Scanning 2021

[Al R]

Where will you tag the one with no head?

String round it’s neck Done it with severe photosynthesis lambs

 

[muleman]

String round it’s neck Done it with severe photosynthesis lambs

Never thought of that, he'll be fine then!

 

[Nithsdale]

Where will you tag the one with no head?

Bugger me, you're confident I'll get it away fat!

 

[muleman]

Bugger me, you're confident I'll get it away fat!

Maybe store!

 

[SR7]

Every triplet ewe lamb I’ve ever kept has had triplets as a ewe lamb, yearling and the next year. I’ve only kept twins for 4years and have had years up to 70% twins in all ewes/yearlings combined.

A farm I buy hill brokers from only keep singles for their own flock and they scan 175%, I have some twin born ewe lambs off the same farm and they scan nearer 185%

Interesting, so keeping twins is the way to go then it seems

 

[neilo]

I also wonder wether only breeding from twins would work, anybody any knowledge of this?
I did hear once that twinning isn't very heritable so won't be passed on to offspring very strongly?

It’s not very heritable, but that just means it takes longer to get where you want to.
In the meantime, there may be other traits that get less selection while you single mindedly select for twinning. That doesn’t mean it’s not possible though.

 

[Kentishfarmer]

I also wonder wether only breeding from twins would work, anybody any knowledge of this?
I did hear once that twinning isn't very heritable so won't be passed on to offspring very strongly?

I read a good thread on here about it a couple of years ago. From what I remember twinning heritability is quite low I think the figure was around 10% so it's a slow, but not pointless, process keeping only twins.
Far more importantly is that your rams are from twinning stock as they will be passing any twinning traits on to far more individuals than a ewe can

 

[Mc115reed]

Same here, too much of a hurry might say if theres something really obvious. crate weighs 2 ton needs 2 to lift it in his truck,been coming for years but got fed up with all the rushing & getting to make enough mistakes (mostly missing 2nd or 3rd lamb) So got a new starter last year bit slow but thorough, just as accurate at lambing.

Can’t be doing with people in a rush too leave as fast as they came shearing, dipping, scanning anything your paying for a service and while they’re there they should spend the whole time providing you with that service not trying they’re hardest too get too the next job, shearers the bloody worst for it

 

[Nithsdale]

Maybe store!

How'd that work... They sell them per head

 

[Purli R]

Where will you tag the one with no head?

Never mind tagging it,needs to souk first!!??

 

[Al R]

Can’t be doing with people in a rush too leave as fast as they came shearing, dipping, scanning anything your paying for a service and while they’re there they should spend the whole time providing you with that service not trying they’re hardest too get too the next job, shearers the bloody worst for it

Scanners I hear are the worst for it - my guy is brilliant, always on time and is a hell of a good laugh, tells us of any problems etc but we mark with marking fluid

Know of a few people locally who have had different scanners in to do 50-100 ewe flocks turning up 6-12 hours late then in a rush whinging they are there or just not saying anything at all. 1 person I know was left in tears as the scanner she was paying was rude and obnoxious to her yet didn’t even have a proper conversation with her, he is known as a pr*ck mind which is the only reason I know of him.

 

[Mc115reed]

Scanners I hear are the worst for it - my guy is brilliant, always on time and is a hell of a good laugh, tells us of any problems etc but we mark with marking fluid

Know of a few people locally who have had different scanners in to do 50-100 ewe flocks turning up 6-12 hours late then in a rush whinging they are there or just not saying anything at all. 1 person I know was left in tears as the scanner she was paying was rude and obnoxious to her yet didn’t even have a proper conversation with her, he is known as a pr*ck mind which is the only reason I know of him.

My scanner knows I always run late and there’s normally some sort of drama so think she accounts extra time for it But if somebody came here too do something and was rushing too get there numbers up I’d not invite them back again.. shearer 3 years ago found that out when him and his mate rattled 200 off in 3 hours including setting up and packing away .. unfortunately for him I got them back in again after he’d left too weigh lambs for market so got a look at them while they were fresh! Looked like there’d been a dog attack

 

[muleman]

Scanners I hear are the worst for it - my guy is brilliant, always on time and is a hell of a good laugh, tells us of any problems etc but we mark with marking fluid

Know of a few people locally who have had different scanners in to do 50-100 ewe flocks turning up 6-12 hours late then in a rush whinging they are there or just not saying anything at all. 1 person I know was left in tears as the scanner she was paying was rude and obnoxious to her yet didn’t even have a proper conversation with her, he is known as a pr*ck mind which is the only reason I know of him.

My favourite day of the farming year i think.
Right good lad does ours, never gets one wrong, can spot any problems , can scan them at 26 days, and right good crack with it.

 

[z.man]

My favourite day of the farming year i think.
Right good lad does ours, never gets one wrong, can spot any problems , can scan them at 26 days, and right good crack with it.

As long as the first one isn’t empty it’s usually a grand day

 

[Aspiring Peasants]

Our scanner marks them himself with paint. If they are late he just puts the mark towards the rear of the sheep. I find waiting for the figures at the end is a bit like waiting for your exam results

 

[neilo]

My favourite day of the farming year i think.

Yes, second only to have a good sale day.

Our’s doesn’t mark ‘lates’, but then I’m not daft enough to leave rams running with them all winter.

 

[BAF]

Scanned ours yesterday. Never scanned before but I'd put 14 ewe lambs to the tup so I was curious about them as much as anything. Less twins than I'd have expected, 3 or 4 too far along for her to tell and 4 ewe lambs expecting twins. Like I say we've never scanned before - I'm only up to 42 ewes this year as it is - so obviously I can say scanning %ge is down but going on lambing %ge from last year we'll be down this time.
The ewe lambs should lamb just after the older ewes have finished so there won't be much chance of fostering anything on so it'll be either keep it or bottle feed it. 2 of the ewe lambs are early born triplets from last year so they'll be getting on for nearly being as old as shearlings by the time they lamb and I'd expect them to have enough milk and body to rear 2. The other 2 got chucked in with the tup as an after thought with 3 others. Naturally the 2 biggest of the group evaded the love making but this one didn't. She'll only rear one I expect so the kids can have a pet.
I always buy in 20 or so pet lambs every year and feed them cows milk which makes it a viable option - and I don't pay anywhere near £100 for a cade! I'd get 10 for that! They're a bit of work but the kids love them and this year I sold privately, 3/4 of the bunch at 30kg or under for £100/head at 10/12 weeks old.

 

[Nithsdale]

Can’t be doing with people in a rush too leave as fast as they came shearing, dipping, scanning anything your paying for a service and while they’re there they should spend the whole time providing you with that service not trying they’re hardest too get too the next job, shearers the bloody worst for it

I agree with you.

But I think if you were a shearer with a constant list of 20+ customers hassling you every 5mins asking where were you and that their job is the single most important and they should've been done a week ago - despite the weather wrecking the previous 2 weeks meaning you're well behind... The stress would mount and you'd get worn down - I don't think you'd be hanging about on each job either or all smiles all the time.

 

[Estate fencing.]

I agree with you.

But I think if you were a shearer with a constant list of 20+ customers hassling you every 5mins asking where were you and that their job is the single most important and they should've been done a week ago - despite the weather wrecking the previous 2 weeks meaning you're well behind... The stress would mount and you'd get worn down - I don't think you'd be hanging about on each job either or all smiles all the time.

Exactly, start the season in may in good humor but by the time you get to late June the fun of shearing dirty sheep and people ringing everyday to make you come I’m not in the best of moods.

 

[Mc115reed]

I agree with you.

But I think if you were a shearer with a constant list of 20+ customers hassling you every 5mins asking where were you and that their job is the single most important and they should've been done a week ago - despite the weather wrecking the previous 2 weeks meaning you're well behind... The stress would mount and you'd get worn down - I don't think you'd be hanging about on each job either or all smiles all the time.

Not hanging about is fine if your still making the same standard of job as you would make if you were going steady … but going like f**k making a mess when I’m paying you too make a decent job just because the weathers f**ked your plans up doesn’t wash with me… if you can’t do the job right don’t do it at all.. if I wanted the wool ripping of sheep I’d message one of the many Facebook hero’s offering to come clip sheep ect ect for half the price I normally pay