- Location
- Montgomeryshire
A bit of both to be honest, they have to perform to slaughter weight yes anything that is not 40kg + end of june is sold fat ealry march born lambs, The high index tup grew like stink 35kg at 8 weeks and tunred into a horrid looking shearling, I have used him on lleyn x welsh ewes and he has done ok, other tups I use From my own breeding throw fuller looking lambs with better asses none the less it doesn’t matter to me in terms of selling my own fat lambs, but for selling shearlings I simply cant market that kind of tup as nobody wants them. I have produce what my customers want
As a shearling producer myself, I understand what you are saying. However, the BLUP system is only ever trying to evaluate performance to slaughter weight, which I would argue is the only thing of commercial significance in terminal sire breeds. The fact that almost all buyers will pick on what the ram looks like as a shearling, doesn't make it right, or even a sensible way to evaluate them.
That said, I won't use a dog of a sheep either, whatever it's figures might say. It's got to have both IMO, not one or the other.
I would always avoid a big, heavy mature ram though, however impressive he may look. If a ram is hitting 170-180+kg, even 200kg in the case of one at Builth last year, the progeny have not a chance in hell of reaching a level of maturity (which is all 'finish' is) at slaughter weights, without one hell of a good feeding regime.