Teaser ram timing

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
14 days if you want them over a very condensed period. If you want them relatively evenly over 17 days, either put them in earlier, or don’t mate them on that first (teaser induced) cycle. The second cycle is supposed to give higher prolificacy too IIRC.
 

elmo

Member
Location
West Wales
Do you think putting them I'm for an extra cycle would work if I wanted to lamb mid January. (Thinking ahead to next year as it's too late now!)
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Do you think putting them I'm for an extra cycle would work if I wanted to lamb mid January. (Thinking ahead to next year as it's too late now!)

What breeding is behind the ewes? Some are more seasonal than others, so can be dragged forward less far than others.
For example, Suffolk X would respond reliably at that time, mules less so, and Texel X would be on a wing and a prayer IME.
 

Downton_shep

Member
Location
Leintwardine
Ideally lamb them early and over a short period. They would usually start at the same time but want to hit the peak sooner!
A teaser should work well on a early lambing flock to get them cycling a little earlier and together as long as ewes are a long way away from any Tups or teasers before hand and ewes aren’t already cycling. Hence teasers having little effect on later lambing flocks.
You’ll also need extra ram power when the tups go out so none are missed on busy days!
 

Bones

Member
Location
n Ireland
A teaser should work well on a early lambing flock to get them cycling a little earlier and together as long as ewes are a long way away from any Tups or teasers before hand and ewes aren’t already cycling. Hence teasers having little effect on later lambing flocks.
You’ll also need extra ram power when the tups go out so none are missed on busy days!
what type of ram to ewe ratio is realistic, not using ram lambs,
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
what type of ram to ewe ratio is realistic, not using ram lambs,

I think the recommendation was always 1:100. As they are not serving the ewes though, just being 'near' them, I suspect you could go a good bit higher. I've always put nearer 1:200 in my main mobs, purely because that's the number of teasers that I have available. Seems to work OK in getting everything in gear and have very few that don't lamb in the first 17 days.
 

Bones

Member
Location
n Ireland
I think the recommendation was always 1:100. As they are not serving the ewes though, just being 'near' them, I suspect you could go a good bit higher. I've always put nearer 1:200 in my main mobs, purely because that's the number of teasers that I have available. Seems to work OK in getting everything in gear and have very few that don't lamb in the first 17 days.
Sorry, I ment ram to ewe ratio, in all ready teased ewes and real rams,
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Sorry, I ment ram to ewe ratio, in all ready teased ewes and real rams,

Ah, OK.
I tease mine a cycle earlier, so that they’re all cycling but over more like a fortnight than 10 days. Assuming the rams are fit, active, mobile and fertile then i’d Be happy enough with 1:80 or more. If your’re not sure on any of those (fertility tested?) then reduce it a bit as insurance.
 
I think the recommendation was always 1:100. As they are not serving the ewes though, just being 'near' them, I suspect you could go a good bit higher. I've always put nearer 1:200 in my main mobs, purely because that's the number of teasers that I have available. Seems to work OK in getting everything in gear and have very few that don't lamb in the first 17 days.
I had a tup lamb got in with the main (300) ewe mob about 10 days early. He only tupped 10 but seemed to have a profound effect as nearly 50% lambed over four days right at the end of the first cycle. Luckily, this coincided with some great weather. And these ewes had been in a field next to my neighbour's ewes running with the tup beforehand.

This year, I'm having to lamb a week earlier than I would like (couldn't get preferred weeks off work:(). If tups are going out November 3rd, would putting teaser in October 6th and out two weeks later be the best plan to ensure the ewes were all cycling but not synchronised by then?
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
I had a tup lamb got in with the main (300) ewe mob about 10 days early. He only tupped 10 but seemed to have a profound effect as nearly 50% lambed over four days right at the end of the first cycle. Luckily, this coincided with some great weather. And these ewes had been in a field next to my neighbour's ewes running with the tup beforehand.

This year, I'm having to lamb a week earlier than I would like (couldn't get preferred weeks off work:(). If tups are going out November 3rd, would putting teaser in October 6th and out two weeks later be the best plan to ensure the ewes were all cycling but not synchronised by then?

That’s about what I do, putting the teasers in around a month before tupping. If ewes all cycle on one day (with sponging) then the first returns are normally spread over about 4-5 days. I’ve always figured that by the next cycle, they will have spread out further, so evening out somewhat.
In theory they should be more fertile on their second cycle too.

Hardly an exact science though....:unsure:
 

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