about it by yourself for yourself, but at least do something other than have the usual whining and girning about fat tups on here.
Buyers hold the chequebook, buyers hold the power. Otherwise, breed the damn things yourself to a specification of your own choosing.
If you don't like overfed rams , don't buy them. Do something about it by yourself for yourself, but at least do something other than have the usual whining and girning about fat tups on here.
Buyers hold the chequebook, buyers hold the power. Otherwise, breed the damn things yourself to a specification of your own choosing.
And chuck em straight off the trailer into a field of sheep with other tups. I know, been there done that...
Northeastfarmer
Member
- Location
- Cleveland
Breeding my own now
CharcoalWally
Member
- Location
- West of Scotland
Started doing that here in early 90's and best thing I did.Breeding my own now
- Location
- Devon
To be fair I think that's what the op was getting at - how to source rams that aren't overfed and and can you believe what the breeder tells you.
Can't beat a visit to the farm.
You still need stock tups...
cheviot53
Member
- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
Went to buy grass fed shearling texel rams from one of the top flocks , and as I drove up to the farm all the fields had creep feeders in them , farmer said yes fed as lambs but not fed as shearlings ? Thanks but NO