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What tup for Welsh drafts

Db1490

Member
Location
Norfolk
Planning to try 100 Welsh draft ewes this year as have taken on more grass.
was planning to lamb outside from mid April on a low input/labour system.
just can’t decide on what tups to run over them, wanting easy lambing and quick growing, not keeping any ewe lambs.
hoping someone has been there done that!
Thankyou.
 

Db1490

Member
Location
Norfolk
If you pick the right type of tup you’ll be fine. They’ll lamb anything though. They’ll twin more with the improved keep. Do you scan? Keeping the singles tighter throughout will pay off.
Thanks that’s helpful 👍
Yes do scan and split them accordingly.
 

Fellstoflats

Member
Livestock Farmer
I've used a Poll Dorset- threw nice neat lambs, which grew well, but a bit wooly.
Charmoise is next on my list to try, but Beltex might be easier to put my hand to.
 

Db1490

Member
Location
Norfolk
I've used a Poll Dorset- threw nice neat lambs, which grew well, but a bit wooly.
Charmoise is next on my list to try, but Beltex might be easier to put my hand to.
Thanks… have tried beltex before on our mules/Suffolkx/texelx and didn’t get on very well, they lambed easily but once the got to around the 30kg mark were really hard to push on, obviously other factors may have made an effect but we lambed all ewes to texel this year and there are plenty at 40kg plus already.
 

easyram1

Member
Location
North Shropshire
Planning to try 100 Welsh draft ewes this year as have taken on more grass.
was planning to lamb outside from mid April on a low input/labour system.
just can’t decide on what tups to run over them, wanting easy lambing and quick growing, not keeping any ewe lambs.
hoping someone has been there done that!
Thankyou.
Which type of Welsh ewe/ ie from N Wales ie Dolgellau or improved Welsh from further south?. NZ Suffolks are dead easy lambing out of all welsh ewes even the smaller Dolgellau type or Tregaron Hill ewes both of which will produce 20kg carcases to our tups. 1 shearling ram will tup 100 ewes easily. I will pm details of guy in N yorks doing what you propose with 700-800 Welsh brokers each year to 7 of our Suffolk tups.
 

Db1490

Member
Location
Norfolk
Which type of Welsh ewe/ ie from N Wales ie Dolgellau or improved Welsh from further south?. NZ Suffolks are dead easy lambing out of all welsh ewes even the smaller Dolgellau type or Tregaron Hill ewes both of which will produce 20kg carcases to our tups. 1 shearling ram will tup 100 ewes easily. I will pm details of guy in N yorks doing what you propose with 700-800 Welsh brokers each year to 7 of our Suffolk tups.
Thanks that sounds good.
not sure on what type of Welsh, depending what’s for sale at the time I guess.
 

RobDog

Member
Livestock Farmer
Planning to try 100 Welsh draft ewes this year as have taken on more grass.
was planning to lamb outside from mid April on a low input/labour system.
just can’t decide on what tups to run over them, wanting easy lambing and quick growing, not keeping any ewe lambs.
hoping someone has been there done that!
Thankyou.
Look up Easy Rams , you'll find them on the Internet and get in contact with Robin Hulme .I got one from them and have used it for the last 3 seasons , very pleased. Got another off him this year. Not particularly cheap but worth it.
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Planning to try 100 Welsh draft ewes this year as have taken on more grass.
was planning to lamb outside from mid April on a low input/labour system.
just can’t decide on what tups to run over them, wanting easy lambing and quick growing, not keeping any ewe lambs.
hoping someone has been there done that!
Thankyou.

When do you want to sell the lambs? If you want to run them round until the following April then a Beltex would take some beating.
If you want to have heavy hoggs, or sell in the back end, then Charollais.

If you can’t get a Charollais then your next best option will be… a Charollais. End of.👍🤐 Made for the job.
 

Mc115reed

Member
Livestock Farmer
Charolais or Suffolk Iv always liked over the welshie… IMO you need a breed with a big frame otherwise you end up with lambs that don’t come too much weight.. the texel and beltex lambs over welshies always seemed too stall at 32kg and not really push on much more
 

Ysgythan

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Ammanford
Look up Easy Rams , you'll find them on the Internet and get in contact with Robin Hulme .I got one from them and have used it for the last 3 seasons , very pleased. Got another off him this year. Not particularly cheap but worth it.
Robin has broad shoulders, so I’m sure he will take this in the spirit intended, and that’s a pretty good plug if not.

The whole point of draft hill sheep is that THEY are easily managed. Terminal sire breeders put up with terminal ewes so a) you don’t have to and b) you can get a better lamb out of draft hill ewes and their mule daughters. You don’t need to go that way on the tup side as well in my opinion. If you do though there’s a trade off.
 

Estate fencing.

Member
Livestock Farmer
Iv haven't found the nz Suffolk's very easy lambing on welsh ewes, loose far to many singles that are hung, lambs are good off them but mortality is far to high and have to lamb every single by the second week of lambing. Also for me the Suffolk cross welsh replacement out of them don't have enough milk, I think I'm either going to lleyn (tried 10 last year and had zero problems) or exlarna.
 

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Webinar: Expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive offer 2024 -26th Sept

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On Thursday 26th September, we’re holding a webinar for farmers to go through the guidance, actions and detail for the expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer. This was planned for end of May, but had to be delayed due to the general election. We apologise about that.

Farming and Countryside Programme Director, Janet Hughes will be joined by policy leads working on SFI, and colleagues from the Rural Payment Agency and Catchment Sensitive Farming.

This webinar will be...
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