Swaledale Ewes @ What Breed of Ram?

[Sandpit Farm]

Couldn’t you get Beulahs at that money? The ones I had were either really good or really crap mothers..... but since then I’ve found a brilliant source but from the other side of the country. If you had a lorry full, I’d bet it’d be worth it.

http://sciencesearch.defra.gov.uk/Document.aspx?Document=BD1242_10165_FRA.pdf

 

[cattleman123]

Intresting idea, what sort of money are FM ones making and what type of weight would the ewes be on average??

Would they milk well on lowland ground?

The lad is sheep mad and very keen.

Fences??

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Bfl, really no other bred, a beltex on a swale what would that look like. Bfl is what you want., if l had a dry, rough hill, 200 bf ewes 3 bfl tups, winter on there, a block or two, then on to greener ground mid march, lmb 2nd week in April. Even if your new to the ewe lmb game, you'll still get a decent price and the weather's are always wanted.

The beltex on the swale makes a really nice long keep lamb! Can get them too 42/44kg easily straight off grass in late January. They are smudgy faced little buggers but I don’t mind that. It puts off the fancy men who want all white faces or all black faces and that suits me grand. Beltex x SBF are even better if I can find them!

Personally I’d use a 3/4 texel 1/4 beltex on them. Stretch them out with the texel and put some arse in there with the beltex. old swale ewes ought to spit lambs out for fun. On good lowland ground 180%+ should be achievable. Then watch them bowl over when the grass staggers season starts...

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Can't think I've ever seen Suffolk lambs out of a Swale (or Blackie)... I'm actually quite intrigued to see what the lambs are like

Have you not?!?! They feed alright, not as nice as the tex x, they need that bit more time. But they get too a good weight by late February. I’ve some Suffolk x ewes out of the swale here somewhere. Got tupped by a rig as store lambs so I put them with the flock and they have just merged in no worries (that first crop of lambs was a bit rum though... )

 

[irish dom]

The beltex on the swale makes a really nice long keep lamb! Can get them too 42/44kg easily straight off grass in late January. They are smudgy faced little buggers but I don’t mind that. It puts off the fancy men who want all white faces or all black faces and that suits me grand. Beltex x SBF are even better if I can find them!

Personally I’d use a 3/4 texel 1/4 beltex on them. Stretch them out with the texel and put some arse in there with the beltex. old swale ewes ought to spit lambs out for fun. On good lowland ground 180%+ should be achievable. Then watch them bowl over when the grass staggers season starts...

Horned ewes are notorious for staggers. Seemed to be saving a few every other day when i had alot of them. Didn't save them all of course

 

[Ysgythan]

The beltex on the swale makes a really nice long keep lamb! Can get them too 42/44kg easily straight off grass in late January. They are smudgy faced little buggers but I don’t mind that. It puts off the fancy men who want all white faces or all black faces and that suits me grand. Beltex x SBF are even better if I can find them!

Personally I’d use a 3/4 texel 1/4 beltex on them. Stretch them out with the texel and put some arse in there with the beltex. old swale ewes ought to spit lambs out for fun. On good lowland ground 180%+ should be achievable. Then watch them bowl over when the grass staggers season starts...

excuse me, the right Texel doesn’t need to compromise with Beltex. It has the arse.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

excuse me, the right Texel doesn’t need to compromise with Beltex. It has the arse.

On that point we shall agree to disagree.

 

[Ysgythan]

On that point we shall agree to disagree.

no we won’t, you clearly haven’t seen mine.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

no we won’t, you clearly haven’t seen mine.

Look, you are trying to start an argument.

Agree to disagree means that you don’t agree with my view, I don’t agree with yours. Because we are grown adults that is fine and we won’t waste hours arguing over it. I’m a big fan of the crossbred tups, it you aren’t. That’s fine.

 

[Ysgythan]

Look, you are trying to start an argument.

Agree to disagree means that you don’t agree with my view, I don’t agree with yours. Because we are grown adults that is fine and we won’t waste hours arguing over it. I’m a big fan of the crossbred tups, it you aren’t. That’s fine.

I’m not texting you, this is a forum for discussion, so others read what you post.

for their benefit I’d like to point a few things out:
• You don’t have to have a cross of Beltex in for arse, there are Texels with plenty of arse out there if you want to find them
• if you produce the same type as those crossbreds to sell as pure shearlings you’d get a hammering in the shearling tup rings
• there is nothing worse than a small Beltexy type with no arse. And it does happen.

anyway, feel free to disagree.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

I’m not texting you, this is a forum for discussion, so others read what you post.

for their benefit I’d like to point a few things out:
• You don’t have to have a cross of Beltex in for arse, there are Texels with plenty of arse out there if you want to find them
• if you produce the same type as those crossbreds to sell as pure shearlings you’d get a hammering in the shearling tup rings
• there is nothing worse than a small Beltexy type with no arse. And it does happen.

anyway, feel free to disagree.

You what?! As you say, this is a forum and if you insist on being like this I will put up my side of the argument.

In the commercial tup sales the crossbred tups average just as good as the pure Texels. I’m talking about tups to produce finished lambs. Not tups to produce breeding stock

I’m not talking about those small Beltexy types with no arse. I can’t be doing with those texels who grow into Holstein types that no matter how hard you feed them just won’t finish. That happens too.

I shall continue to disagree thank you. Our lambs finished weights have gone up 2kg since we started introducing a splash of beltex into the breeding.

Sounds like another case of a pure breeder getting all puffed up because crossbreds can produce as good a lamb if not better than their pures...

 

[glensman]

You what?! As you say, this is a forum and if you insist on being like this I will put up my side of the argument.

In the commercial tup sales the crossbred tups average just as good as the pure Texels. I’m talking about tups to produce finished lambs. Not tups to produce breeding stock

I’m not talking about those small Beltexy types with no arse. I can’t be doing with those texels who grow into Holstein types that no matter how hard you feed them just won’t finish. That happens too.

I shall continue to disagree thank you. Our lambs finished weights have gone up 2kg since we started introducing a splash of beltex into the breeding.

Sounds like another case of a pure breeder getting all puffed up because crossbreds can produce as good a lamb if not better than their pures...

A real good texel/charollais tup is the real thing.

 

[Highland Mule]

Can't think I've ever seen Suffolk lambs out of a Swale (or Blackie)... I'm actually quite intrigued to see what the lambs are like

Happy to oblige.

 

[Sandpit Farm]

View attachment 917135
Happy to oblige.

Those certainly aren't dopey. 3 lambs, all wet, all on their feet

 

[lizness]

We have had Suffolk and texel on swaledales usually accidental. Lambs start out brilliant but usually take a while to fatten but they go up the moor. There is a small market for texdale ewes around here so could be a possibility. Why not just use a bfl and breed some decent replacements to breed from rather than waste good ground on a swaley.

 

[Highland Mule]

born

Those certainly aren't dopey. 3 lambs, all wet, all on their feet

Born outside in a snowstorm, and quickly repatriated to shed by my Mrs. The ewe is now forever known as “her triplet ewe”.

She did rear all three as well - one ewe lamb found dead in November but the other two made it through to prime and sold in boxes - wedder in the November and second ewe in January (off creep, housed for last few weeks)

 

[Ysgythan]

You what?! As you say, this is a forum and if you insist on being like this I will put up my side of the argument.

In the commercial tup sales the crossbred tups average just as good as the pure Texels. I’m talking about tups to produce finished lambs. Not tups to produce breeding stock

I’m not talking about those small Beltexy types with no arse. I can’t be doing with those texels who grow into Holstein types that no matter how hard you feed them just won’t finish. That happens too.

I shall continue to disagree thank you. Our lambs finished weights have gone up 2kg since we started introducing a splash of beltex into the breeding.

Sounds like another case of a pure breeder getting all puffed up because crossbreds can produce as good a lamb if not better than their pures...

Have you stopped to think whether the type selection did that? I’ve seen it time and time again, buyers changing breed rather than type. It must be the sheep’s fault. I’m glad you’ve settled, but some change so often they come around again, and again. And make the same mistakes again.

 

[Skintagain]

Have you stopped to think whether the type selection did that? I’ve seen it time and time again, buyers changing breed rather than type. It must be the sheep’s fault. I’m glad you’ve settled, but some change so often they come around again, and again. And make the same mistakes again.

Beltex/Texel/Blue texel/badger/spotted things all the same in my eyes just a different type of the same thing, like milk cows.

 

[neilo]

Beltex/Texel/Blue texel/badger/spotted things all the same in my eyes just a different type of the same thing, like milk cows.

+1 Texel x Beltex isn’t a crossbred imo, just a big, rangey ‘modern’ Texel (or ‘white faced Suffolk if you like) crossed with a smaller, thicker Texel, like the ones that came over originally.

It’s immaterial though really, as I’d still use a Charollais in the lowland situation that the OP described. I’m not sure that it’s a particularly cheap way for the young lad to start this year though, but then what is with prices were they are?

 

[Ysgythan]

Texel x Beltex isn’t a crossbred imo, just a big, rangey ‘modern’ Texel (or ‘white faced Suffolk if you like) crossed with a smaller, thicker Texel, like the ones that came over originally.

don’t disagree