What breed for outdoor lambing

[Green farmer]

That’s a really good way of looking at it. Why make your self work, make the sheep work for you.

Ewe has narrow hips and cannt push out lamb unassisted = my job
Ewe doesnt like look of lamb and requires loads of time messing with foster crate = my job
Ewe decides doesnt want to raise 2 lambs and abandons one = my job
Ewe doesnt mind lamb properly in field, doesnt feed it enough and it ends up a runt = my job
Ewe has poor feet requiring loads of rounding up, footbathing etc= my job
Ewe is badly behaved, breaking fences and bringing rest of flock with her = my job
Ewe goes crazy at being rounded up, drives the rest of the flock crazy and they need to be calmed down = my job

Be surprised now much time the trouble making 5% of your flock takes up in comparison to the 95% who just get on with their own thing.
The list could go on and on

 

[Estate fencing.]

I think this lambing has definitely made me think about the future of me shepherding sheep. I had a night-mere indoor lambing mules this year for a flock I shepherd. I think they will have to go over the next couple of year and be replaced with a closed flock of shedding ewes. One of the big problems with mule is they are just so expensive to cull. £140 yearling down to a £40 cull. It means to keep them to long and keep the problems. Where as if you breed your own (I do this on my own sheep) you can cull them for what a store lamb is worth, so you might as well keep more lambs.

 

[unlacedgecko]

For kg of lamb per ha I reckon you'll struggle to beat a Shetland x texel (inverdale) ewe put to a Charolais.

Put your orders in now

 

[tepapa]

For kg of lamb per ha I reckon you'll struggle to beat a Shetland x texel (inverdale) ewe put to a Charolais.

Put your orders in now

I think the name 'shetland' is putting off potential customers. You need a new catchy name like the exlana or aberwhatsists so they stand out as the new "in" thing.

 

[CopperBeech]

 

[Fendt516profi]

I think the name 'shetland' is putting off potential customers. You need a new catchy name like the exlana or aberwhatsists so they stand out as the new "in" thing.

Texland, Shexal, Shetex

 

[Top Tip.]

-6’c lairg type Cheviot,doing the job. Self replacing ,producing top quality lambs. What’s not to like?

 

[Estate fencing.]

View attachment 954258
-6’c lairg type Cheviot,doing the job. Self replacing ,producing top quality lambs. What’s not to like?

What they like on there feet when they come onto easier ground?
Iv got a bunch of cheviot cross Texel that lambing outside now to lleyn tups, the best mothers iv ever had, never let the lambs out of sight, I did see one the other day chasing some dog walkers across the farm!

 

[Top Tip.]

What they like on there feet when they come onto easier ground?
Iv got a bunch of cheviot cross Texel that lambing outside now to lleyn tups, the best mothers iv ever had, never let the lambs out of sight, I did see one the other day chasing some dog walkers across the farm!

Good on there feet , they are a hill breed so are more protective.

 

[JHT]

Delivering to your area this September

Sounds good [emoji106]

 

[Agrivator]

Texland, Shexal, Shetex

Or, as the NZ prime Ministeress would say '' Tixland, Shixal, Shitex.''

 

[unlacedgecko]

Texland, Shexal, Shetex

Inverland Max Lamb

 

[Northeastfarmer]

I think what we can conclude from this thread is what you need is a...

suffolk x mule x texel x beltex x easy Care x Shetland x Romney x Cheviot x lleyn x lonk x charalois x Friesland x Hampshire down x swale x teeswater x herdwick x Jacob xKerryhill x exlana

 

[Nithsdale]

I think what we can conclude from this thread is what you need is a...

suffolk x mule x texel x beltex x easy Care x Shetland x Romney x Cheviot x lleyn x lonk x charalois x Friesland x Hampshire down x swale x teeswater x herdwick x Jacob xKerryhill x exlana

Acht, you've pee'd off @yellowbelly - obvs you need a Lincolnshire Longwool in the mix to get the right skins

 

[yellowbelly]

Acht, you've pee'd off @yellowbelly - obvs you need a Lincolnshire Longwool in the mix to get the right skins

Yeah, I'm crossing him off my Christmas card list as I'm typing this ✍



.....actually, if you read a lot of the 'origins blurb' that various breed societies put out you'll see that the Lincoln was used as the foundation/improvement of quite a few breeds eg Texel and Cheviot

 

[TexelBen]

I think what we can conclude from this thread is what you need is a...

suffolk x mule x texel x beltex x easy Care x Shetland x Romney x Cheviot x lleyn x lonk x charalois x Friesland x Hampshire down x swale x teeswater x herdwick x Jacob xKerryhill x exlana

Where's the Charmoise?

@MRT will be sad

 

[CopperBeech]

Where's the Charmoise?

@MRT will be sad

She’s up there above with her ram lamb born at night in the minuses on a field which is mainly moss that’ll do pig.

 

[Razor8]

I bought some pure females, as well as a couple of rams to ‘breed up’ some of my own, the idea being it would speed the transition.

In hindsight, and currently lambing them, it was a mistake, to the extent that they probably won’t be lambing here again. The ones I have seem to have inherited all the Lleyn traits that make work of lambing, including turning up one of their own lambs and lambing/mismothering in a huddle.

At the same time, my Highlanders are finding their own sheltered spots and getting on with it quietly.

I would still like to get to shedding sheep, but those purebreds won’t be the route to them. Very disappointed tbh.

do you not find it takes bought ewes time to accustom themselves to a new farm. I sometimes find the Sheep very stressed at gathering facing a new dog & surroundings. Alway seem a lot more settled the second year

also the new challenges eg worms, grass varieties etc can put a extra challenge on them

 

[neilo]

do you not find it takes bought ewes time to accustom themselves to a new farm. I sometimes find the Sheep very stressed at gathering facing a new dog & surroundings. Alway seem a lot more settled the second year

also the new challenges eg worms, grass varieties etc can put a extra challenge on them

Absolutely, but 43 of them have been here since last lambing time so I think I can rule that excuse out.

 

[Razor8]

Absolutely, but 43 of them have been here since last lambing time so I think I can rule that excuse out.

mind made up so

it’s impossible to beat rearing your own replacements. Bought sheep the last 2 years to build up numbers after taken on more land. Despite looking quality ewes they don’t match my own breeding in performance

birth weight was over 0.5kg lighter on same feeding & lambs dwg pretty average