TexX ewes - which Tup to use?

[Bob the beef]

first arrival this morning. 10 days early but fine. Now @Nithsdale Farmer and @Gator are nearly done could do with a wee hand for another 800
Self isolation accomadation available

 

[Woolless]

We started last night (due Saturday really), nice healthy single. Wife informs me another single and pair of twins this morning. I'm at work until this evening. How's that for 'easy care'?

 

[Nithsdale]

The weather has taken very few lambs. Only really 1 day and night which was bad (Thurs 12th March), when the Suffolk lambs were being born. The rest has been almost perfect lambing weather... a typical March, for here. Could just have done with a drier February so that the ewes were less miserable at the start, and the fields weren't as much of a mess.

Birth is the critical point, which I believe is overlooked, and - according to the official figures - is when the vast majority of the lambs that are lost, die.
It is the only time I can pinpoint any losses, in a typical year, which i feel a need to reduce (we should always strive for better, shouldn't we?)

Lambing later wouldn't solve this issue. Maybe lambing inside would, because someone would be there 24/7... but I'm heavily against indoor lambing

 

[Nithsdale]

View attachment 867825
first arrival this morning. 10 days early but fine. Now @Nithsdale Farmer and @Gator are nearly done could do with a wee hand for another 800
Self isolation accomadation available

Looking good! I hope it goes well for you.

If they're all outside, I'd happily do another 800...

 

[Nithsdale]

Busy busy busy morning...


1 twin lambed

 

[scottish-lleyn]

Busy busy busy morning...


1 twin lambed

Had 70 yesterday just back in from round for lunch and there was 1 twin that looks like it was born through the night normally full on once they start unusual not to have at least 20 on first rounds. My other field lamber has 4 more days of isolation before he comes here so suits me.??

 

[Bob the beef]

Looking good! I hope it goes well for you.

If they're all outside, I'd happily do another 800...

Absolutely all outside

had my fill of inside lambing.
Can’t think why you wouldn’t lamb when there is grass to feed them.

My total hard feed usage across whole flock is 2 tonnes

 

[Gator]

Busy busy busy morning...


1 twin lambed

Been a busy week....7 ? ?

 

[Nithsdale]

Been a busy week....7 ? ?

Still only the 1 today. Nothing else even looking like it...

 

[Nithsdale]

Still only the 1 today. Nothing else even looking like it...

Scratch that.
Finished the day on 3 sets of twins.




Headaches start tomorrow as the estates forestry crew have arrived to do some thinning and clear felling of Larch trees to control the disease... and of course, their machines don't fit through the gates so a new gateway needs made off of the farm track so they can get to the trees... and they want holes in the fences into the woods... Oh, and there's no good site to sit 300t of timber for the lorries, so a digger is coming to just level an area

The guy on the harvester is sound, as is the forwarder driver... but their bosses are very blasé

 

[primmiemoo]

Breath already bated here, Niths. But what could possibly go wrong ... ?

 

[clod hopper]

Scratch that.
Finished the day on 3 sets of twins.




Headaches start tomorrow as the estates forestry crew have arrived to do some thinning and clear felling of Larch trees to control the disease... and of course, their machines don't fit through the gates so a new gateway needs made off of the farm track so they can get to the trees... and they want holes in the fences into the woods... Oh, and there's no good site to sit 300t of timber for the lorries, so a digger is coming to just level an area

The guy on the harvester is sound, as is the forwarder driver... but their bosses are very blasé

Sounds like a war brewing!!!

 

[Bill dog]

I’m guessing the hard standing area they will create won’t be close enough to the steading to be of use to you ? Or maybe you could get them to fence it and use your pens in it ?

 

[Gator]

3 this mornin, twin and 2 singles, and ones a shearlin ?

 

[Nithsdale]

3 today here too! 2 gimmers both with twins. The first needed to come in - 1 big decent lamb, the 2nd was small and hadn't got up. Wee tube of colostrum and an hour in the heat box it's going great tonight. Back out tomorrow.

I've opened up the high fields and let the ewes free... The 2nd gimmer lambed just before dark. She had made her way up to the higher fields, found a perfect sheltered spot. I found her lambed and stood very proud of her 2 lambs. You can't help but grin when a maiden gimmer performs like that

The 3rd ewe to lamb... was a cull ewe (had been lame hence still here) ?‍ she's very fit, plenty of milk, had a single and the lamb is full as a barrel and going grand. Why the hell was I culling her??


Forestry boys have started. Happy with what they've done so far. I've a couple strainers to put in the fences over the weekend so they can open up without losing tension...

 

[Gator]

Rushed off mi feet, 3 this mornin and 3 toneet ? ? ? ?
Need a lie down now, need to have a count now and see what's left, might have enough wi mi fingers and toes otherwise am screwed??, might be odd one not pushing bag up yet so will kick them out, look fit but could of slipped early on

 

[Gator]

Taxi run again today wi this lot back to the moor. Another 3 lambed this mornin so goin less all but slowly

Finally a shearlin that wants to mother her twins

If I get a chance I'll go through and see what's left

 

[Woolless]

Had a couple of triplets here lambed but have blind quarters . Think I recalled you saying that you'd found a couple similar @Nithsdale Farmer? In contrast to previous years, looks like the pet pen will be starting to fill already!
What's the collective opinion on skinning one dead twin to set one on? Worth the hassle or not?

 

[hendrebc]

Had a couple of triplets here lambed but have blind quarters . Think I recalled you saying that you'd found a couple similar @Nithsdale Farmer? In contrast to previous years, looks like the pet pen will be starting to fill already!
What's the collective opinion on skinning one dead twin to set one on? Worth the hassle or not?

With a dead twin I find it's 50/50 whether she takes the second lamb. They usually smell a bit different with the skin depending on how long you leave it on. But I have seen it confuse the ewe when the skin starts to smell off and she rejected both
Btw how long do people normally leave skins on?

 

[Nithsdale]

Had a couple of triplets here lambed but have blind quarters . Think I recalled you saying that you'd found a couple similar @Nithsdale Farmer? In contrast to previous years, looks like the pet pen will be starting to fill already!
What's the collective opinion on skinning one dead twin to set one on? Worth the hassle or not?

Had 1 ewe with a buggered bag this year.

I've had a small run of older ewes not milking. They came fine after a day or 2 in the shed, but 2 didn't. They've been painted for culling.