Shedders - Be interested in your views

[It was already broken.]

I have no axe to grind either way and I don't know why but just been thinking about shedders in the last few days. Never given them a thought before. Don't care about shearing as I do it me self but the fly thing gets me down and the fly season seems to last 9 months some years. So I would be interested to hear your views. If you have shedders what are the good and bad points, what are the lambs like to sell, and the culls? If you have both shedders and woolies how do they compare? Much been made about grass only but are they OK on winter roots? What price are the tups and is there a good supply? Have you tried them and given up? If you looked at them and have not tried any what put you off? Just want to pick the bones over and see where it comes out, so pour yourself a drink, pull up a chair and lets see where the journey takes us!

 

[spin cycle]

you need to visit me in the summer......my aim is to breed a shedding....reasonably prolific milky ewe with excellent feet and hopefully decent cull value....i'm prepared to sacrifice some traits to get what i want....namely i'm prepared to lamb inside and flush

i will call mine 'arable farmer' sheep....bit more work in winter but a lot less summer

i'm away off yet

 

[Guiggs]

@Tim W @GTB and did @willy go shedders or just outside lambing? I can't remember now
@exmoor dave @Man_in_black and the rest of the revolutionaries!

 

[exmoor dave]

@Tim W @GTB and did @willy go shedders or just outside lambing? I can't remember now
@exmoor dave @Man_in_black and the rest of the revolutionaries!

I'll look up a long post I put on another thread and put a link up......save me typing it again

 

[exmoor dave]

https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/easycare-or-exlana.162932/page-3#post-3591438

 

[GTB]

I think we need a sticky (?) thread for shedders. It gets a bit tedious after a while and some chose not to believe you anyway.

 

[spin cycle]

I think we need a sticky (?) thread for shedders. It gets a bit tedious after a while and some chose not to believe you anyway.

we need our own section...direct drillers got one...we want one

 

[GTB]

Have you tried them and given up?

I don't know of anyone who's tried them and given up.

what are the lambs like to sell

Best sold dw. They hang up far better than they look on their feet. The live buyers do know this but any excuse to knock the price down...

i will call mine 'arable farmer' sheep....bit more work in winter but a lot less summer

There are many variations on the Easycare/ Shedder theme. There are flocks of Easycares that are as big as mules and scan at 200%. Ours are amongst the smallest you'll find and will still scan at 165% which is plenty for this farm.

 

[Paddington]

Never had a problem with fly strike on our Wilties until last year, when a couple of lambs got hit. We had stopped spraying them years ago so perhaps it was my fault (usually is).

 

[choochter]

we need our own section...direct drillers got one...we want one

No. Cos then I would miss all this sheep stuff. I miss the dairy input into the Livestock and Forage thread now that there is a Dairy farming section.
I know you are joking, but just in case you aren't......

 

[Top Tip.]

I always think with shredders that beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder,so it is very much a case of whatever floats your boat.

 

[GTB]

No. Cos then I would miss all this sheep stuff. I miss the dairy input into the Livestock and Forage thread now that there is a Dairy farming section.
I know you are joking, but just in case you aren't......

This is true. Which Is why I think a sticky thread within the livestock section would be better and would save us having to repeat ourselves, save us having to repeat ourselves, save us having to repeat ourselves, save us having to repeat ourselves, save us having to repeat ourselves, save us having to repeat ourselves, save us having to repeat ourselves, save us having to repeat ourselves......

 

[Wooly]

.

 

[bobajob]

I thought Willy had given up with them? Poor store lamb trade?

 

[exmoor dave]

I thought Willy had given up with them? Poor store lamb trade?

No I think he's putting the bulk of ewes to terminal and just a % pure,


IMO, they aren't a store market lamb unless you can sell direct to someone who appreciates a shedder store lamb, they'd be great on roots, stay much cleaner than woollies.

 

[willy]

I thought Willy had given up with them? Poor store lamb trade?

Nah always shedding ewes, just gone back to crossing them with terminal rams, just gives you more options.

Keep top 10% of the flock pure easycare for replacements, one day I hope the live buyer looses the arrogance of dissing shedding sheep. But to be honest crossing the ewes does give some cracking looking lambs which look the business.

 

[exmoor dave]

Nah always shedding ewes, just gone back to crossing them with terminal rams, just gives you more options.

Keep top 10% of the flock pure easycare for replacements, one day I hope the live buyer looses the arrogance of dissing shedding sheep. But to be honest crossing the ewes does give some cracking looking lambs which look the business.

I know of extra wooly breeders (romney, highlander etc) selling store lambs direct cause of resistance in the store ring.......... moral of the story some store buyers are abit too picky!

 

[roscoe erf]

i always know who has shedders when buying hay

 

[willy]

The one down side with fatteningboff grass totally without any inputs is some years you will have stores and hence need a marketable product to shift to make way for next year crop. This year lambs just haven't thrived.

 

[It was already broken.]

you need to visit me in the summer......my aim is to breed a shedding....reasonably prolific milky ewe with excellent feet and hopefully decent cull value....i'm prepared to sacrifice some traits to get what i want....namely i'm prepared to lamb inside and flush

i will call mine 'arable farmer' sheep....bit more work in winter but a lot less summer

i'm away off yet

Take you upon that @spin cycle. What sort of money do the tups go for anyone? And how do the culls work out?