TexX ewes - which Tup to use?

Nithsdale

Member
Livestock Farmer
My bad. 1 in my book is skin and bones.

Problem with this country, it would be too simple for everyone to use same grading system

Aslong as it's not the europ grid :censored:

1 is perfect
2 is fat
3 is lean.

They have a 'performance' table, 3 seasons ago I ranked #1 for the highest % of lambs graded as 1's :cool: don't think I've ever had a lamb graded 3.
 

Nithsdale

Member
Livestock Farmer
Do they give a grade for conformation?

No.

But up until they were taken over by Scotbeef/Scotlamb they were very fussy over the lambs they would take. All lambs going for export and almost every single lamb would be white faced - Texel or Beltex.

More relaxed now as they have domestic trade too, they will take plainer lambs but still want quality first.
 

Nithsdale

Member
Livestock Farmer
No pictures but I speaned my hill lambs last week. 186 ewes with 314 lambs (very, very pleased with that considering the spring).

Disappointed that only 136 were ewe lambs though, with 178 wedders :(

It has rained every single day here since the start of August... these lambs were out of pour-on cover. The pens got messy as it came heavy cloud bursts whilst working with them. I got the lambs home and into the only 2 spare fields I have... left to settle with the intention first dry day, they'll be in and sprayed. First dry day was a full week later!! They are all sprayed now, but my hand was definitely forced - the 24hrs upto spraying I have hand shorn and sprayed nearly 20 struck lambs :(

The ewes are also getting struck - clean ewes too!! We never put pour-on on our ewes, other than maybe if one is very dirty as I'm doing lambs. Most years I'll use 20l of pour on for 800 lambs and and 750 ewes/gimmers... I've bought 55l so far. But, true to August so far, it's chucking it down here so god knows when I will get them sprayed.

It is a hell of a year, I'm getting a bit sick of it if I'm honest.

My lambs are looking very good though, and the ewes are fleshing up well after having been thin since lambing.
There's not as many ChevX ewe lambs as I'd have liked... or at least they aren't standing out. But they mostly look pretty smart. I will try and get pictures of them in another couple weeks, when I have them in again for Dectomax injection, fluke dose and tagging before they go up to the windfarm for the winter.
 

Nithsdale

Member
Livestock Farmer
August continued to be hot and wet. Got all the ewes and lambs sprayed. The batch done between the rain in my previous post have been fine so far - so I feel I got lucky.

Minis a few jumping escape artists, I've been through all the ewes and drawn my cast ones. None sold as I wait on pour on withdrawal ending, hopefully a full trailer away next week.
As I type this I'm sat waiting on a lorry to collect 71 lambs for Vivers, although I haven't had any confirmation by the haulier he is coming :rolleyes:

As I was short on ewe lambs, I have drawn some of the Cheviot X lambs out of the TexX ewes (I had deliberately held than back from sale in case I wanted them).
IMG_20180906_140153041.jpg
IMG_20180906_140159418.jpg
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IMG_20180906_140251934.jpg

Just 15 in total (and there's 3 Lleyns in amongst them). I like the looks of them, hopefully they'll turn into good sheep. Intention at the moment will be to put them to the Suffolk's.
 

AftonShepherd

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Ayrshire
No more Cheviot tups needed? I thought good commercial tups were easier bought today than in recent years.

Gimmers seemed a hell of a trade compared to mules or blackies, although I only saw a few through.
 
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Nithsdale

Member
Livestock Farmer
I've been dogged with a bad cold the last few days so wasn't feeling like venturing out in Ali this morning... that didn't last long, mind - had to clear 2 trees and several big branches off our farm road. There's plenty others down too, definitely 1 fence flattened but I think that's our only damage.

Not needing any Cheviots, I might buy 1 Lleyn next week at Carlisle and I'm needing maybe 2 Texels. I've ended up 20 ewes more than last year, after thinking I'd be 20 down!... CD tup sale is Friday so need to get my finger out and decide what I'm needing.

Cheviot gimmers are a mental trade
 

Bones

Member
Location
n Ireland
I've been dogged with a bad cold the last few days so wasn't feeling like venturing out in Ali this morning... that didn't last long, mind - had to clear 2 trees and several big branches off our farm road. There's plenty others down too, definitely 1 fence flattened but I think that's our only damage.

Not needing any Cheviots, I might buy 1 Lleyn next week at Carlisle and I'm needing maybe 2 Texels. I've ended up 20 ewes more than last year, after thinking I'd be 20 down!... CD tup sale is Friday so need to get my finger out and decide what I'm needing.

Cheviot gimmers are a mental trade
Would you not chance a easycare tup, try something different
 

Nithsdale

Member
Livestock Farmer
Would you not chance a easycare tup, try something different

I don't believe a 1-off cross of an easycare would give me any gains. Most easycares I've seen I would say are poorer sheep than my own. If I felt I wanted to go down that road it would be for the wool shedding, and I'd need to be committed as it'll be the 3rd generation before they became shedders.

It's something I have considered, but it's not for me... yet.
 

Nithsdale

Member
Livestock Farmer
Poor picture... almost forgot to take one :bag:

It all starts again! That's the Suffolk's out to their ladies...
IMG_20180920_154141060.jpg

The interest is more than mutual from all parties!!


Aye, ok they are dirty arsed :rolleyes: but everything has been skittering with the amount of rain and grass growth the past 5-6 weeks!! They are actually very dry, they have been skittery but it has passed.

Let's hope for a better spring 2019
 
Poor picture... almost forgot to take one :bag:

It all starts again! That's the Suffolk's out to their ladies...
View attachment 718970
The interest is more than mutual from all parties!!


Aye, ok they are dirty arsed :rolleyes: but everything has been skittering with the amount of rain and grass growth the past 5-6 weeks!! They are actually very dry, they have been skittery but it has passed.

Let's hope for a better spring 2019
You supplementing the Suffolk tups with copper? Might help the dirty arses but best to check if required.
 

Bill dog

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Scottish Borders
God almighty- your keen, late feb lambing!
But I suppose you do live much closer to the equator than me !:whistle:
Now showing your boys in their working clothes may not be a huge help in explaining that not all Suffolk’s sh!t their brains out !
But I wish you and them a successful tupping !(y)
 

Nithsdale

Member
Livestock Farmer
God almighty- your keen, late feb lambing!
But I suppose you do live much closer to the equator than me !:whistle:
Now showing your boys in their working clothes may not be a huge help in explaining that not all Suffolk’s sh!t their brains out !
But I wish you and them a successful tupping !(y)

Same rules as last year. Self teasing for 2 weeks takes them to October 5th, ready for a 1st March lambing ;)

I know though, should've trimmed, dipped and dyed the hell out of them for the camera:rolleyes:

You should've been here yesterday :bag: I've never seen so many trees down locally.
 

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