What ram?

[Hooby Farmer]

I have a small flock of sheep with no particular line of breeding always have new stock coming on some home grown, some bought in. My ewes are mostly suffolk x texel, texel, suffolk x belclare something like that. Im a very strict culler and are happy with my ewes regarding feet, disease resistence, good milky mothers, lambing ability, and general good all round temperament. There not perfect but im pleased with where they are. I keep about 30 of the best ewe lambs and run them over for replacements and sell about 30 ewe lambs in the ring the rest are killed. Im currently using a couple of texel sires and a charolais on the first timers, but over the last couple of years i feel like im getting too much texel through in the stock.

Basically what would be a good breed of ram or two to try, either as complete replacements or running them alongside. I like the look the of a border Leicester, something with a bit of length or even maybe a Belclare again. Im really not sure tbh as soon as farmers start talking sheep everyone has 'the best breed'. Over the last 10 years or so its been mostly texel rams ive used and do not have much experience outside of them. A bit long winded but any advice would be duly welcome.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

This will be fun...

 

[Al R]

BFL

 

[johnspeehs]

For your type of ewes a rouge would be a good cross, you would get great ewe lambs. See a big shearling on done deal would do you, can’t be to far away from you .

 

[primmiemoo]

If of help, go with the breed you like the look of, find a breeder who studies their flock, and select the traits from there that you feel will compliment your flock and farm.

Of course, that means you simply must buy a ...

 

[yellowbelly]

...The 'usual suspects' should be along shortly

 

[MRT]

LLEYN (bet you weren't expecting that)

 

[yellowbelly]

LLEYN (bet you weren't expecting that)

No - you must have got @Man_in_black's old laptop. It has an extra button on the keyboard with 'Lleyn' on it for using in such threads as this.

 

[Skintagain]

Bfl or Cheviot depending on which way you want to go. You could go highlander or Romney but on texels you may as well sell them all and buy Romney’s or highlander as it is a downgrade from the value of your flock in monetry terms.

 

[Bones]

Another vote here for Rouge, a very underrated breed , but have smashing shaped lambs ,

 

[M-J-G]

From what I've seen if them, I'd consider Roussin onto those type of ewes.

 

[Sheepandcalfs]

I’ve a lot of texel in my ewes and I’m gonna put a north country Cheviot on Some for the first time and a bflxtexel on the rest and keep crossing back and forth have some good lambs from my blfxtexel seems a good cross with my texel ewes would recommend one

 

[Skintagain]

Another vote here for Rouge, a very underrated breed , but have smashing shaped lambs ,

I have found Rouge are crazy similar to Charley which are also crazy and don’t work for me as a ewe in any way especially in a Tough time like this summer.

 

[M-J-G]

I have found Rouge are crazy similar to Charley which are also crazy and don’t work for me as a ewe in any way especially in a Tough time like this summer.

That's interesting, I had RougeX and CharX ewes in the past, and I found them to be very different.

Rouge X were fairly good ewes, plenty of lambs, milk, and lamb's grew well. They could have the odd prolapse, but not really any more than most breeds carrying multiples. They could be a bit quick, but not too bad
Char X ewes were horrid. Poor litter size, bad milkers, lean and totally mental. I hated them with quite a passion.

A good Char is hard to beat as a terminal if you can manage lambing them in bad weather, but they are negative on the maternal front IMO.

That was 20 years ago, things may have changed.

 

[Hooby Farmer]

I had a very bad Rouge a few years back, wild and bad tempered really couldnt be worked with. Had him in the race and he went for the man that was helping charged straight at him broke his nose and wrist, another time we had him in put his head through a brand new guillotine gate and bent it to sh*t.....it was culled after the first year. Charollais is what i normally use for the ewe lambs narrow shoulders and easy out.

 

[andybk]

That's interesting, I had RougeX and CharX ewes in the past, and I found them to be very different.

Rouge X were fairly good ewes, plenty of lambs, milk, and lamb's grew well. They could have the odd prolapse, but not really any more than most breeds carrying multiples. They could be a bit quick, but not too bad
Char X ewes were horrid. Poor litter size, bad milkers, lean and totally mental. I hated them with quite a passion.

A good Char is hard to beat as a terminal if you can manage lambing them in bad weather, but they are negative on the maternal front IMO.

That was 20 years ago, things may have changed.

Uk ones , thats true to some degree , french always breed up a maternal line to top cross to get the best terminals , over the years imports have mostly been terminal types , last year i imported for very high maternal index as ours are getting very terminal , so we will see in a few generations what their offspring are like .
on the op , you will find a good charollais hard to beat over texel type ewes , but not those fat oversized show ponies .

 

[M-J-G]

Uk ones , thats true to some degree , french always breed up a maternal line to top cross to get the best terminals , over the years imports have mostly been terminal types , last year i imported for very high maternal index as ours are getting very terminal , so we will see in a few generations what their offspring are like .
on the op , you will find a good charollais hard to beat over texel type ewes , but not those fat oversized show ponies .

A Char, or at least a UK Char would be great on those ewes as a terminal.
The OP seems to want some replacements though.

 

[Hooby Farmer]

Uk ones , thats true to some degree , french always breed up a maternal line to top cross to get the best terminals , over the years imports have mostly been terminal types , last year i imported for very high maternal index as ours are getting very terminal , so we will see in a few generations what their offspring are like .
on the op , you will find a good charollais hard to beat over texel type ewes , but not those fat oversized show ponies .

I do prefer a big sheep hate small ewes, ive got two that tip the scales in excess of 125kg

yeah i do like to keep some of my own, i do also buy in as well.

 

[M-J-G]

I do prefer a big sheep hate small ewes, ive got two that tip the scales in excess of 125kg

yeah i do like to keep some of my own, i do also buy in as well.

What's your target weight?

 

[andybk]

I do prefer a big sheep hate small ewes, ive got two that tip the scales in excess of 125kg

yeah i do like to keep some of my own, i do also buy in as well.

dont confuse size with weight , got plenty of ewes here 100kg+ but they dont look it ,they are heavier than my much bigger framed zwartbles ewes ,
BTW , saw some lovely zwartbles x border leicester ewes on FB the other day , now that woul be interesting cross with a texel or charollais