What breed for outdoor lambing

[Nithsdale]

I'm lambing 800 behind 3 strand electric

Aye, but they're meant to be Infront of it - tell the truth

 

[JSmith]

shetland x ewe with llyne lambs, hardly touch a ewe, I’d happily lamb a 1000 of them outside, had 90£ for that type of lamb last year, I know it was a good trade year but the lambs don’t have anything at all neither do the ewes so if they come to 50£ apiece they’ve still done well

 

[unlacedgecko]

View attachment 952803
shetland x ewe with llyne lambs, hardly touch a ewe, I’d happily lamb a 1000 of them outside, had 90£ for that type of lamb last year, I know it was a good trade year but the lambs don’t have anything at all neither do the ewes so if they come to 50£ apiece they’ve still done well

I often think a Shetland/inverdale put to a Charolais would be hard to beat on a kg of lamb/ha basis

 

[Al R]

View attachment 952803
shetland x ewe with llyne lambs, hardly touch a ewe, I’d happily lamb a 1000 of them outside, had 90£ for that type of lamb last year, I know it was a good trade year but the lambs don’t have anything at all neither do the ewes so if they come to 50£ apiece they’ve still done well

Sometimes things like that are best kept secret

 

[unlacedgecko]

Brave man indeed!

No, just poor.

 

[steveR]

Wish i could disagree... but this morning we had this commotion


View attachment 952443
Mum was doing her best but the other two were being very persistent
If another ewe licks one of the lambs off, that lamb is often rejected, we had quite a problem last year, then it just stopped so i assume a meddling ewe lambed her self

Had two start mis-mothering today, absolute PITA. I am blaming the weather!

Got them both in the yard now, as they were going to cause a real problem with the miserable weather... Hope they pop in the next day or so!

 

[steveR]

A friend of mine bought some Easycares from the original flock. I think they had genuinely been left virtually on their own at lambing, stocked very thinly. Stocked more tightly with more supervision, they were hard work. Very large flight zones!

I was wondering if I have the EC ewes a bit tight. 40 on 7ac... Might shift them on to 3 times the area, see if that gives them enough space??

 

[Al R]

I was wondering if I have the EC ewes a bit tight. 40 on 7ac... Might shift them on to 3 times the area, see if that gives them enough space??

My outdoor singles lambed at 60 on 4.5acre of very old PP, in there from a week before lambing. Once lamb dry ringed and marked and let through to better grazing, worked very well with 4/110 needing assistance.

 

[Woolless]

I was wondering if I have the EC ewes a bit tight. 40 on 7ac... Might shift them on to 3 times the area, see if that gives them enough space??

My twins are stocked at 4 or 5/acre dependent on grass availability. Maybe if you're having bother a little more elbow room would allow you to give them a wider berth as you go round? I would still always try and keep some fresh grazing in reserve for after lambing, though.

 

[steveR]

My twins are stocked at 4 or 5/acre dependent on grass availability. Maybe if you're having bother a little more elbow room would allow you to give them a wider berth as you go round? I would still always try and keep some fresh grazing in reserve for after lambing, though.

We are not properly geared up this time following an enzo outbreak.... but I had already planned on rejigging the "lambing field" with a proper net dividing fence for next time, with a neat wicket gate

 

[Al R]

I was wondering if I have the EC ewes a bit tight. 40 on 7ac... Might shift them on to 3 times the area, see if that gives them enough space??

Twins at 5-6/acre and the way I have it every field lambs in a 7 day period then their finished. I lambed 18 exlanaX triplets (all under 3yo lambing) on 3 acre and they’ve done well, no idea on number of lambs they finished on but when I drive past I see a lot of ewes with 3.

 

[paul&mandy]

1 of our 3 texel mules lambed. Like night and day mothering. All over her lambs and chatting the whole time.
Wished it was the other way round and I had 1100 of texel mules and 3 Suffolk X's.....

 

[DanM]

1 of our 3 texel mules lambed. Like night and day mothering. All over her lambs and chatting the whole time.
Wished it was the other way round and I had 1100 of texel mules and 3 Suffolk X's.....

perhaps if your going to continue with a flying flock the texel mule would be your best choice, lambs can be sold store or finished and they’re readily available. We run Romney’s and Exlanas. Both breeds work well in a closed flock, outdoor lambing system, however you need to be finishing your lambs as can be discounted (for looking different) at a store sale. Especially in a low demand year.

 

[pgk]

Singles 93 on 22 acres, twins 80 on 8.5 acres and c150 on 37 acres Highlanders split 17 in 2 paddocks of 2 acres and 24 on two paddocks of 3 acres. Woollies c80 across 11 acres, lamb stealing so far been seen with Highlanders and singles.

 

[Nithsdale]

Everyone seems to stock tighter than me. 180-200 ewes (twins) get about 50acres... but I set stock, then when I get a chance just drift lambed ewes up onto 60+ acres higher ground.

130-150 ewes (singles) on 35acre of bare ground. Stay there til they finish lambing then away to the hill.

 

[unlacedgecko]

800 ewes and 200 dry ewe lambs on 64ha. Cut into 21 paddocks, moving every 2 days.

 

[Tim W]

Singles 93 on 22 acres, twins 80 on 8.5 acres and c150 on 37 acres Highlanders split 17 in 2 paddocks of 2 acres and 24 on two paddocks of 3 acres. Woollies c80 across 11 acres, lamb stealing so far been seen with Highlanders and singles.

And @neilo says that he doesn't get stealing problems with his Highlanders?
Which begs the question is it another factor as well as/instead of breed that determines lamb stealing?
Another customer told me he lambs his Highlanders inside because they are prone to lamb stealing and abandoning lambs?
Management? Mineral status? Likely to be a combination of many factors i guess?

 

[Woolless]

And @neilo says that he doesn't get stealing problems with his Highlanders?
Which begs the question is it another factor as well as/instead of breed that determines lamb stealing?
Another customer told me he lambs his Highlanders inside because they are prone to lamb stealing and abandoning lambs?
Management? Mineral status? Likely to be a combination of many factors i guess?

Like most things, a combination of genetics and environment. A slightly different strain of sheep on a different farm and you get problems.

 

[neilo]

And @neilo says that he doesn't get stealing problems with his Highlanders?
Which begs the question is it another factor as well as/instead of breed that determines lamb stealing?
Another customer told me he lambs his Highlanders inside because they are prone to lamb stealing and abandoning lambs?
Management? Mineral status? Likely to be a combination of many factors i guess?

Highlanders are generally bred up from an existing ewe flock. The basis of the flock will make a difference I would think.
If bred up from Lleyns or Mules, I would expect lamb stealing to be more of an issue.

 

[Nithsdale]

I've found the perfect tags for which ewes to cull