Thinking of changing to shedding sheep. Change my mind.

[hendrebc]

As the title really. Almost certain I'm going to stop using lleyn rams to breed replacements and getting some exlana or easycare rams instead of them. Lleyns aren't doing anything wrong but I tried an easycare X exlana ram in 2018 and some of his daughters have lambed this year. They didn't do anything the lleyns didn't do but obviously they would have no wool if I crossed them again. So I think I'm going to go for it. Unless you can change my mind?

 

[Pan mixer]

Go for it, I can't wait for my last 2 dozen woolly sheep to go.

I saved this one yesterday but I can't be out there all day every day, next they will be struck....

 

[HarryB97]

I was one of the first round here to get some Exlanas 3 years ago and everyone took the pee constantly, however now they keep asking questions and a neighbour is running over 1000 shedders now. No shearing, no crutching, no bellying, no clik, more in a trailer, maggots wash off in the rain and are easily rubbed off on things, vaccinating and injecting is easier as they have hair and not wool and barley any if any at all get stuck on their backs. If you are worried about messy fields the hair vanishes in a few weeks but if you have poor quality fences they'll soon snap rotten posts off by rubbing on them and the wire in the spring!

 

[hendrebc]

Go for it, I can't wait for my last 2 dozen woolly sheep to go.

I saved this one yesterday but I can't be out there all day every day, next they will be struck....

My legs are black and blue after shearing wild dry hoggs and a bit fed up about the whole wool job seeing as no one wants it. Why do I bother? Can't really see a downside?

 

[Pan mixer]

There aren't so many lambs though and they laugh at them in the market but the same people gave me almost £100 per head two weeks ago on the hook.

 

[hendrebc]

There aren't so many lambs though and they laugh at them in the market but the same people gave me almost £100 per head two weeks ago on the hook.

That's the only thing that puts me off. I sell all my lambs live

 

[sherg]

My legs are black and blue after shearing wild dry hoggs and a bit fed up about the whole wool job seeing as no one wants it. Why do I bother? Can't really see a downside?

It depends how you sell them deadweight is fine, liveweight there's a discount and in the stores you will pee then away

 

[Pan mixer]

That's the only thing that puts me off. I sell all my lambs live

I should try the other method.

 

[hendrebc]

That's a shame. I sell all my lambs finished and i like supporting my local market

 

[pgk]

Moved from lleyns starting 10 years ago best thing we did. We do rent a lot of woody water meadow and they seem less bothered by flies. Locals referred to me as having the goat sheep. Now they are all around here, quality is improving since we moved to exlana rams bought on EBV's. Much less stress in summer not having to fit in shearing amongst 101 other things to do. Keep a hundred woolly terminal ewes, great to cross poorer woolshedders to but you need a premium for the extra costs.. Less prejudice at local market now but personally still put most pure lambs on the dwt. You wont regret it!

 

[Pan mixer]

That's a shame. I sell all my lambs finished and i like supporting my local market

I like supporting my local market too, they market my pigs for me as they won't do pigs anymore and I send the lambs with the pigs when they are ready. Sending easycare lambs to market might help the market but,currently at any rate, it might not support you.

Some markets are being less unkind I hear, they will all catch on the end. Just like the pig job - 30 years ago 'you can't sell pork in strawberry time' now - 'you will have to wait until the barbecues come out in the summer for the price to rise'

 

[hendrebc]

I like supporting my local market too, they market my pigs for me as they won't do pigs anymore and I send the lambs with the pigs when they are ready. Sending easycare lambs to market might help the market but,currently at any rate, it might not support you.

Some markets are being less unkind I hear, they will all catch on the end. Just like the pig job - 30 years ago 'you can't sell pork in strawberry time' now - 'you will have to wait until the barbecues come out in the summer for the price to rise'

I could try some and see how they go. I'd probably still use wooly terminal sires on the poorer half anyway.
There's a dead weight collection centre not far away anyway if they won't like them in market.

 

[ISCO]

We bought 20 easycare lambs last year after talking to @TimW at Northsheep. His advice was just try them to see if we like the principle. They are shedding now and surprised how little wool you notice in fields. Son likes them

We are going to try some Exlana this year hopefully.
Shearing has got to be an ordeal now as we have a lot of rented grazing.

 

[HarryB97]

That's the only thing that puts me off. I sell all my lambs live

If you put them to a terminal sire the lambs look very smart, the pure shedders are always plain

 

[tepapa]

I think they'll be the future, in time, when people realise the actual cost of wool against the poor/no return. I'd go exlana over easy care purely for ebvs. At least then you have an idea of what your adding to the genetics of your flock.

 

[hendrebc]

I think they'll be the future, in time, when people realise the actual cost of wool against the poor/no return. I'd go exlana over easy care purely for ebvs. At least then you have an idea of what your adding to the genetics of your flock.

I think so too. I have a friend who breeds shedders and they are a mix of exlana and easycare I bought the ram lamb off him to try. I'd maybe ask him if he has 4-5 ram lambs again this year seeing as I need so many £££ would mount up if I bought all shearlings and maybe get a recorded exlana or two as well. One thing really like about the exlana is the ebvs and there is a lot of recording going on and has been for a long time. Their worm resistance work is very interesting too. Don't know of any wool sheep breeders doing that apart from Romney breeders and I don't fancy more work with wool. Might as well piggy back off exlana breeders progress. It's as much of a sell as the no wool tbh.

 

[ISCO]

I think so too. I have a friend who breeds shedders and they are a mix of exlana and easycare I bought the ram lamb off him to try. I'd maybe ask him if he has 4-5 ram lambs again this year seeing as I need so many £££ would mount up if I bought all shearlings and maybe get a recorded exlana or two as well. One thing really like about the exlana is the ebvs and there is a lot of recording going on and has been for a long time. Their worm resistance work is very interesting too. Don't know of any wool sheep breeders doing that apart from Romney breeders and I don't fancy more work with wool. Might as well piggy back off exlana breeders progress. It's as much of a sell as the no wool tbh.

Ebvs are reason i favour Exlana.

 

[tepapa]

I think so too. I have a friend who breeds shedders and they are a mix of exlana and easycare I bought the ram lamb off him to try. I'd maybe ask him if he has 4-5 ram lambs again this year seeing as I need so many £££ would mount up if I bought all shearlings and maybe get a recorded exlana or two as well. One thing really like about the exlana is the ebvs and there is a lot of recording going on and has been for a long time. Their worm resistance work is very interesting too. Don't know of any wool sheep breeders doing that apart from Romney breeders and I don't fancy more work with wool. Might as well piggy back off exlana breeders progress. It's as much of a sell as the no wool tbh.

Good point. For the system to work you need to get to full shedding asap. So playing devils advocate you only need to tup your best/maternal ewes to get enough replacements. The rest are better going to your terminal sires. So how many tups will you actually need? Are you better buying fewer, better shedding tups?

 

[DanM]

I think so too. I have a friend who breeds shedders and they are a mix of exlana and easycare I bought the ram lamb off him to try. I'd maybe ask him if he has 4-5 ram lambs again this year seeing as I need so many £££ would mount up if I bought all shearlings and maybe get a recorded exlana or two as well. One thing really like about the exlana is the ebvs and there is a lot of recording going on and has been for a long time. Their worm resistance work is very interesting too. Don't know of any wool sheep breeders doing that apart from Romney breeders and I don't fancy more work with wool. Might as well piggy back off exlana breeders progress. It's as much of a sell as the no wool tbh.

Majority of our flock are Romney’s. Lots of genetics available with ebvs for reduced worms. Easy lambing etc. However since buying our first Exlana 3yrs ago I have never failed to be impressed. Our shedding flock is run on top of the Wiltshire downs with minimal labour input and they never fail to make me smile!!!
We have 3 tups now, all in the top 1% at time of purchase and I’m yet to worm a lamb pre-weaning.

 

[hendrebc]

Good point. For the system to work you need to get to full shedding asap. So playing devils advocate you only need to tup your best/maternal ewes to get enough replacements. The rest are better going to your terminal sires. So how many tups will you actually need? Are you better buying fewer, better shedding tups?

I'm trying to up ewe numbers as well so I'll need enough rams for about 400-450 ewes. My friend has some pretty good sheep though I wouldn't consider it if they were just run of the mill stuff. I could still pick out my best ewes to go to a good recorded ram or two.