TexX ewes - which Tup to use?

[Nithsdale]

They've found a gear today! 16 yesterday... Think I've finished today with 29 lambed. 18 on first rounds! 5 singles, 4 triplets and the rest twins (actually 5 triplets, but 1 only had 2 ).
Had 1 twin with 1 dead... and another twin same, but the live one was all scrunched up and crooked. Left it laying in the sun with mum for an hour or 2 then fetched it in expecting to have to put it down - but it was up and walking almost fine, hadn't sucked though. Gave it colostrum at lunch then went to feed it at 5 but it looks like it's got a full tummy so I've left it be for checking later... Everything else going really well. Has to lamb 1 triplet - 1 lamb was born, up and licked clean but no others so grabbed her and lamb #2 was backwards. And had to lamb a gimmer in the singles - wee bit tight but a large lamb.

Wish it was as easy as this every day.

 

[Woolless]

They've found a gear today! 16 yesterday... Think I've finished today with 29 lambed. 18 on first rounds! 5 singles, 4 triplets and the rest twins (actually 5 triplets, but 1 only had 2 ).
Had 1 twin with 1 dead... and another twin same, but the live one was all scrunched up and crooked. Left it laying in the sun with mum for an hour or 2 then fetched it in expecting to have to put it down - but it was up and walking almost fine, hadn't sucked though. Gave it colostrum at lunch then went to feed it at 5 but it looks like it's got a full tummy so I've left it be for checking later... Everything else going really well. Has to lamb 1 triplet - 1 lamb was born, up and licked clean but no others so grabbed her and lamb #2 was backwards. And had to lamb a gimmer in the singles - wee bit tight but a large lamb.

Wish it was as easy as this every day.

Good stuff. I'm almost getting in the mood to do my lambing now .

 

[Nithsdale]

Good stuff. I'm almost getting in the mood to do my lambing now .

 

[Boydvalley]

Darn sight better view than my lambing shed

Can’t believe we’ve got such a settled spell of weather for a second year for lambing. It makes such a difference. Hope it’s plain sailing for you to the end.

 

[Nithsdale]

After a big day Thursday, yesterday was a little slacker - 20 lambed. 5 singles 14 twins and 1 triplet.

Started off warm here this morning but it's gotten cold tonight. Everything sheltering up dyke backs at last rounds. Still lovely and dry but the grass is begging for some decent heat... small day - just 14 lambed. 6 twins, 3 triplets and 5 singles a ewe which lambed yesterday has a buggered bag, so her lambs are in the pet pen. Ewe lambed 3 days ago, had to put one of her lambs back with her twice yesterday. It was away from her this morning again and she's not interested in it, so it's in the pet pen too

After hearing we were supposedly in for another 'beast from the east' hitting this weekend and lasting til over Easter... I hear today they've decided we're in for a heatwave instead. Not sure why I listen to weather reporters

 

[primmiemoo]

Fingers crossed that the grass takes the hint with the warmth, Niths. It's Meteorological Spring, after all .

 

[Skintagain]

After a big day Thursday, yesterday was a little slacker - 20 lambed. 5 singles 14 twins and 1 triplet.

Started off warm here this morning but it's gotten cold tonight. Everything sheltering up dyke backs at last rounds. Still lovely and dry but the grass is begging for some decent heat... small day - just 14 lambed. 6 twins, 3 triplets and 5 singles a ewe which lambed yesterday has a buggered bag, so her lambs are in the pet pen. Ewe lambed 3 days ago, had to put one of her lambs back with her twice yesterday. It was away from her this morning again and she's not interested in it, so it's in the pet pen too

After hearing we were supposedly in for another 'beast from the east' hitting this weekend and lasting til over Easter... I hear today they've decided we're in for a heatwave instead. Not sure why I listen to weather reporters

We need some heat some grass is looking a bit blue

 

[Bill dog]

Couldn’t agree more, grass is too short to be blue !

 

[AftonShepherd]

Can someone remind me what grass is please!

 

[firther]

Can someone remind me what grass is please!

some ert they smoke i think, because there is nowt in fields

 

[Nithsdale]

Lambing seems to be grinding to a halt at the moment. Only about 12 lambed yesterday in total - 5 pairs, 2 triplets and 5 or 6 singles. Nothing much to report... just very quiet.

There's been 6 twins today so far, and 4 singles... but there's a triplet and a twin both with waterbags hanging when I was round there after lunch. Could do with them kicking on, it's feels like it's really dragging currently which I don't enjoy at all.

I've got 17 pets (all bar 3 from triplets) in the shed so been away and got 2 of the Shepherdess kits (teat fitting, pipe, valve) for setting up the older lambs to drink out of a bucket so the youngest lambs can get the shepherdess as they are being bullied off it and I'm having to bottle feed them...

I think I'm just over 1/3 the way through lambing. I'd say it going well, now after the very bad start.


I know there will be complaints about the 'S' word... but this morning was 8 years since the snow wiped out South West Scotland. Looking at my pictures of it earlier it's hard to believe much survived

 

[Nithsdale]

Fingers crossed that the grass takes the hint with the warmth, Niths. It's Meteorological Spring, after all .

I'm sorry... I've just realised there has been no chin pic this year thus far

Shall try and correct that for you


2 more triplets lambed by last light. 19 pets now

Finish today on 19 lambed; 12 twins, 2 triplets and 5 singles

 

[primmiemoo]

I'm sorry... I've just realised there has been no chin pic this year thus far

Shall try and correct that for you


2 more triplets lambed by last light. 19 pets now

Finish today on 19 lambed; 12 twins, 2 triplets and 5 singles

Awww. Don't worry, Niths! You getton with those sheep, yu

 

[Nithsdale]

Potentially found a gear again this morning, 16 have lambed at first rounds - 2 singles and 12 twins (2 twins had 1 dead though) and then a single and a pair in the TexX ewes - that's 4 of them have lambed in the last 3 days so just 4 or 5 of them left to lamb now.

One of the singles, the lamb was dead. But, it was licked clean and dry on both sides like it had been up and going... it's in and skinned, with the only pet which wouldn't suck on the shepherdess put on her. Hopefully that solves the problems

Doesn't feel much like spring, despite the Daffy's in full bloom up the roadside today! Welcome scuff of rain in the air now but I'm not liking the chat of it to get very cold this weekend. Brother is out unloading the 2nd lorry of the day delivering our Fertiliser. There's 1 more lorry load to come, driver isn't sure if he'll fit it in today, but that suits as we have a casualty service coming in to pick up an old arthritic cow later.

 

[Nithsdale]

21 in total by end of today...

The lambs look like they're going to be forming a KISS tribute act. This wee dude was one of the (Texel) twins born this morning

 

[Nithsdale]

We dodged the rain last night. Fields were wet (more like a very heavy dew) and the road was damp but drying first thing. Feels much more spring like today and I can see a difference in the grass in some fields

14 lambed at first rounds. 1 triplet, 6 singles - but 2 were massive, stuck and dead , 7 twins - 1 with a dead one...

Up on the highest bit of the lambing fields I'm looking back into next door - what do I spy coming down the farm road but my hoggs so after I got finished up I chucked some feed on the bike and got myself away up there to put them back in a field. Half of them had came in off the windfarm hill field and look like they've been on the road since yesterday going by the amount of muck... They followed the bike back up the road and I've put them into an inbye field and gathered the rest down with them, hopefully they settle. Not sure how they got out, but there's a a lot of walkers go up there and always service and delivery vans taking the wrong road upto the windfarm so you can imagine plenty gates get left open...

They're doing fine as runners on, but I'm really glad I put the idea of lambing them out of my mind

 

[Skintagain]

We dodged the rain last night. Fields were wet (more like a very heavy dew) and the road was damp but drying first thing. Feels much more spring like today and I can see a difference in the grass in some fields

14 lambed at first rounds. 1 triplet, 6 singles - but 2 were massive, stuck and dead , 7 twins - 1 with a dead one...

Up on the highest bit of the lambing fields I'm looking back into next door - what do I spy coming down the farm road but my hoggs so after I got finished up I chucked some feed on the bike and got myself away up there to put them back in a field. Half of them had came in off the windfarm hill field and look like they've been on the road since yesterday going by the amount of muck... They followed the bike back up the road and I've put them into an inbye field and gathered the rest down with them, hopefully they settle. Not sure how they got out, but there's a a lot of walkers go up there and always service and delivery vans taking the wrong road upto the windfarm so you can imagine plenty gates get left open...

They're doing fine as runners on, but I'm really glad I put the idea of lambing them out of my mind
View attachment 949626View attachment 949630

They look grand

 

[Bill dog]

In your top picture of your hoggs, that’s a very smart Cheviot! All the rest looking for a snack, and that devil looking for a dyke to jump !

 

[Nithsdale]

In your top picture of your hoggs, that’s a very smart Cheviot! All the rest looking for a snack, and that devil looking for a dyke to jump !

Good eyes, it's called character!

I think the young dog was lying up there just out of shot... I hope! Either that or the barsteward will be in Cumbria by now

 

[Nithsdale]

They look grand

Thanks. Aye they're doing fine. But not big enough to lamb. They'd have taken a lot of feeding