Scanning 2017-2018

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
480 Highlanders and their crosses scanned on Friday morning:
barren: 20
single: 103
twin: 303
triplets: 54
overall: 182%

Overall very happy with that, it's up 25-30% on last year (which was down) and back to 'normal'. The only thing I've done differently is given a Mayo 5-in-1 bolus (95p) a month before tupping, instead of a drench and Mayo lamb bolus (35p total), and have just given another 5-in-1 bolus now to cover late pregnancy/lactation, so extra cost of around 60p/ewe looks to have been well worth it. Too many empties, but 10 of those in the shearlings that were empty as ewe lambs and given the benefit of the doubt. Shearlings are all a bit leaner than I'd like, so I'm after blood testing a few for TE's to check on longevity of boluses.

Have recorded all onto Shearwell Farmworks as I bolused and jabbed them, so that I can analyse the results by groups, breed, age, etc.
Shearlings let the side down, averaging 163%. Shearlings that had reared lambs as ewe lambs averaged 167%, whilst surprisingly those that ran empty last year averaged 154%.
The 3 groups of ewes that ran with the maternal rams (a Highlander, a Lleyn and a smaller group to an NZ Texel) all averaged 200%, having been generally stronger and fitter at tupping. The rest averaged 170%.
Amongst the 3 yr olds, the group of NZ SufftexT x Highlanders (bigger ewes) averaged 178% and the straight Highlanders born the same year averaged 194%.
Amongst the shearlings, the group of NZ Texel (different ram to above) x Highlanders averaged 173%, the straight Highlanders 165% and a handful of pure Lleyns averaged 163%.

Just the ewe lambs left to scan next week now.
 
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jemski

Member
Location
Dorset
Outdoor lambers
Draft Cheviots 139% (166% last year. Probably should have cashed them in after weaning)
Homebred Welsh x shearlings 167
Draft highlander ewes 184%
Only 3 empties and all Cheviots out of 166

Ewe lambs
Bought in chev x Welsh 70%
Homebreds 115%
23 empty, 81 singles and 46 twins.
 

DB67

Member
Location
Scotland
That’s a hell of a good scan for Blakies

We always have quite a lot of twins. Come into better ground for tipping and usually quite fit. If we could get the eild count down it would look even better (though wouldn’t want too many more twins). It’s still too high, but from what I’ve heard, blackie scans have been well back this year.
 
350 Easycares scanned last weekend, due April 7th to Hampshires, Easycares and Texel:

0-21
1-137
2-186
3-6
151%

Carbon copy of last year but I expected some improvement as ewes in better order and had been bolused in August. A bit short of grass at tupping which must have knocked them back. This was due to too many lambs hanging about in October. My decision to wean later rather than sooner bites me on the bum yet again! Too many empties really but tups only in for four weeks, so some will only get one shot.

Scope to put another 15-20% on the scan as my homebred ewes used to scan at 190-200% on stronger ground.
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Scanned 125 ewe lambs this morning, all in lamb to Beltex.
0 - 14
1 - 65
2 - 46
3 - 0
overall 126%

That'll do.:) Or as my scanner man translated for Mrs NeilO, that's farmer speak but being very happy.
All in just about perfect condition for stage of pregnancy IMO, and back to munching swedes by lunchtime, after Heptavacing. Barreners will have to go in a week or two, given what the fat trade has done, and keep a few extra ewe lambs to replace them next year.

Splitting breeding up out of interest again, Highlanders, NZ Texel x Highlander and Lleyn X Highlanders were all within 5% of each other. 15 Charollais x Highlanders, picked out from the strongest twin lambs at weaning, scanned at 147%.
 
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Frank-the-Wool

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Sussex
Scanned Texel Cross Romney and Romney ewes plus a few Romney Aberdales all in lamb to a Texel today and scanned at 170%. Very pleased with that and the % might be a little higher as they are due to start mid March!!
Was a bit testing for the poor old Scanner as even in the shed we had drifting snow.
 

Al R

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
West Wales
All the possible dead lambs are in the MMs. Suspect they've been eating Macrocarpa leaves.
Having a debate as to how to manage the bigger litters. Triplets are ok but there are 23 ewes with 4 or more. One ewe is having her 2nd set of 6.
Sell them? We hate having a quad and that’s usually only 1/1000!!

Do they always scan that high? Do they cope well on rearing those numbers?
 

primmiemoo

Member
Location
Devon
Litters of 6 :eek:

Had just one in all my time lambing. 4 survived. The ewe's sire was one of six himself, though, so we knew about major genes, etc.
Have known quins to be viable.

Would it be a case of setting up the ad lib rearing kit, maybe? Less hard work all told if wet adoption hampered by not enough singles.
 

Al R

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
West Wales
Litters of 6 :eek:

Had just one in all my time lambing. 4 survived. The ewe's sire was one of six himself, though, so we knew about major genes, etc.
Have known quins to be viable.

Would it be a case of setting up the ad lib rearing kit, maybe? Less hard work all told if wet adoption hampered by not enough singles.

I googled Finn sheep as I’d never heard of them and 4/5 is common and they produce enough milk to rear them all!!!!! :0 a dual purpose breed for dairy/meat.

Sounds like a cracking ewe to have around from what I’ve read!
 

primmiemoo

Member
Location
Devon
I googled Finn sheep as I’d never heard of them and 4/5 is common and they produce enough milk to rear them all!!!!! :0 a dual purpose breed for dairy/meat.

Sounds like a cracking ewe to have around from what I’ve read!

I had some Finn-Dorsets years ago. Nice sorts, when all said and done, but needed a Texel or Beltex on them for prime lamb.
Cambridges are a hardier version, and can have lots of lambs, too, and milk for them.

From what I remember, their prolificacy is due to different genetic factors than the Finns.

What is it with some sheep that they eat toxic foliage?
 
Litters of 6 :eek:

Had just one in all my time lambing. 4 survived. The ewe's sire was one of six himself, though, so we knew about major genes, etc.
Have known quins to be viable.

Would it be a case of setting up the ad lib rearing kit, maybe? Less hard work all told if wet adoption hampered by not enough singles.
This is 2nd set of 6 this ewe has had she raised 2 as a hogget then as a 2th she had 6 and kept 5 alive for 48hrs before I lifted 2 and hand raised them.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.0%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 66 35.1%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.0%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 7 3.7%

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

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  • 1
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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