Using BFL Tups

[lukedixon101]

Hello everyone!

Totally new to this but I was looking for other people’s ideas, thoughts and past experiences

I have been offered the chance to use 3 pure bred BFL tups for this years lambing

I mainly have 3/4 Suffolk, 3/4 Texels and Mules.

I was going to use Suffolk or Lleyn tups because I wanted to get meatier lambs. After using a Suffolk tup last year to my 3/4 Suffolk and Mules I got some pretty well shaped lambs but lacked in size somewhat.

Just wondered what kind of lambs a BFL tup would throw out, out of my small flock of 80.

Thank you!

 

[Dkb]

Personally I would put a bfl over a portion of the ewes and keep my replacements from them. And use a Suffolk or charollais over the rest.

I wouldn’t put a Suffolk over 3/4 bred Suffolk ewes though your getting too pure and will run into difficulty. (And I breed pedigree Suffolk’s I’d know)

Maybe use the bfl on the Suffolk’s and some of the Texels and use the Suffolk from last year on the rest of the texels and the Mules.

Finally with 80 ewes you’ll only need 2 rams not 3

Hope this helps

 

[Old Tip]

I would put the BFLs on your best 3/4 bred sheep and use a Suffolk or Charly on the rest plus the mules. I always put three rams in with each group to make sure they get in lamb, only once relied on one tip and never again.

 

[jendan]

Hello everyone!

Totally new to this but I was looking for other people’s ideas, thoughts and past experiences

I have been offered the chance to use 3 pure bred BFL tups for this years lambing

I mainly have 3/4 Suffolk, 3/4 Texels and Mules.

I was going to use Suffolk or Lleyn tups because I wanted to get meatier lambs. After using a Suffolk tup last year to my 3/4 Suffolk and Mules I got some pretty well shaped lambs but lacked in size somewhat.

Just wondered what kind of lambs a BFL tup would throw out, out of my small flock of 80.

Thank you!

Say Thanks,but no Thanks! They will probably keel over and die before they tup anything. Put Texel tups on your Suffs,Suff tups on your Texels,and either of them on your Mules.BFL are only used on Blackies or Swales for Mules,or on Cheviots for Cheviot Mules.Even then,its probably just as good to put a terminal sire on the hill breeds straight away.

 

[Nithsdale]

+1 to @jendan
It depends what makes up the last 1/4 of both the 3/4suffolks and Texels...
But do not put a BFL anywhere near a mule!!! Do you really want 3/4 BFL lambs?!?

Depending your location and lambing in or out, I'd probably be inclined to get 2 Charollais tups. Just run all ewes in 1 mob to tup them.