Sheep Scanning

[Nithsdale]

I've a few Lleyns are 4 titters... surprising amount of milk come from the 2nd pair BUT they are small and well up/hidden - lambs wouldn't find them too easily.

I've never bred/selected for it - I've just noticed them from time to time

 

[Ysgythan]

Without subs?

you’ll need more creep without subs

 

[muleman]

Without subs?

Yes, will probably have to keep more sheep on same acreage after the days of sub unfortunately, which in some systems will mean it will pay to creep.

 

[neilo]

Yes, will probably have to keep more sheep on same acreage after the days of sub unfortunately, which in some systems will mean it will pay to creep.

I disagree. Higher output would normally be achieved most economically by running more, smaller ewes (at a higher stocking rate) with the lambs going to fodder crops (maybe elsewhere) for finishing.

Putting expensive creep into March born lambs that finish after the mid-June price drop is never going to be profitable. For early lambing flocks, hitting higher prices, a few weeks earlier sale will make a lot of difference though.

 

[neilo]

I've a few Lleyns are 4 titters... surprising amount of milk come from the 2nd pair BUT they are small and well up/hidden - lambs wouldn't find them too easily.

I've never bred/selected for it - I've just noticed them from time to time

The biggest problem with four tit’ers IME, is that the lambs latch on to the wee teat, instead of the larger ‘proper’ teat, which then gets even bigger as it fills with milk. If you keep latching them on for several days then they eventually get it, but that’s just breeding work into the job. I’ve enough on at lambing time without making more.

I do know people that have trimmed them off with sharp scissors, as you might with calve’s supernumerary teats, but I prefer to cull them out. In a closed flock, they will just breed more problems, unless they are identified to put to a terminal only.

 

[Becs]

My 180 flock of mostly Mules, Llynes, and a few Zwarbles and Herdwicks scanned at 182% but I only keep the rams in for 20 days so happy with that. The ones that were empty were mainly the oldest ewes or ewe lambs. I like having a few more triplets than singles as last year I managed to adopt all spares onto singles and had no cads to feed at the end of lambing ..... I'd LOVE for that to happen again this year!

 

[Nithsdale]

The biggest problem with four tit’ers IME, is that the lambs latch on to the wee teat, instead of the larger ‘proper’ teat, which then gets even bigger as it fills with milk. If you keep latching them on for several days then they eventually get it, but that’s just breeding work into the job. I’ve enough on at lambing time without making more.

I do know people that have trimmed them off with sharp scissors, as you might with calve’s supernumerary teats, but I prefer to cull them out. In a closed flock, they will just breed more problems, unless they are identified to put to a terminal only.

Like I say, they're usually tucked well up out of the way. I've never had any issues with lambs latching on to them, maybe my lambs are smarter than yours I actually can't remember the last time I had to bugger about getting a lamb to suck - it's a good few years!

The last ewe I remember finding was a 4 titter, I had to lamb - I noticed as I checked her bag and made sure she was milking ok... She was, on all 4...

 

[D.S.S18]

i scanned 71 ewes - a mix of scotch mule / NofE Mule and texel x
197% -
9 single
9 triplets
1 geld

rest as twins, 35 shearlings in that so very happy.
all tupped to a texel or a roussin.

ewes were weaned last week of july, been running on good grasses since, had a mineral drench a week before the tup went in, so they've done well IMO

regarding 3's - I leave them on if I can, ewes will lamb and run together with a creep feeder in the field to help the lambs along.
anything that looks like it will struggle - gets mothered on or sold.

had 70 ewes last year, very similar policy scanned at 178% more geld.

 

[SteveHants]

Sounds like I need to become a consultant!

I'm now wondering if I don't do consultancy en masse and therefore need a payrise….

As for scanning, I never did it, but only because my management options were limited. My commercial flock were on a 200ac down split into two fields (to be shut up into one of them by lambing so my landlord could bring his cattle up) and the GP flock were on a very rough part of a dairy farm (reclaimed common) after having had the opportunity to eat it down over winter (off dairy grazing end Jan). Lowland system though so no excuse for cake. Might have got a lick if BCS was low. Used to offer to "rehome" small bales from people who targeted the horse market for no charge to them.....

 

[WRXppp]

Scanned today,
233
4 geld
35 singles
156 twins
37 triplets
1 quad
happy with that!
Many thanks to Ian Smith and helper! He was a bit late and stressed because one of his earlier farms ”found” an extra 180 to scan so the normal fryup and cuppa was exchanged for a sausage butty and a can of tango for an on route snack to the next farm!

 

[Estate fencing.]

Scanned today,
233
4 geld
35 singles
156 twins
37 triplets
1 quad
happy with that!
Many thanks to Ian Smith and helper! He was a bit late and stressed because one of his earlier farms ”found” an extra 180 to scan so the normal fryup and cuppa was exchanged for a sausage butty and a can of tango for an on route snack to the next farm!

That's a good scanning, nice to have some triplets to foster on to the singles and any twins that die. I'm going 400 ewes I shepherd tomorrow and I'm hoping for that kind of rate, then 400 of my own ewes in 3 weeks that I hope scan at 170%.

 

[WRXppp]

That's a good scanning, nice to have some triplets to foster on to the singles and any twins that die. I'm going 400 ewes I shepherd tomorrow and I'm hoping for that kind of rate, then 400 of my own ewes in 3 weeks that I hope scan at 170%.

We have never had a great success mothering onto singles, we find if you feed for singles so you don’t get massive lambs then they just don’t have the milk for two lambs and “the beast from the east” year we picked up all the mothered on lambs as they had lost them off, as regards the 3’s we have had great success with leaving them on and maybe with a few sets one of the lambs may need a top up once or twice a day, how we do it is they stay inside for about 4 weeks with a creep gate for the lambs then once outside again the lambs are creeped and the ewes fed for Max milk production, mastitis is no higher than in the twins, the sum’s add up and it actually eases the workload at the peak time.

 

[HappyShep76]

We scanned our Romney’s at 140% (1st & 2nd timers)
Singles 195
Twins 284
Trips 12
Empty 32

Mules scanned at 201%
Singles 162
Twins 354
Trips 194
Quads 12
Empty 21

At least we have less Trips & quads than last year....

 

[AftonShepherd]

We scanned our Romney’s at 140% (1st & 2nd timers)
Singles 195
Twins 284
Trips 12
Empty 32

Mules scanned at 201%
Singles 162
Twins 354
Trips 194
Quads 12
Empty 21

At least we have less Trips & quads than last year....

I make your Romney's 152%?

 

[HappyShep76]

I make your Romney's 152%?

We had 2 groups of Romney’s and the scanning report came out at 146% & 133%. I hadn’t actually done the maths myself....

 

[ttboy]

274 NofE Mule scanned 199%
8 empty
30 single
190 pair
46 triplets

 

[Bob]

274 NofE Mule scanned 199%
8 empty
30 single
190 pair
46 triplets

Breeding machines those North England Mules??

 

[Colliepup123]

107 Nofe mule scanned 192%

5 empty
18 singles
59 double
20 triplets

All the empties lambed as hoggs and all purchased from the holding.

 

[Estate fencing.]

Just finished scanning 400 mules.

58 theaves
186%

70 double theaves
198%

271 ages ewes
225%

Total 8 empty and 98 triplets and 2 quads
Happy with that for indoor lambers. I just hope the late lambers have less triplets in 3 weeks!

 

[Highland Mule]

Just finished scanning 400 mules.

58 theaves
186%

70 double theaves
198%

271 ages ewes
225%

Total 8 empty and 98 triplets and 2 quads
Happy with that for indoor lambers. I just hope the late lambers have less triplets in 3 weeks!

Double Theaves?

Can someone please define what a double theave is please? Thanks!

thefarmingforum.co.uk

For all those who don’t come from the same village as @Electricfencer. Might be better to use proper words, rather than highly regionalised slang...