Sheep breed low birth weight lambs, meat production?

Hi, i though this would have be an easy internet search but apparently not.

I have a hospital flock of ewes which most are smaller framed.

What breeds are renowned for having low birth weights?

I couldn't find anything on the net and it will take a while visiting stud websites to get asbv values etc.

Most web results tell you how to avoid low birth weight...not what i am after.


Any hints or tips be appreciated

Cheer, Ant....
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Hi, i though this would have be an easy internet search but apparently not.

I have a hospital flock of ewes which most are smaller framed.

What breeds are renowned for having low birth weights?

I couldn't find anything on the net and it will take a while visiting stud websites to get asbv values etc.

Most web results tell you how to avoid low birth weight...not what i am after.


Any hints or tips be appreciated

Cheer, Ant....

Birth weight is strongly correlated to mature weights, although there are obviously exceptions within populations.
I don’t know what ‘smaller’ breeds you have access to, but I suspect Southdowns might be one option.
The Charollais you have over there will be from lines out with the show circuit here, so would work well if you can get them.
 
A table showing average birthrights I saw had Beltex and Southdown at the bottom. I would suspect that the average Southdown stud in Oz would be considerably more commercially focused than their counterparts up here and so would be a good shout, if the OP is just looking for fat lambs.
 
A table showing average birthrights I saw had Beltex and Southdown at the bottom. I would suspect that the average Southdown stud in Oz would be considerably more commercially focused than their counterparts up here and so would be a good shout, if the OP is just looking for fat lambs.
Plenty of Beltex lambs come out pretty strong from what I've seen.
 

BAF

Member
Livestock Farmer
As long as you keep them tight southdowns will pop out small lambs easily on their own. The moment you start looking after them they will start having much bigger lambs.
 

Highland Mule

Member
Livestock Farmer
Hi, i though this would have be an easy internet search but apparently not.

I have a hospital flock of ewes which most are smaller framed.

What breeds are renowned for having low birth weights?

I couldn't find anything on the net and it will take a while visiting stud websites to get asbv values etc.

Most web results tell you how to avoid low birth weight...not what i am after.


Any hints or tips be appreciated

Cheer, Ant....
Disappointed that @unlacedgecko didn’t say his usual “cull it” phrase, but the question should be asked of course. If the animals aren’t fit for mating, should they be? Not to say yours aren’t, but you really should consider if it’s fair to them and what your end game is.
 

unlacedgecko

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Fife
Disappointed that @unlacedgecko didn’t say his usual “cull it” phrase, but the question should be asked of course. If the animals aren’t fit for mating, should they be? Not to say yours aren’t, but you really should consider if it’s fair to them and what your end game is.
They're pets. Ant has made his position very clear when I've broke it's leg. My comments then were not appreciated, and it would be counter productive to repeat them.
 

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