TexX ewes - which Tup to use?

[Man_in_black]

 

[Nithsdale]

Quiet morning so far... nothing in the TexX ewes (this will be the start of the drawn out end for them I imagine).

3 twins in the commercials and 3 twins and 2 triplets in the hill ewes. 1 of the triplets was dead and the other 2 were a bit hungry. Caught the ewe, her bag is soft and I can draw milk from one side but the other is like there's a tennis ball bulging out. It's soft to touch, no sign of mastitis. I presume it is a fatty growth inside the udder stopping milk production. Shame, she is a good ewe and very protective of the lambs - even the dead one!

I'm starting to notice the older ewes have not came through the snow 2 weeks ago that well. They have lost condition and I'm getting the odd ewe with very little milk... I've also had to let 2 ewes go with no lambs due to mastitis. I had a phonecall from another farm last night, whilst we were chatting he commented the same - more bag problems and thin ewes than normal.

It's turning cold here, winds have changed and it's more like January again. At least the ground is dry... I guess

 

[TexelBen]

Just for you. Chev X lambs from the Lleyns...
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And Chev X lambs from the TexX ewes
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Nice looking lambs, gives me hopes for my lleyn ewes, I asked on here about them pre tupping and put the Cheviot in on your advice [emoji2] *fingers crossed*
How are they? Less skittish than a pure Cheviot?

 

[Bill dog]

Here we go, first of the reverse experiment, lleyn lamb out the cheviot ewe. Pity the photo doesn’t show the pissing rain, but she is grand , and due another !

 

[Nithsdale]

View attachment 645944 Here we go, first of the reverse experiment, lleyn lamb out the cheviot ewe. Pity the photo doesn’t show the pissing rain, but she is grand , and due another !

Look different to mine... more like the Lleyns. They'll be grand sheep though. Hardy and look after themselves

Not to rub it in, but it's been bone dry all day here. Winds are really picking up tonight though... we will see what tomorrow brings

 

[Bill dog]

The lamb has a much more weather proof cheviot type coat than the pure(ish ) lleyns ! It will need it tonight! Weather and ground conditions are !

 

[Nithsdale]

Away - proper Lleyns have very weather proof coats on them!...



Unless of course you've bought poorly (I tend to go for the ones which are shorter legged and blocky... probably have a bit of Cheviot or Welsh Mountain blood in them somewhere anyway)

 

[Bill dog]

We are not opening the which type of lleyn can of worms thanks !
Life is too short !
Lleyns are a handy size, the big ewes are the Romneys . Some of them are mahoosive

 

[scholland]

Pre lambing treatments to our texel x ladies yesterday

 

[hendrebc]

Away - proper Lleyns have very weather proof coats on them!...



Unless of course you've bought poorly (I tend to go for the ones which are shorter legged and blocky... probably have a bit of Cheviot or Welsh Mountain blood in them somewhere anyway)

No need to open a can of worms @Bill dog
@Nithsdale Farmer has already described the best type

 

[irish dom]

Pre lambing treatments to our texel x ladies yesterday
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Them sheep look in fine nick. A credit to you.What is in the cross along with texel? I could do with a few of them sand dunes. Buried quad out feeding today.
Have you the scanning wrapped up? Feckin snow means I have another couple of days in the mountain as we couldn't get gathered and of course the usual stragglers with ewe lambs etc.

 

[Nithsdale]

Been raining almost constant all day here, since about 8:30-9am. Must've been some pretty strong winds through the night. Gusty today but actually reasonably warm.

Lots of problems but nothing caused by the weather. TexX ewes 2 pairs lambed - the first was hung and gasped it's last after I pulled it the 2nd lamb is wonky of its legs it's up and walking tonight but it's taken all day in the shed... the other twin, 1 lamb drowned bag intact got her caught to take her and twin something on and out pops a 2nd, but she isn't interested in the shed. Found a 2-3 day old single laid out, dead, before the rain got the ewe caught - blind of a side
I've skinned it and put another lamb on her... will keep an eye and hopefully it picks her good side, which has lots of milk. She got a blank tag stuck in her ear (so I know to cull her at weaning).

Hill ewes 2 sets of triplets and 5 twins, all going well. No problems at all today - bar 1 lamb which won't stay with its mum. Hopefully it settles by morning...

Into the commercials, 7 pairs today and 1 single. Single was still born so she get put in the trailer with both triplets. She's still shut in with them but no idea if she wants them I've stood with her and she let them both suck so here's hoping... 1 twin, the ewe is a little short on milk so it had to come in. And l
a maiden gimmer, the first lamb looks like it's been hung - swollen head - she isn't really standing for it, and it hasn't sucked. So it's in too. Another maiden gimmer, big single stuck. I lambed her, she wasn't interested and it was pretty lifeless so she's in. Lamb was given colostrum and put in the heatbox an hour... going great tonight and mum has taken it

One or 2 ewes could do to go out, but I kept them in because of the weather forecast... my individual pens (11 in total) were almost all vacant this morning. There's only 1 free tonight, but I have hurdles sitting I can make a few extra if need be for tomorrow.

One of those days I feel like I've never stopped, and don't feel like I've actually done anything... not long in the door, I'm away for a bath. Still need my tea and then back up to the shed at 9pm

 

[Nithsdale]

Still windy here, but no more rain so far. Things are drying up after yesterday already - the fields are no as soggy as I would have expected. All of yesterday's problems appear to have sorted themselves out in the shed, so it was just the 'pets' to feed this morning. They are on the shepherdess so it's an easy and quick job. The gimmer which wouldn't stand for the lamb which had a slight swollen head... well that lamb is dead this morning with a lot of bloody foam at it's nose, the other lamb is fine though. But the rest are all fine.

No problems outside, which I'm thankful for as the bike trailer has a flat tyre

1 ewe lambed in the TexX ewes, twins but one is dead. That's the last 3 twins in there have all had only 1 live. Why does that always happen when a batch gets near the end?! Bloody frustrating

2 sets of twins in the hill ewes and 1 single, all going great.

3 sets of twins and 1 triplet in the commercials... annoying the last twins last night one of them is dead this morning, despite being very solid and strong lambs and both bellies were full as barrels

Lambing feels like it is going very slowly at the moment. I feel more like it's almost finished, than just 1/4 - 1/3 of the way in... I don't feel like there's many lambs going about, either. Must confess I'm concerned for final numbers at the moment. But it's very hard to tell, hopefully it's just the weather has run me down a bit - the good weather of last Thursday and Friday seems a distant memory...

 

[Nithsdale]

The single in the hill ewes @Bill dog @hendrebc was my ChevX. Was looking forward to seeing her this morning, as she was away up the dyke back at dusk last night looking like she was thinking about lambing.
It's a Lleyn lamb she has had, and a boy, sadly.

EDIT: the hill ewes are lambing on the field which had the 30ft stretch of dyke down. It hadnt been grazed since October. Just 1 field with this much grass, the rest of the farm is shaved bare like previous pictures

 

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Still windy here, but no more rain so far. Things are drying up after yesterday already - the fields are no as soggy as I would have expected. All of yesterday's problems appear to have sorted themselves out in the shed, so it was just the 'pets' to feed this morning. They are on the shepherdess so it's an easy and quick job. The gimmer which wouldn't stand for the lamb which had a slight swollen head... well that lamb is dead this morning with a lot of bloody foam at it's nose, the other lamb is fine though. But the rest are all fine.

No problems outside, which I'm thankful for as the bike trailer has a flat tyre

1 ewe lambed in the TexX ewes, twins but one is dead. That's the last 3 twins in there have all had only 1 live. Why does that always happen when a batch gets near the end?! Bloody frustrating

2 sets of twins in the hill ewes and 1 single, all going great.

3 sets of twins and 1 triplet in the commercials... annoying the last twins last night one of them is dead this morning, despite being very solid and strong lambs and both bellies were full as barrels

Lambing feels like it is going very slowly at the moment. I feel more like it's almost finished, than just 1/4 - 1/3 of the way in... I don't feel like there's many lambs going about, either. Must confess I'm concerned for final numbers at the moment. But it's very hard to tell, hopefully it's just the weather has run me down a bit - the good weather of last Thursday and Friday seems a distant memory...

I wouldn't worry too much tbh, the final number is always bit nerve wreaking, but there's prolly some girls holding out until the very last moment... Oh the joys of shepherding!

 

[Nithsdale]

Nice looking lambs, gives me hopes for my lleyn ewes, I asked on here about them pre tupping and put the Cheviot in on your advice [emoji2] *fingers crossed*
How are they? Less skittish than a pure Cheviot?

Just saw this.

You did something off of my advice?? that's a world first

Hard to tell what they are like so far... maybe a little less skittish when I pick them up to number/band them. But if their fathers are anything to go by I won't can keep them anywhere

 

[Bill dog]

The single in the hill ewes @Bill dog @hendrebc was my ChevX. Was looking forward to seeing her this morning, as she was away up the dyke back at dusk last night looking like she was thinking about lambing.
It's a Lleyn lamb she has had, and a boy, sadly.
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EDIT: the hill ewes are lambing on the field which had the 30ft stretch of dyke down. It hadnt been grazed since October. Just 1 field with this much grass, the rest of the farm is shaved bare like previous pictures

Smart looking ewe, but I’m afraid I don’t like her much !
I much prefer sheep with feet , and pasterns ! There is something blocking my view of them in your picture

 

[scholland]

Them sheep look in fine nick. A credit to you.What is in the cross along with texel? I could do with a few of them sand dunes. Buried quad out feeding today.
Have you the scanning wrapped up? Feckin snow means I have another couple of days in the mountain as we couldn't get gathered and of course the usual stragglers with ewe lambs etc.

The ewes are mostly Shetland /cheviot x texel. Few are just Shetland x cheviot.
Really pleased with how they're looking, new feed this year but so far so good. 5 weeks to lambing yet though.....

Scanning is fine I think, couple folk mentioned hill ewes but I hope not! Been a good season but a lot of set ups!

 

[Nithsdale]

Smart looking ewe, but I’m afraid I don’t like her much !
I much prefer sheep with feet , and pasterns ! There is something blocking my view of them in your picture

Not sure what you mean


My only concern with her is... this is her 3rd lambing. Twins the first year then a single the last 2, hopefully that's not an indication to lesser lambs

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Not sure what you mean


My only concern with her is... this is her 3rd lambing. Twins the first year then a single the last 2, hopefully that's not an indication to lesser lambs

Think he's referring to fact you appear to have grass