Where is the Texel breed going ?

[westwards]

Last year I bought 8 pedigree Texel gimmers in an attempt to improve our small flock, most were carrying twins 1 triplets and 1 single, I knew I was taking a risk with the single but the lamb was born by section and a huge dead tup lamb, and I know that can happen but all the twins were a sore pull on the gimmers as the lambs were far too big. When I bought them they had all been too well fed and I put them out with blocks and they did not get any feeding till 5 days before they were due.

My point is that top breeders are flushing their top ewes and putting the eggs into cross gimmers and ewes so that they can get the lambs out of them and they milk better so the lambs grow bigger and we all know size sells they then sell their surplus texel gimmers and expect some breeders further down the line to get the lambs out of them, there are more and more sheep men moving to Easy Care sheep and it looks like the Texel breed are heading in the opposite direction !!

 

[texelburger]

I tend to agree,however,people going into breeding pure Texels usually know what they are letting themselves in for. We ,over the years,have cut back as far as we dare on giving them concentrates but still have to pull most of them although our losses are minimal and a lot less than they used to be.They are a great paternal breed but do take a little managing.

 

[neilo]

Last year I bought 8 pedigree Texel gimmers in an attempt to improve our small flock, most were carrying twins 1 triplets and 1 single, I knew I was taking a risk with the single but the lamb was born by section and a huge dead tup lamb, and I know that can happen but all the twins were a sore pull on the gimmers as the lambs were far too big. When I bought them they had all been too well fed and I put them out with blocks and they did not get any feeding till 5 days before they were due.

My point is that top breeders are flushing their top ewes and putting the eggs into cross gimmers and ewes so that they can get the lambs out of them and they milk better so the lambs grow bigger and we all know size sells they then sell their surplus texel gimmers and expect some breeders further down the line to get the lambs out of them, there are more and more sheep men moving to Easy Care sheep and it looks like the Texel breed are heading in the opposite direction !!

Might not some of the problem have been you feeding them too well in late pregnancy, even if it was less than you normally would. In short, even the blocks were too much for already fit ewes?

Obviously there’s likely to be a genetic element as well, but late pregnancy management is the main factor imo.
I was advised that straw and a small amount of soya would work by a sheep nutritionist, to restrict energy (lamb size) whilst still providing some DUP for udder development & colostrum production.

 

[Sheep92]

Theyre going the same way as the suffolks sadly, overfed molly coddled rams, showring hype and pedigree sales rams making huge prices isnt going to move the industry forward, many commercial flock owners are now getting sick of this so are looking at alternative breeds of sheep that last more than one or two seasons

 

[Whitepeak]

In defence of the Texel, they are a terminal breed and as such they aren’t renowned for their maternal traits. They will never compare to an ‘easy-care’ sheep for maternal traits, the same as an ‘easy-care’ sheep will never compare to a Texel for terminal traits. You’re not comparing apples with apples.
The problem is that they have been so successful in this country as a terminal sire that people are keeping Texel cross ewes as replacements in order to get the terminal trait advantage of 3/4 or 7/8 or pure progeny, much the same as the Limousin, and then complain that they aren’t maternal enough.
You can’t have both, jack of all trades master of none springs to mind!

 

[Bury the Trash]

havnt heard from @easyram1 for a while ....

 

[easyram1]

We are literally flying to NZ later this afternoon for 3 weeks. We have arranged to see a number of Texel flocks on both the North Island and South Island land so I will have a much better idea of everything when I return. Generally we are looking for Dual Purpose Texels that will bring maternal traits to our Uk clients. This will be really interesting as I have only ever been on Suffolk breeders farms in NZ and that was 10 years ago. We are also looking at Suffolk/Sufftex flocks. Finally we are looking at a totally different maternal composite that we may bring over. Our intention is to import a number of rams later this year.
Must go or I may miss my plane

 

[easyram1]

Theyre going the same way as the suffolks sadly, overfed molly coddled rams, showring hype and pedigree sales rams making huge prices isnt going to move the industry forward, many commercial flock owners are now getting sick of this so are looking at alternative breeds of sheep that last more than one or two seasons

I agree 1000% but what do I know except no breed has the right to maintain total domination as the Suffolks once had and Texels now have. What will happen in the future depends on what commercial farmers demand and how breeds or breeders react. My prediction is that the sheep industry will change more in the next 10 years than in the last 40 and we will all see who is left standing.

 

[Nithsdale]

Theyre going the same way as the suffolks sadly, overfed molly coddled rams, showring hype and pedigree sales rams making huge prices isnt going to move the industry forward, many commercial flock owners are now getting sick of this so are looking at alternative breeds of sheep that last more than one or two seasons

And once the Texel bubble bursts the 'ruiners' will move to the next popular breed and ruin it... It's just a merry go round

 

[Tim W]

Last year I bought 8 pedigree Texel gimmers in an attempt to improve our small flock, most were carrying twins 1 triplets and 1 single, I knew I was taking a risk with the single but the lamb was born by section and a huge dead tup lamb, and I know that can happen but all the twins were a sore pull on the gimmers as the lambs were far too big. When I bought them they had all been too well fed and I put them out with blocks and they did not get any feeding till 5 days before they were due.

My point is that top breeders are flushing their top ewes and putting the eggs into cross gimmers and ewes so that they can get the lambs out of them and they milk better so the lambs grow bigger and we all know size sells they then sell their surplus texel gimmers and expect some breeders further down the line to get the lambs out of them, there are more and more sheep men moving to Easy Care sheep and it looks like the Texel breed are heading in the opposite direction !!

If these breeders are heading in the wrong direction just don't follow them ---
There are people that breed Texel (as well as other terminals) in different ways ---- born and reared outdoors on grass only, no mollycoddling, recording and selecting on commercial traits like FEC/functionality/lambing ease etc
You just have to go look for them and then use them to compliment your 'easycare' type maternal ewes

 

[scottish-lleyn]

We are literally flying to NZ later this afternoon for 3 weeks. We have arranged to see a number of Texel flocks on both the North Island and South Island land so I will have a much better idea of everything when I return. Generally we are looking for Dual Purpose Texels that will bring maternal traits to our Uk clients. This will be really interesting as I have only ever been on Suffolk breeders farms in NZ and that was 10 years ago. We are also looking at Suffolk/Sufftex flocks. Finally we are looking at a totally different maternal composite that we may bring over. Our intention is to import a number of rams later this year.
Must go or I may miss my plane

Tefroms?

 

[easyram1]

Tefroms?

We are looking at various options they are on the list

 

[scottish-lleyn]

We are looking at various options they are on the list

i worked for russel and pam welsh when they where developing them at twin farm alot of recording went into them same with the sufftex stud they ran. Didnt take any prisoners.

 

[easyram1]

i worked for russel and pam welsh when they where developing them at twin farm alot of recording went into them same with the sufftex stud they ran. Didnt take any prisoners.

I must talk to you sometime. Russell is a serious salesman but everything we have bought off him in the past Suffolks and Sufftexes and a bit of Texel semen have been spot on and he is exceedingly focused. He and Global Ovine gave us some very honest and brutal advice one afternoon many years ago when they saw our early Suffolk so yes he is a good guy.

 

[Highcountryshepherd]

One question why do we need another maternal type of ewe in the U.K. , haven't we enough and variations here already

 

[easyram1]

One question why do we need another maternal type of ewe in the U.K. , haven't we enough and variations here already

Our customers are always right. If no one wants them then a somewhat more expensive holiday. If they do it will be very Cheep

 

[Nithsdale]

One question why do we need another maternal type of ewe in the U.K. , haven't we enough and variations here already

I think you are over looking the slight fact that the vast majority of commercial flocks will have traces of Texel in the ewes... the breed - in all its forms - will have, IMO, contributed more to the UK sheep industry than any other, certainly in recent years.

 

[westwards]

Might not some of the problem have been you feeding them too well in late pregnancy, even if it was less than you normally would. In short, even the blocks were too much for already fit ewes?

Obviously there’s likely to be a genetic element as well, but late pregnancy management is the main factor imo.
I was advised that straw and a small amount of soya would work by a sheep nutritionist, to restrict energy (lamb size) whilst still providing some DUP for udder development & colostrum production.

I did say blocks , but it was one tub of crystalixs in dec/ jan to 36 ewes so not over feeding IMHO !!

 

[Bury the Trash]

I did say blocks , but it was one tub of crystalixs in dec/ jan to 36 ewes so not over feeding IMHO !!

......low stocking rate and loads of dark green dairy farm grass all winter ?

 

[Al R]

Where is the texel breed going? Towards a beltex..... oh no they just crossed the beltex into them to get better backends somebody had to say it!