Starting a flock of Cheviots

[H Evs]

Afternoon all, I'm after some advice on stocking densities and any general recommendations about the situation.

I'm looking to purchase around 20-25 Chevs this autumn to bring back to our 30ac of reseeded (traditional lay, not ryegrass) pasture. I'll be looking for fit, middle aged ladies who know what they are doing and will cope well with moving down country from longtown or lockerby to north yorkshire.
The plan is to put them to a hired leicester tup, keep the hoggs and sell off the wether's. I'd like to keep the hogs for a year to grow before putting them to a terminal sire, possibly texel/beltex/suffolk or even back to a southy Cheviot (we obviously have a while to think about this so not too worried about tup breed yet).

The Land has recently been reseeded, we're not desperate to get a crop off it this year, but may get some late hay if the season and crop allows. It's 3 x 10acre fields of improved PP, 950m ish, with mostly stock proof fencing and walls (we're on with it!) and we will have an IBC trailer for drinking.

There are no livestock buildings on the land, so the girls will have to be outdoor lambing, which I'm not so worried about for the chevs, but does anyone have any experience lambing chev mules to terminal sires? By then I would like to have a small polytunel or similar for them to shelter themselves or be lambed in if needs be.

So I guess my questions are, do you think this is a realistic business plan, what are your opinions on stocking density for this type of land, and does anyone have experience lambing chev mules to terminal tups?
Thanks if you've got this far - I'm from farming but don't have a chance to look in on the home suckler farm and trying to start out with sheep.
oh, and I'm aware that Chevs are...a 'lively' breed and love them for it!

cheers

 

[Anymulewilldo]

We're increasing the amount of Chevi Mule's we lamb every year at the moment. I've found they lamb just the same as our other mules. shearlings that have run dry tend to be mental, brutal and I wouldn't dream of trying to lamb them outside just for the catching factor if they needed a hand. All the ewe lambs get the chance of the tup here to get the extra production and slow the growth down a bit. By the time they are 3 shears you can't tell the difference anyway. I put the ewe lambs to the beltex, nice lambs that slip out easy and flesh up just how the market wants them. This time I've run Rouge on the shearlings as an experiment. They slipped out proper lively lambs, but we did have exceptional weather when they were coming! 2 shear plus all go to beltex x texel tups, they lambed out this time. get the odd hung lamb but this year I havnt seen as much of that as normal? no idea why.

I think you will be blown in for grass at that stocking rate, plenty of space for deferred grazing through into the winter. By the time your stocking rate has increased the grass will be well established and ready for hard grazing.

I've found that the traditional BFL makes a better Chevi mule than a Crossing Leicester. I've bought lambs by both and the traditional Lambs are far better bodied sheep when they are mature.

Pretty sure others will disagree but that's my take on it.

 

[H Evs]

That’s so helpful, thanks!
We’re aiming for BFL anyway, going to hire one for the first few years as we know a breeder and can’t justify buying a tup for so few ewes.
Interesting info about putting hoggs to the tup, we may try for a year and see what suits!

We’ve hay making equipment so not worried about closing a field off to crop and then feed out in the winter.

I’m glad you’ve had a good lambing - weather has been exemplary!! I’ve also heard good things about Rouge tups (so much so that they’re being crossed into beltex flocks in some places ?) if you can keep them alive!

We could go for more Chevs, but only really want them to make the mules and replacements for the main flock.

What would you say capacity for the established grass would be? We may have the option to winter graze on dairy pasture.

Thanks, Hettie

 

[JP1]

Afternoon all, I'm after some advice on stocking densities and any general recommendations about the situation.

I'm looking to purchase around 20-25 Chevs this autumn to bring back to our 30ac of reseeded (traditional lay, not ryegrass) pasture. I'll be looking for fit, middle aged ladies who know what they are doing and will cope well with moving down country from longtown or lockerby to north yorkshire.
The plan is to put them to a hired leicester tup, keep the hoggs and sell off the wether's. I'd like to keep the hogs for a year to grow before putting them to a terminal sire, possibly texel/beltex/suffolk or even back to a southy Cheviot (we obviously have a while to think about this so not too worried about tup breed yet).

The Land has recently been reseeded, we're not desperate to get a crop off it this year, but may get some late hay if the season and crop allows. It's 3 x 10acre fields of improved PP, 950m ish, with mostly stock proof fencing and walls (we're on with it!) and we will have an IBC trailer for drinking.

There are no livestock buildings on the land, so the girls will have to be outdoor lambing, which I'm not so worried about for the chevs, but does anyone have any experience lambing chev mules to terminal sires? By then I would like to have a small polytunel or similar for them to shelter themselves or be lambed in if needs be.

So I guess my questions are, do you think this is a realistic business plan, what are your opinions on stocking density for this type of land, and does anyone have experience lambing chev mules to terminal tups?
Thanks if you've got this far - I'm from farming but don't have a chance to look in on the home suckler farm and trying to start out with sheep.
oh, and I'm aware that Chevs are...a 'lively' breed and love them for it!

cheers

FB site for Chev Mules

Cheviot Mule - produces excellent lambs when crossed with any terminal sire

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[yellowbelly]

I'll be looking for fit, middle aged ladies who know what they are doing and will cope well with moving down country from longtown or lockerby to north yorkshire.

If you're off to Lockerbie, make sure you tell your bank manager, the first pen of 3 or 4 croppers in the ring last year made £200 a piece .

I was beginning to think it was going to be a long ride out for nowt. I got a few, but not as many as I'd reckoned on. Put ours to a Cheviot to get a few replacements first (and to save pumping ££'s into the Scottish economy ).

I wouldn't dream of trying to lamb them outside just for the catching factor if they needed a hand.

Lambed ours inside for the same reason but they pretty much all lambed OK (I think I pulled 2 lambs). The last 4 or 5 lambed outside on their own.
Pictures from early April....

 

[Anymulewilldo]

If you're off to Lockerbie, make sure you tell your bank manager, the first pen of 3 or 4 croppers in the ring last year made £200 a piece .

I was beginning to think it was going to be a long ride out for nowt. I got a few, but not as many as I'd reckoned on. Put ours to a Cheviot to get a few replacements first (and to save pumping ££'s into the Scottish economy ).

Lambed ours inside for the same reason but they pretty much all lambed OK (I think I pulled 2 lambs). The last 4 or 5 lambed outside on their own.
Pictures from early April....

@yellowbelly they look grand! Definitely a credit too you!

 

[Bob the beef]

As @yellow belly said. Think carefully what type of Cheviot you want to buy. If you want smart Park type you pretty much have to go to Lockerbie and fork out££££. If you just want want hardy easy keeping sheep, go to Longtown and save ££££.

or go to Dingwall and stock up for pennies

 

[H Evs]

or go to Dingwall and stock up for pennies

I've not heard of Dingwall for the Chev trade will look it up, thank you!
I'm not fussed on fancy showing sheep that'll wither once not on hard feed every day, but in the same hand as the nucleus of our flock, I do want some tidy animals!

 

[Top Tip.]

I've not heard of Dingwall for the Chev trade will look it up, thank you!
I'm not fussed on fancy showing sheep that'll wither once not on hard feed every day, but in the same hand as the nucleus of our flock, I do want some tidy animals!

Dingwall will have the largest throughput of Cheviot sheep in the country, sheep to suit all pockets and tastes. All bred in the north and west of Scotland so will shift anywhere.

 

[yellowbelly]

Dingwall will have the largest throughput of Cheviot sheep in the country, sheep to suit all pockets and tastes. All bred in the north and west of Scotland so will shift anywhere.

The only reason I didn't go was it seemed a hell of a long way - I start feeling a bit dizzy when I get north of the Humber

 

[H Evs]

Dingwall will have the largest throughput of Cheviot sheep in the country, sheep to suit all pockets and tastes. All bred in the north and west of Scotland so will shift anywhere.

Let's hope I'll be allowed across the border by Autumn then! thanks again

 

[Top Tip.]

The only reason I didn't go was it seemed a hell of a long way - I start feeling a bit dizzy when I get north of the Humber

The natives are really quite friendly ?? and it’s an easy run up the A9.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

The only reason I didn't go was it seemed a hell of a long way - I start feeling a bit dizzy when I get north of the Humber

Worth the run, sheep that are as hard as nails and do well down south! It is a bloody long way but I'm further south than you! The natives do seem very nice but I can't understand a word they say!!! ??

 

[CollCrofter]

Let's hope I'll be allowed across the border by Autumn then! thanks again

Key worker surely??

 

[CollCrofter]

Get to Lairg. Even peoples correct, cast ewes there will be better than most folks 1 or 2 crops!

As above, you'll not go wrong buying good stock from up that way but you'll also do pretty well in Oban too and save a few pph and ppg!

You'll not regret the Cheviot. The queen of all ewes...

 

[yellowbelly]

You'll not regret the Cheviot. The queen of all ewes...

A couple of months on and the lambs don't look so bad either.....

 

[clod hopper]

The only reason I didn't go was it seemed a hell of a long way - I start feeling a bit dizzy when I get north of the Humber

Totally agree with you! I got the shivers at Lancashire turned round went south, somehow ended up in NZ!?

 

[CollCrofter]

A couple of months on and the lambs don't look so bad either.....

Good strong lambs (That's some lamb in the top picture to the left)

Now I've said I don't feed sheep, and I don't, but I had to take photos of the ewes for RT the other day so that's why they're munching cake in case anyone remembers my rants about how little input they need. Lambs aren't show winners but they will sell well and sell all day and only at the cost of a dose and 2 jags.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Key worker surely??

I'm sure I'll be allowed over the border to buy. I just hope that the b&b industry is allowed by then! No way in hell am I sleeping in the car after a 7/8hour drive, buy then a 7/8 hour drive home again!

I tried to sell it as a 2 night trip away too the wife last year. She had all but agreed before one of my "mates" let slip I had a sale on the way up, one the next day then another on the last day before heading home.

If i was to repeat what she said too me i'd be banned from the forum!

 

[Anymulewilldo]

That’s so helpful, thanks!
We’re aiming for BFL anyway, going to hire one for the first few years as we know a breeder and can’t justify buying a tup for so few ewes.
Interesting info about putting hoggs to the tup, we may try for a year and see what suits!

We’ve hay making equipment so not worried about closing a field off to crop and then feed out in the winter.

I’m glad you’ve had a good lambing - weather has been exemplary!! I’ve also heard good things about Rouge tups (so much so that they’re being crossed into beltex flocks in some places ?) if you can keep them alive!

We could go for more Chevs, but only really want them to make the mules and replacements for the main flock.

What would you say capacity for the established grass would be? We may have the option to winter graze on dairy pasture.

Thanks, Hettie

Don't know where you are but straight farmed land should stand 70 ewes on 30 acre plus followers. I must admit my stocking is a bit skewed as 95% of our sheep winter away from home too give ours a rest.
As yet the jury is still out on the Rouge. The lambs look really good. The tups look like 2 ewes in with our beltex & texel type tups. I'm going to have too wait and see how they finish and weigh before I make a proper choice!