Texels with big heads

[texelburger]

We breed a few Shearling Rams for sale and recently we've been looking for a new stock ram.On our visits to the English Premier sale and the Builth main NSA I was staggered to see the amount of Texel lambs and Yearlings being offered with these huge ugly heads.Having bred Texels for nigh on 25 years I have never seen so many grotesque heads.Why oh Why.I want a Texel with a pretty head but not a huge large one ,it seems so disproportionate,and a carcass with length and gigots.Are the lamb breeders pressing the self destruct button ?

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Had they been fed cabbages…

 

[texelburger]

Had they been fed cabbages…

Probably but ,genetically, they have increased head size in recent years.

 

[Woolless]

We breed a few Shearling lambs for sale and recently we've been looking for a new stock ram.On our visits to the English Premier sale and the Builth main NSA I was staggered to see the amount of Texel lambs and Yearlings being offered with these huge ugly heads.Having bred Texels for nigh on 25 years I have never seen so many grotesque heads.Why oh Why.I want a Texel with a pretty head but not a huge large one ,it seems so disproportionate,and a carcass with length and gigots.Are the lamb breeders pressing the self destruct button ?

Having been to a few sales this year, I would agree. There's maybe not a huge number with these excessively large heads but why breed them at all? Breed character is one thing but why must it always end up knackering functionality?

 

[yoki]

Breed character is one thing but why must it always end up knackering functionality?

Have the show ring and the farmyard not always been two distinct entities?

Not too many commercial farmers ever look through the show results to decide which bull/ram to buy.

 

[Jrp221]

People want 'flash' and think thats the way of getting it. So many have massive heads, no necks, dips in the back and all born as embryos. Whats not to like? We moved away from buying from the big sales and went straight to a breeder we liked.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Have the show ring and the farmyard not always been two distinct entities?

Not too many commercial farmers ever look through the show results to decide which bull/ram to buy.

No, but those bred for the show ring end up sireing (is that a word?) rams bought by commercial flocks

 

[Poorbuthappy]

@Ysgythan

 

[gwi1890]

I sold a few older ewes this year privately to a lad who was starting a flock, I told him that I didn’t concentrate on heads just carcass, conformation and milky ewes. He looked at me with a slight bewildered look then proceeded to check and look through the ewes discussing with his father who had better heads. They also run a 1000 ewe flock of mules so the intention was to breed a few rams for themselves and sell a few at pedigree sales but the most important trait for them that day were heads .

 

[De ja]

I walked through the texel ram lambs at builth... l thought they were the most unfunctanal..ugly looking sample I had ever seen..don't know where it will end..

 

[Ysgythan]

We breed a few Shearling lambs for sale and recently we've been looking for a new stock ram.On our visits to the English Premier sale and the Builth main NSA I was staggered to see the amount of Texel lambs and Yearlings being offered with these huge ugly heads.Having bred Texels for nigh on 25 years I have never seen so many grotesque heads.Why oh Why.I want a Texel with a pretty head but not a huge large one ,it seems so disproportionate,and a carcass with length and gigots.Are the lamb breeders pressing the self destruct button ?

What did you buy out of interest?

We got this one out of Worcester.

 

[Ysgythan]

Probably but ,genetically, they have increased head size in recent years.

I was at Lanark in 2012 when the judge tapped out a big group to run. Sportsman’s Trojan II was in it. He was outstanding - gravest top and and end with an efficient head (lots of character in a small package). He then sent them all back to the pens and went for the biggest headed lamb he could find out of what was left. Size of head and masculine character are not the same.

 

[Ysgythan]

Having been to a few sales this year, I would agree. There's maybe not a huge number with these excessively large heads but why breed them at all? Breed character is one thing but why must it always end up knackering functionality?

There’s definitely a move away from truffle hunters. Big headed muscle bound lambs with short necks that don’t get their heads up. Rightly or wrongly the pure ram breeders - not the out and out pedigree boys - consider lift a bit of insurance against breathing issues from the more Beltexy type. That does bubble up and effect the breeding choices of the pedigree boys eventually. The commercial men also went for size above all else this year. Meat and weight sells in the mart. It didn’t take long for them to adjust.

 

[Ysgythan]

I sold a few older ewes this year privately to a lad who was starting a flock, I told him that I didn’t concentrate on heads just carcass, conformation and milky ewes. He looked at me with a slight bewildered look then proceeded to check and look through the ewes discussing with his father who had better heads. They also run a 1000 ewe flock of mules so the intention was to breed a few rams for themselves and sell a few at pedigree sales but the most important trait for them that day were heads .

They want the Texel x Mule gimmers they sell to show as much Texel as possible. Character gives you that. A lot of Beltex x Texel men lost out this year because of that and straight Texel cross lambs have bossed the marts.

 

[Ysgythan]

I walked through the texel ram lambs at builth... l thought they were the most unfunctanal..ugly looking sample I had ever seen..don't know where it will end..

the most functional lamb in our pen in my mind - gimmer’s twin, small head, good shape, alert and correct - made least money. So what am I to do?

 

[Ysgythan]

Happy with that input @Poorbuthappy ?

 

[Nithsdale]

Have the show ring and the farmyard not always been two distinct entities?

Not too many commercial farmers ever look through the show results to decide which bull/ram to buy.

It's the "trickle down" effect the Tory's keep banging on about**...


Massive heads and rough shouldered whures at the top of the show pony scene as it's the fashion trend. The lesser breeders breed these types trying to climb the breed Pyramid and reach the upper echelons.. breeders of all ends sell the "not quite so good" tups at the local markets at the commercial ram sales - selling to buyers who use them just to breed fat lambs ..

So it starts at the top and trickles down, and it's a disease which inflicts all breeds.


I've always dabbled with a few pure Texels but had gotten out of it, and just bought rams for a few years - only to get back in to breeding them as I'm sick of it too












**Sadly for the Tory's that's not how it works in practice with the economy though

 

[Nithsdale]

the most functional lamb in our pen in my mind - gimmer’s twin, small head, good shape, alert and correct - made least money. So what am I to do?

That's the bugger of it. The functionally superior stock falls short financially for the breeder because it isn't what the fashion dictates


It's madness gone mad

 

[DrDunc]

Ewes that rival mules for their winter feed requirements

Ewes that develop mastitis for fun

Lambs that need assisted indoor birth

Lambs that need assistance suckling

Lambs that need creep to finish.....




Anyone remember Suffolk's from 40 years ago before the "fashion" for big heads and bones ruined what had been the premiere breed of terminal sire?

Anyone want to hazard a guess what will happen to the Texel?

 

[Al R]

Ewes that rival mules for their winter feed requirements

Ewes that develop mastitis for fun

Lambs that need assisted indoor birth

Lambs that need assistance suckling

Lambs that need creep to finish.....




Anyone remember Suffolk's from 40 years ago before the "fashion" for big heads and bones ruined what had been the premiere breed of terminal sire?

Anyone want to hazard a guess what will happen to the Texel?

Fubared.

i know of a pedigree texel ram breeder that sells mainly to commercial flocks. All the rams are ET’s onto scotch mules and still need caesarean to be born! If they can’t get them out of a scotch mule they should be ringed at birth. Actually anything born by caesarean should be ringed at birth!!!