Scanning %

Guiggs

Member
Location
Leicestershire
yea we had thought about that but what would be wrong with them in particular ?
We got a Tex ram to go with 7 of the ewes today, he has served one already, the rest are of tomorrow along with some lambs

I'd be worried about them inheriting his poor fertility issues, if indeed that is his issue, also the fact that he was sold by his previous owner for some reason, was that because he didn't do the job for them? Poor performance from the lambs he left? He also has this issue with cudding, could that be inherited?
I know it's a tough choice with small flock numbers and it stings losing animals and you want to keep as many females as possible but it's also the best way of starting your flock with the highest quality breeding stock as you can by not taking a chance with second rate animals..I have learnt it takes more time and money wheedling out the crap than it does to get rid and only keep the best!
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
I'd be worried about them inheriting his poor fertility issues, if indeed that is his issue, also the fact that he was sold by his previous owner for some reason, was that because he didn't do the job for them? Poor performance from the lambs he left? He also has this issue with cudding, could that be inherited?
I know it's a tough choice with small flock numbers and it stings losing animals and you want to keep as many females as possible but it's also the best way of starting your flock with the highest quality breeding stock as you can by not taking a chance with second rate animals..I have learnt it takes more time and money wheedling out the crap than it does to get rid and only keep the best!

While I agree to a point, IIRC Bert was bought as a shearling at a ram/store sale, not as an aged ram from the culls, so I doubt the breeder knew of any issues beforehand.
Many things can cause infertility/sub-fertility, most of them probably not inherited, and cudders just seem to happen at random (apparently).
If @Henarar & @farmerclare want to breed Fluffheads :rolleyes:, then I'd not be in any particular hurry to cull his offspring. It's not as though efficient production was at the top of the selection criteria when he was picked out, after all (& I'm not having a dig with that comment).

@Henarar , have you been in touch with the breeder? I know you didn't pay a fortune for him, but if he was sold as a breeder, then he should be that.
 

Henarar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
I'd be worried about them inheriting his poor fertility issues, if indeed that is his issue, also the fact that he was sold by his previous owner for some reason, was that because he didn't do the job for them? Poor performance from the lambs he left? He also has this issue with cudding, could that be inherited?
I know it's a tough choice with small flock numbers and it stings losing animals and you want to keep as many females as possible but it's also the best way of starting your flock with the highest quality breeding stock as you can by not taking a chance with second rate animals..I have learnt it takes more time and money wheedling out the crap than it does to get rid and only keep the best!
While I agree to a point, IIRC Bert was bought as a shearling at a ram/store sale, not as an aged ram from the culls, so I doubt the breeder knew of any issues beforehand.
Many things can cause infertility/sub-fertility, most of them probably not inherited, and cudders just seem to happen at random (apparently).
If @Henarar & @farmerclare want to breed Fluffheads :rolleyes:, then I'd not be in any particular hurry to cull his offspring. It's not as though efficient production was at the top of the selection criteria when he was picked out, after all (& I'm not having a dig with that comment).

@Henarar , have you been in touch with the breeder? I know you didn't pay a fortune for him, but if he was sold as a breeder, then he should be that.
He was bought at a year old and had not been used, he is mv accredited, the chap had five for sale
I suppose we should get in touch with him and at least tell him of our problems with him even if nart comes of it
Oh and we have got on quite well with the fluff headed ewes we have got and had some good lambs from them and they seem strong ewes
I suspect we will see how his lambs are born and grow before making up our mind as to if we should keep some of them
I thought that the sex of the offspring came from the tup the number would come from the ewe ?
 

Girlfarmer

Member
Location
North Yorkshire
Scanned first batch today. Our 4+ shears scanned at 248%, younger ones at 219% and 236%. Overall scanned at 234%. This was with no flushing and purposefully running them on poor hill ground before and during tupping. Texel mules and twice crossed texels. We've always had high lambing %, even when we had Swaledales, and have always bred our own replacements. I guess the power of genetics in prolificacy must be very strong as it doesn't seem to make any difference no matter how we manage them! Last year, first batch also averaged 234% including empties. Would love to get it closer to 200%. I'm feeling tired just thinking about lambing time now :(
 

Girlfarmer

Member
Location
North Yorkshire
Not many! 13 out of 180! Tend to leave those alone though and sell them early. We usually take all triplets off but this year I think we're going to try keeping some on and inside for a while (if we can. I might be looking back through any polytunnel threads next) and creeping them from a week old. Five quads too! Aaarghh!
 
The sex of the lambs is down to how the genetic cards randomly fall, not the ram.
Number of ova would be down to the ewe, and her management before & after mating, but if the sperm aren't there to fertilise those ova......:( It takes two to tango.

Yes and no, obviously the male will produce both male and female sperm, but some males produce a lot more of one sex than the other, so the ram can have an influence on the sex of the progeny.

Ovulation timing in the ewe will also influence the sex of the progeny.
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Yes and no, obviously the male will produce both male and female sperm, but some males produce a lot more of one sex than the other, so the ram can have an influence on the sex of the progeny.

Ovulation timing in the ewe will also influence the sex of the progeny.

Hmmm. I've noticed higher proportions one way or the other from individual Rams in the pedigree flock (commercials mostly mob mated), but the following season or year has seen different results for those same individuals. I favour chance is the main effect at play, usually averaging out over time.
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Of those scanning now, have your scanners mentioned Schmallenburg at all? I heard from someone tonight, whose scanner had said he'd seen quite a few that were likely to be sbv, amongst sheep scanned now. I would assume that would be late Feb/March lambers mostly, which could be a lot of sheep nationally.:(
 
Of those scanning now, have your scanners mentioned Schmallenburg at all? I heard from someone tonight, whose scanner had said he'd seen quite a few that were likely to be sbv, amongst sheep scanned now. I would assume that would be late Feb/March lambers mostly, which could be a lot of sheep nationally.:(

Thanks alot, were scanning tomorrow!!
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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

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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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