What ram for hoggs

[neilo]

Conversely, I don’t creep the lambs, I just run them with the ‘singles’ group they lambed with, on old parkland grass, and wean in August (April lambing). This year I’ve pulled a few of the leaner ewes (& tegs) out post weaning, to bolster them up with a bit of liquid feed for 6 weeks before tupping. I do put a Beltex on my hoggs though, so they are slower growing and don’t drag them down as much. I always plan to wean them early, but never seem to get round to it, or have enough good grazing to wean them too here.

If I were selling the mums as shearlings, I think I would certainly creep the lambs (unless they are on rocket fuel grass) and wean very early, and probably feed the ewes too. Everyone says they want lambed shearlings, but don’t bid you a premium unless they’re almost as big & fat as the runners.

 

[Estate fencing.]

Conversely, I don’t creep the lambs, I just run them with the ‘singles’ group they lambed with, on old parkland grass, and wean in August (April lambing). This year I’ve pulled a few of the leaner ewes (& tegs) out post weaning, to bolster them up with a bit of liquid feed for 6 weeks before tupping. I do put a Beltex on my hoggs though, so they are slower growing and don’t drag them down as much. I always plan to wean them early, but never seem to get round to it, or have enough good grazing to wean them too here.

If I were selling the mums as shearlings, I think I would certainly creep the lambs (unless they are on rocket fuel grass) and wean very early, and probably feed the ewes too. Everyone says they want lambed shearlings, but don’t bid you a premium unless they’re almost as big & fat as the runners.

Last time I did it with a load of mules, basically I did nothing different to the ewes, but just ended up with a load of crap lambs and theaves that where far to lean to sell. I want to get it right this time.

 

[M-J-G]

I haven't lambed hoggs for 10 years, but I'm going to give it a go again this year, Iv got 60 home bred suffolk cross ewe lambs that would be 45-50kg now on good grass, I've got a bit to keen selling theaves at £170/£180 so have to keep the numbers up. I've got that Charollais tup to to go on them so should fire them out. Do most people creep the lambs? Is lambing 20th April a good or bad idea? I want to sell as theaves so would be looking to wean at 8 weeks.

We creep twins, but singles just get chucked away with the ewes.

 

[Sandpit Farm]

I haven't lambed hoggs for 10 years, but I'm going to give it a go again this year, Iv got 60 home bred suffolk cross ewe lambs that would be 45-50kg now on good grass, I've got a bit to keen selling theaves at £170/£180 so have to keep the numbers up. I've got that Charollais tup to to go on them so should fire them out. Do most people creep the lambs? Is lambing 20th April a good or bad idea? I want to sell as theaves so would be looking to wean at 8 weeks.

I think I'd prefer to creep the lambs, dare I say it. Unless I was able to paddock graze and give the hoggs the best, I think a bit of creep to get the lambs weaned wouldn't hurt. I have had small hoggs lambing as 2Ts before when I have treated them a bit mean and I wouldn't want to do that again. You have to cost it out - creep will likely be expensive next year so are you better to just measure and monitor grass and put electric fences up? - it could be my inner dairy coming out but I think that period between 1st and 2nd lamb is so important to get the feeding right.