Which breed or breed combination produces the best fat lambs

[Unknown12]

looking to buy some more ewes and thinking to go with pure Charolais as I sold some char x tex fat lambs for a good price, wondering what other people thought produced the best fat lambs

 

[wrenbird]

Who or what market are you producing lamb for? Start with the end purpose and work back from there. Failing that you can always buy some mules with bonny heads,

 

[M-J-G]

Who or what market are you producing lamb for? Start with the end purpose and work back from there. Failing that you can always buy some mules with bonny heads,

Aren't there some within most breeds that look for nice heads.

 

[HarryB97]

Depends if you are selling live or dead. However when it comes to taste and eating quality which is the most important factor breed doesn't really matter. It's all about what they are fed and the stress around slaughter which matter the most.

 

[M-J-G]

I'd start with what suits your farm, it's the factor you have least influence over.
Keep a female that suits your farm and use a sire that complements her best to meet what the market demands

 

[Estate fencing.]

A big sheep man round here says it’s doesnt matter what breed the ewe is along as it’s healthy, cheap to keep and produce 1.70 lambs constantly. Shape in the ewe isn’t really important. The tup that you use is for more important. I run all sorts of ewes but the best I have found are welsh cross Suffolk’s put to a beltex cross charollais tup. The ewe lambs seem to get fat very easy and have nice shape.

 

[neilo]

looking to buy some more ewes and thinking to go with pure Charolais as I sold some char x tex fat lambs for a good price, wondering what other people thought produced the best fat lambs

Are you concerned about cost of production, time to slaughter, or total output..... or just the 'best fat lambs'. If none of that concerns you, then a pedigree Beltex flock would let you gleam with pride when you got your name in the market report (eventually).

 

[Unknown12]

selling live in fat stock sales

 

[unlacedgecko]

A big sheep man round here says it’s doesnt matter what breed the ewe is along as it’s healthy, cheap to keep and produce 1.70 lambs constantly. Shape in the ewe isn’t really important. The tup that you use is for more important. I run all sorts of ewes but the best I have found are welsh cross Suffolk’s put to a beltex cross charollais tup. The ewe lambs seem to get fat very easy and have nice shape.

Suffolk x Welsh? Buy why?

 

[neilo]

Suffolk x Welsh? Buy why?

Because he likes a challenge, and the Welsh were just too easy?

It’s always been quite a common cross to be fair, or was, back in the days when Suffolks were king of the castle.

 

[Estate fencing.]

Suffolk x Welsh? Buy why?

There a bloody good ewe. I can produce them cheap out of welsh ewes ( there weather lamb brothers are worth a bit), they hold condition better than most ewes and seem to be worth ok money as culls. What not to like?

 

[Estate fencing.]

Because he likes a challenge, and the Welsh were just too easy?

It’s always been quite a common cross to be fair, or was, back in the days when Suffolks were king of the castle.

I do like welsh ewes but they just don’t have the lambs and in bad year no one wants the culls (although last week did get £87 for some). Also if I put them on my better land they would get to fat and I never get a lamb out of them.

 

[Ysgythan]

Texel on a Texel x Mule

 

[LTH]

Texel on a Mule!

 

[CopperBeech]

The first question you need to ask is “how do you define best”. To me the best are the ones that cause least hassle and make most profit and are easy in as many ways as possible

 

[Sheepfog]

Suffolk x Welsh? Buy why?

There a bloody good ewe. I can produce them cheap out of welsh ewes ( there weather lamb brothers are worth a bit), they hold condition better than most ewes and seem to be worth ok money as culls. What not to like?

I believe it is quite a common and successful cross. Hardy ewes with plenty of milk and better twinning than pure Welsh. You need to use a sensible Suffolk type of Suffolk though!

 

[Ysgythan]

I believe it is quite a common and successful cross. Hardy ewes with plenty of milk and better twinning than pure Welsh. You need to use a sensible Suffolk type of Suffolk though!

Been there done that. That’s why we have Texels.

 

[LTH]

Mule 1 crop with April born single that we wet mothered another on too, they were big lambs. Just weighed them 47kg and 48kg. Off they go this week