I have to remark, that this year I bought a Lleyn tup hoping to make lambing time easier with Texel cross ewes and glimmers. It has resulted in 100% lambing assistance and my first ever Vet call out for a caesarian on a glimmer bearing twins. I suppose I bought the wrong Type of Lleyn!The most important thing is that you do not compromise the future breeding capability of that ewe lamb. As they're Texel crosses, with their awkward pelvises, I would say that an easy lambing sire is essential e.g. Welsh, Lleyn or Easycare. You can get improved Welsh rams that'll produce good lambs, especially out of a Texel ewe. They'll just be later maturing and be with you for a longer period.
Perhaps you should've bought an Easycare? Although it's been quite an open winter so that could have contributed.I have to remark, that this year I bought a Lleyn tup hoping to make lambing time easier with Texel cross ewes and glimmers. It has resulted in 100% lambing assistance and my first ever Vet call out for a caesarian on a glimmer bearing twins. I suppose I bought the wrong Type of Lleyn!
I look back longingly to the year I borrowed a Jacob for ewe lambs (but they came out black with a white blaze).
I have to remark, that this year I bought a Lleyn tup hoping to make lambing time easier with Texel cross ewes and glimmers. It has resulted in 100% lambing assistance and my first ever Vet call out for a caesarian on a glimmer bearing twins. I suppose I bought the wrong Type of Lleyn!
I look back longingly to the year I borrowed a Jacob for ewe lambs (but they came out black with a white blaze).
Sounds to me like its your ewe breeding thats wrong. Pelvis not suitable for the job?I have to remark, that this year I bought a Lleyn tup hoping to make lambing time easier with Texel cross ewes and glimmers. It has resulted in 100% lambing assistance and my first ever Vet call out for a caesarian on a glimmer bearing twins. I suppose I bought the wrong Type of Lleyn!
I look back longingly to the year I borrowed a Jacob for ewe lambs (but they came out black with a white blaze).
There are some bloody awful lleyns out there amongst the good ones. It's hard to believe they are the same breed even.Maybe there was too much Texel in the Lleyn .
It'll be alright for those lambs that come arse firstThere are some bloody awful lleyns out there amongst the good ones. It's hard to believe they are the same breed even.
I don't know how we ended up with him but we had one lleyn ram that has a proper wedge shape... But the wrong way had shoulders like a texel and an arse like a welsh mountain I think dad bought him as a runner to go in last I wish I'd never seen him lucky he never served more than a handful of ewes.
Dad is not allowed to pick rams anymore [emoji38]
Your first sentence coincides with something I was thinking about today. Our lambing started this morning with two 2 year olds lambing for the first times we call these the hoggets, if we're lambing 1 year old sheep we call them ewe lambs. What way are these sheep referred to in Scotland, there doesn't seem to be a clear way of naming different classes/ages of sheep over here.Before I stopped lambing the ewe hoggs (was lambing 150 of them each year at the end) I had tried various breeds... a Lleyn tup beats them all for me.
The hoggs were pure Lleyn. I also convinced a good friend to move from using a Charollais to Lleyn. First lambing he did he said he wished he had switched years ago.
Only ones I had to help were the monster singles if I'd been too kind to them that last couple weeks before lambing - and that was my fault, not the sheep.
Agree with others - far too much variation within the Lleyn breed (because of the rapid growth in popularity of the breed they were bred up from anything and everything!).
Same with EVERY breed - you've got to buy the right type.
0-12 months- ewe lamb
12 first shearing- ewe hogg
After shearing- gimmer
After second shearing aged on teeth 4th, 6th etc until brocken mouth or cull. @glensman
Shearling would probably be used over here instead of gimmer although gimmer is used in some areas.0-12 months- ewe lamb
12 first shearing- ewe hogg
After shearing- gimmer
After second shearing aged on teeth 4th, 6th etc until brocken mouth or cull. @glensman
What about a Southdown on ewe lambs? Father puts them on his texel mule ewe lamb. They are born easy. Up and about quickly and he finished them at 14 weeks at 19kg dead with no creep.
Yes, I use them on the commercial Easycares ewe hoggs including some Texel X. Found them to be easily born, if not a little soft once they're out but wouldn't be afraid to use one again. Mind you, if I had a few more I would be tempted to try a Charmoise.Sounds good.
Any more doing the same?