Starting a flock of Cheviots

H Evs

Member
Mixed Farmer
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

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cheshire
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

Member
Mixed Farmer
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

Member
Livestock Farmer
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


101974982_649603728958790_6712539408358178816_o.jpg
 

yellowbelly

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
N.Lincs
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 :woot: .

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 :giggle:).
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....
20200404_153329.jpg

20200404_153614.jpg
 

Anymulewilldo

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cheshire
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 :woot: .

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 :giggle:).

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....
View attachment 884559
View attachment 884560
@yellowbelly they look grand! Definitely a credit too you!
 

H Evs

Member
Mixed Farmer
or go to Dingwall and stock up for pennies:finger::finger:

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.

Member
Location
highland
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.
 

CollCrofter

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Scotland
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... :nailbiting:;)
 

CollCrofter

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Scotland
A couple of months on and the lambs don't look so bad either.....
View attachment 884932
View attachment 884933

Good strong lambs (y) (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:LOL:. 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.
Screenshot_20200606-235814_Gallery.jpg
 

Anymulewilldo

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cheshire
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

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cheshire
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!
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.7%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 64 34.6%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.2%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 6 3.2%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,287
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
Top