Tupping 2018

[Al R]

How are people getting on? We went through the first 700 ewes from the main flock today and averaged 60% served in the first 9 days, i’ll put pictures and more detailed figures up after.

 

[hendrebc]

How are people getting on? We went through the first 700 ewes from the main flock today and averaged 60% served in the first 9 days, i’ll put pictures and more detailed figures up after.

I'd say 60% on 9 days is pretty detailed. From me that would be about half have been tupped in just over a week

 

[Al R]

Welsh/Glamorgan welsh (mainly second timers) 49% served in 9 days to BFL.

The following are 8-9 days.
TexX mainly yearlings did 52% to char/chartex rams.
TexX 2-5’s did 61% to char/chartex rams.

MuleX mainly yearlings did 41% to Texel’s
MuleX ewes 2-5year’s pulled it out of the bag and did 75% to texel rams.

Some massive mule yearlings at another farm did 60%.

I put 1 Exlana ram in today with 76 Glamorgan’s and 15 have been served in 6 hours.
3 BFLX rams and 1 Exlana heading out this morning.

TexX week 1 ewes.

MuleX week 1 ewes.

Exlana ram about to do the job again.

 

[primmiemoo]

You do get years like that, though. One ram served all his ewes in a week one year*; and in another year, something like 25% of the ewes lambed in one mad 72 hour block, with the rest during the next 7 daze.

*He failed miserably the following year, and is on a warning this flock coming.

This year, rams were busy in the first week, and activity tapered off across the rest of the duration. Last ewes seen served on Sunday, so rams are out of the Feb flock.

 

[Al R]

You do get years like that, though. One ram served all his ewes in a week one year*; and in another year, something like 25% of the ewes lambed in one mad 72 hour block, with the rest during the next 7 daze.

*He failed miserably the following year, and is on a warning this flock coming.

This year, rams were busy in the first week, and activity tapered off across the rest of the duration. Last ewes seen served on Sunday, so rams are out of the Feb flock.

Thats ideal for the outdoor job mind
We hope/aim for 50% by 9-10 days, we’ve now got 2 rams per 100 sweeping and 7 per 100 on the unmarked we havnt raddled them from now on in those groups, the scanner will tell us repeats or lates etc.

60% isn’t bad for no flushing/blocks etc and I’m pretty sure this has put the nail in the coffin in buying a teaser. @exmoor dave

 

[Sheep92]

Rams going out with 1300 ewes tomorrow, you can cut the sexual tension in the air with a spoon

 

[primmiemoo]

Thats ideal for the outdoor job mind
We hope/aim for 50% by 9-10 days, we’ve now got 2 rams per 100 sweeping and 7 per 100 on the unmarked we havnt raddled them from now on in those groups, the scanner will tell us repeats or lates etc.

60% isn’t bad for no flushing/blocks etc and I’m pretty sure this has put the nail in the coffin in buying a teaser. @exmoor dave

That's a higher sweeper:ewe % than here, but the sweepers are used in with the Feb flock during tupping time for the April flock, iyswim. Teaser goes in after April group tupping to show any who've not held. Scanner confirms (what did we do before Scanners ... ).

Looks as though you'll be catching up on sleep by week 3, then,

 

[Al R]

That's a higher sweeper:ewe % than here, but the sweepers are used in with the Feb flock during tupping time for the April flock, iyswim. Teaser goes in after April group tupping to show any who've not held. Scanner confirms (what did we do before Scanners ... ).

Looks as though you'll be catching up on sleep by week 3, then,

Some of the rams will have covered the early flock, the main flock and then next week they go in with 300 ewe lambs. Start early January and finish late April.

 

[primmiemoo]

Some of the rams will have covered the early flock, the main flock and then next week they go in with 300 ewe lambs. Start early January and finish late April.

>Phe-e-e-ew!<

Laminated signs all over the place indicating which way is up for you

Sentimentally speaking, I miss lambing during Christmas week, but having enough energy for the Feb lot makes a huge enough difference to counteract it.

 

[Al R]

>Phe-e-e-ew!<

Laminated signs all over the place indicating which way is up for you

Sentimentally speaking, I miss lambing during Christmas week, but having enough energy for the Feb lot makes a huge enough difference to counteract it.

We used to go to end of May for ewe lamb repeats and that was a killer as you couldn’t shut off until then, we would stop the ewes end of March and then re start 10 days later for the ewe lambs and you were to busy sorting, dosing, bolusing the March born lambs so never had the time for it. Now we overlap so the second farm starts 9 days after the main flock, another farm and All ewe lambs start 9 days after that so we’re busy for a nice length of time which suits us staffing wise as we can get more people in to make it easier as it isn’t months it’s only a few weeks
. we don’t check sheds from 10pm until 5am and only singles and triplets inside so we do get sleep No point having a dead shepherd.

 

[Nithsdale]

No pictures, but Lleyns, Cheviots and last of the Texels went out today.


No going back now!

 

[primmiemoo]

We used to go to end of May for ewe lamb repeats and that was a killer as you couldn’t shut off until then, we would stop the ewes end of March and then re start 10 days later for the ewe lambs and you were to busy sorting, dosing, bolusing the March born lambs so never had the time for it. Now we overlap so the second farm starts 9 days after the main flock, another farm and All ewe lambs start 9 days after that so we’re busy for a nice length of time which suits us staffing wise as we can get more people in to make it easier as it isn’t months it’s only a few weeks
. we don’t check sheds from 10pm until 5am and only singles and triplets inside so we do get sleep No point having a dead shepherd.

Totally agree that the shepherd is vital *

The doubles shed here is listened to intently when the triples and singles are checked late - want to wet adopt as many trips as poss, and not have too many on the powder.

Ewe lambs run concurrent with ewes in the April flock - school Easter holidays have influenced precise timings, but next year's hols will be a bit late. Big exams loom, too.

Then there's sometimes a ewe with a sense of humour who somehow manages to lamb in June.

Truly, it's never the same year twice ...

[*Other Team members are also vital. Ed.]

 

[muleman]

Had a batch of 200 swales....all served in 5 hours today!

 

[will6910]

Iv 8 of my big flock of 27 tupped since Monday morning

 

[TexelBen]

Totally agree that the shepherd is vital *

The doubles shed here is listened to intently when the triples and singles are checked late - want to wet adopt as many trips as poss, and not have too many on the powder.

Ewe lambs run concurrent with ewes in the April flock - school Easter holidays have influenced precise timings, but next year's hols will be a bit late. Big exams loom, too.

Then there's sometimes a ewe with a sense of humour who somehow manages to lamb in June.

Truly, it's never the same year twice ...

[*Other Team members are also vital. Ed.]

I'm glad someone else plans lambing around Easter holidays

 

[neilo]

That's a higher sweeper:ewe % than here, but the sweepers are used in with the Feb flock during tupping time for the April flock, iyswim. Teaser goes in after April group tupping to show any who've not held. Scanner confirms (what did we do before Scanners ... ).

Looks as though you'll be catching up on sleep by week 3, then,

I’ll have sweepers in at a lower rate than that too, however, after tupping 60% in ten days, the ewes haven’t gone a full cycle yet, so they’re not really ‘sweeping’ yet. 60% in ten days is about par for the course for all bar a handful covered in a 17day cycle, which is surely normal for ewes cycling in their natural breeding season?

 

[neilo]

Had a batch of 200 swales....all served in 5 hours today!

Did the rams work hard, or the handlers?

 

[Al R]

I’ll have sweepers in at a lower rate than that too, however, after tupping 60% in ten days, the ewes haven’t gone a full cycle yet, so they’re not really ‘sweeping’ yet. 60% in ten days is about par for the course for all bar a handful covered in a 17day cycle, which is surely normal for ewes cycling in their natural breeding season?

Producing our own rams so hardly costly and it lets some more ram lambs have a go.
Funnily enough the group with 75% marked has 2 ram lambs, 1 yearling and 1 2 year old, I was watching them yesterday and the 2 ram lambs didn’t stop hunting for more!
Last year we had circa 18-20 ewes out of the group of 700 repeated.

The old tale of a young bull and old bull with a group of heifers isn’t always right..

 

[HappyShep76]

We have a batch of 100 new Romney shearlings that will lamb a month before the main group. We also bought a new Berrichon ram which we put with them. Changed his raddle today (day 18) and he’s caught 73 so far. Better than we expected.

Our bachelor group of 37 lazy boys are now getting themselves ready to woo the ladies and looking good. Hopefully the 2 which prefer “male company” will change their view on the 1st November.....

 

[HappyShep76]

A few of the boys. Not the greatest pictures but they wanted their breakfast