TexX ewes - which Tup to use?

[Nithsdale]

And if your feeding them creep, away all the quicker ! Got the fert spread on the grazing ground here today, and not too much mess!
Well never got stuck, and a wallop with the tractor bucket will repair the worse bits !

Just the Suffolk/Cheviot lambs on the TexX ewes are getting creep.

All grazing fert is on, here. And most of the silage stuff is on - although the spreader has run slightly light, so we have bags left over. Will probably buy another 2-3t and do a very light top dressing and go over silage ground again dad made a mess hauling a trailer last week but the fields are OK here today considering the rain earlier.

I'm actually just home from Carlisle. Brother was down this morning and bought a Simmy bull... but he doesn't have his trailer licence, so took the car. Davidsons were nowhere to be seen and Tag team were fully booked for getting the boy home, so I got a sheepish phone call at 1pm to come a run down

 

[Bill dog]

Just the Suffolk/Cheviot lambs on the TexX ewes are getting creep.

All grazing fert is on, here. And most of the silage stuff is on - although the spreader has run slightly light, so we have bags left over. Will probably buy another 2-3t and do a very light top dressing and go over silage ground again dad made a mess hauling a trailer last week but the fields are OK here today considering the rain earlier.

I'm actually just home from Carlisle. Brother was down this morning and bought a Simmy bull... but he doesn't have his trailer licence, so took the car. Davidsons were nowhere to be seen and Tag team were fully booked for getting the boy home, so I got a sheepish phone call at 1pm to come a run down [/QUOTE
Was nobody from McWilliam about?
Silage ground here is still full of ewes. The grass on the grazing fields is still non existent, well a darker green of non existent, so I will carry on feeding the ewes n lambs until some decent growth happens !
Calving has begun, and my new Chapelton Aa is throwing great calves to the 2 yr old hfrs !
My dream of one year getting them out the shed before they calve eluded me again ! First 3 born in the slats but all fine !

 

[Nithsdale]

View attachment 661910
Was nobody from McWilliam about?
Silage ground here is still full of ewes. The grass on the grazing fields is still non existent, well a darker green of non existent, so I will carry on feeding the ewes n lambs until some decent growth happens !
Calving has begun, and my new Chapelton Aa is throwing great calves to the 2 yr old hfrs !
My dream of one year getting them out the shed before they calve eluded me again ! First 3 born in the slats but all fine !

Looking well we have a Limmy bull coming up to 10 which the Simmy is replacing... once the old boy is gone that's us all Simmental. He is a tremendous beast, coming from Corskie - so has the breeding. Brother said he was declared as having the best figures at the sale, and was the oldest bull at 23months old. I'm no cattle man but even I was in admiration as he was led onto the trailer.

I never asked about McWilliam - they'd have done it no bother, he shifts a lot of my lambs Davidsons are run off their feet shifting cattle to grass apparently. Very unlike them to miss a bull sale.

Halfway through calving, we have had 1 still born calf and 1 take scour and die... but 2 sets of twins so currently rocking 100%. It's been a breeze so far and the only difference from last year was vaccination for Rotocorona.

I'm still feeding the ewes here, too, but I can now see the end of morning feeds coming! Silage fields are still stocked, but very lightly. It's been a hard slog!...

 

[Nithsdale]

The hill twins were walked home yesterday for dosing today - Albex10% for Nemo, Vecoxan for cocci and a MultiVit Drench too.

I normally do these in the pens at the grass parks, but the agents who see to the letting have screwed us over by renting out sheds... the new tenants have took over the whole steading (including handling pens) and we are not welcome
It's in the agents hands but I very much doubt we will see a resolution of any worth.
So, it has increased the workload walking stock back and forth. I'm now looking at my options for a mobile yard

Limited pictures, 262 lambs to dose multiple times so wanted to crack on. Sadly I did try and get some of the Cheviot lambs but it was hard work and gave up.
With the weather we have had, the ewes look very dirty. On the gather last night I felt like I will be needing to tail the ewes before shearing (something I do not normally do), but having them in the pens today, dirty yes but not too bad so I'm now thinking they'll be ok.

The lambs are mostly 6-8weeks old, and there was 2 or 3 getting dirty so it became critical for Cocci dose. It's possibly early for Nemo yet, but when they were in...

I also have a wee project going on in the shed, which I will post once finished - next week, hopefully.

 

[Green farmer]

Fine looking lambs

 

[TexelBen]

The hill twins were walked home yesterday for dosing today - Albex10% for Nemo, Vecoxan for cocci and a MultiVit Drench too.

I normally do these in the pens at the grass parks, but the agents who see to the letting have screwed us over by renting out sheds... the new tenants have took over the whole steading (including handling pens) and we are not welcome
It's in the agents hands but I very much doubt we will see a resolution of any worth.
So, it has increased the workload walking stock back and forth. I'm now looking at my options for a mobile yard

Limited pictures, 262 lambs to dose multiple times so wanted to crack on. Sadly I did try and get some of the Cheviot lambs but it was hard work and gave up.
With the weather we have had, the ewes look very dirty. On the gather last night I felt like I will be needing to tail the ewes before shearing (something I do not normally do), but having them in the pens today, dirty yes but not too bad so I'm now thinking they'll be ok.

The lambs are mostly 6-8weeks old, and there was 2 or 3 getting dirty so it became critical for Cocci dose. It's possibly early for Nemo yet, but when they were in...

View attachment 670316 View attachment 670328



I also have a wee project going on in the shed, which I will post once finished - next week, hopefully.

They're looking well [emoji106][emoji106]

 

[Nithsdale]

Cheers.

Very pleased with them when I got my hands on them. They are as solid as they look

 

[poorsheepfarmer]

What are your plans for the cheviot x lambs, breeding or killing?

 

[Nithsdale]

What are your plans for the cheviot x lambs, breeding or killing?

This group is where my ewe lambs come from. Wanted to try a 1-off Cheviot cross into the mix just to keep the flocks blood fresh. Down the line, the Cheviot should add weight to the lambs too making them kill out better (and make any stores I sell more desirable to buyers).

 

[Paul86]

Nice looking lambs. What are the ewes? Having the same problem with dirty ewes here this year. Must get tidying them up. Another job to be done.

 

[Nithsdale]

Nice looking lambs. What are the ewes? Having the same problem with dirty ewes here this year. Must get tidying them up. Another job to be done.

Homebred Lleyn ewes (bred up from Blackie and Scotch Mule ewes), lambs are mostly Lleyns with some Cheviot crosses.

Just the weather this year, sadly. Sudden growth and high rainfall - the grass is very lush

 

[Bill dog]

That’s crap about losing the use of the hill pens !
Could you sweet talk ur new neighbours into using the pens , and avoid the agents completely?
My only experience in dealing with “agents” is the want to boot them squarely in the baws !!

 

[Nithsdale]

That’s crap about losing the use of the hill pens !
Could you sweet talk ur new neighbours into using the pens , and avoid the agents completely?
My only experience in dealing with “agents” is the want to boot them squarely in the baws !!

Too true about agents!! See the results of the survey in yesterday's TSF? Nobody likes agents

Ermmm the new tenants work with cars. Lassie in the house up the road has commented a lot of cars come and go after dark

The handling pens have 1 shed attached to them (if you can remember previous pictures of working with this mob), only way in/out is through the pens. Shed is let, so they are using the pens as a car park

I feel I'm best not being involved with them.

 

[Bill dog]

Good idea. I expect there will be plenty of mobile pens on show at scotsheep at the end of the month ! For what it’s worth, I’ve a set of Portayards from landquip, got from Rob Livesey in the borders, and are great ! Other makes are available !

 

[Nithsdale]

We need to do a wee paper exercise with the accountant and I will apply for a grant, I think.

Failing that theres a fair few cheaper steel set ups which should do the job... its the hurdles to gather/hold the ewes and lambs is the critical bit, the dosing race/pen doesn't need to be anything fancy.

 

[Bill dog]

If I see some dude salivating over a set of pratleys at Scot sheep I’ll ask - r u nithy?

 

[Paul86]

Homebred Lleyn ewes (bred up from Blackie and Scotch Mule ewes), lambs are mostly Lleyns with some Cheviot crosses.

Just the weather this year, sadly. Sudden growth and high rainfall - the grass is very lush

Running similar here. Lleyns bred pure and put to charollais rams and mayo blackface ewes ran with cheviot rams. The daggin might be a bit of work but at least the grass is growing

 

[Sheep92]

Your lambs look great nithsdale them lleyns are doing their job anyway

 

[Nithsdale]

If I see some dude salivating over a set of pratleys at Scot sheep I’ll ask - r u nithy?

Had a look at them last year, I was either too drunk or too poor looking because the fella on the stand wouldn't come talk to me

 

[Woolless]

Had a look at them last year, I was either too drunk or too poor looking because the fella on the stand wouldn't come talk to me

Possibly both??