Winter flushing sheep.

[Bob12]

Hi. This might sound a silly question but what is winter flushing of sheep and what is involved? Thanks.

 

[bobajob]

It's for tupping time in the autumn, you 'flush' the ewes on some good grass a couple of weeks before the tups go in and while the tups/ rams are running with the ewes so they produce more eggs and ultimately more lambs.

It has nothing to do with a toilet

 

[Bob12]

It's for tupping time in the autumn, you 'flush' the ewes on some good grass a couple of weeks before the tups go in and while the tups/ rams are running with the ewes so they produce more eggs and ultimately more lambs.

It has nothing to do with a toilet

I was meaning for the pedigree boys that to a winter flush for embryo work

 

[bobajob]

I was meaning for the pedigree boys that to a winter flush for embryo work

Ah OK, sorry I know nothing about that!!

 

[Ysgythan]

Very late season flushing of donor ewes. Can get one or two flushes with any you don’t run to the tup. Usually January/February time. Freeze the embryos and it gives you a back up if the following season’s flush is a disaster. Even more of a lottery than seasonal flushing in terms of hold rates.

 

[neilo]

Very late season flushing of donor ewes. Can get one or two flushes with any you don’t run to the tup. Usually January/February time. Freeze the embryos and it gives you a back up if the following season’s flush is a disaster. Even more of a lottery than seasonal flushing in terms of hold rates.

But it’s the only way you can get lambs from those ewes that can’t physically lamb, or who you wouldn’t dare risk getting mastitis by actually having & rearing a lamb.
My/our ET vet tells me that it’s quite common practice in the upper echelons of one popular breed.

I bought a ewe for good money back in the summer (a descendant of a female that I should never have sold, in hindsight), with a view to flushing her a couple of times. Not a ‘winter flush’, but I flushed her to one ram in September, freezing the embryos, then to another ram a month later, then she was served naturally by another when she next cycled.
Not a cheap game by any means, but about a dozen lambs on the way from her next Spring.

 

[Ysgythan]

But it’s the only way you can get lambs from those ewes that can’t physically lamb, or who you wouldn’t dare risk getting mastitis by actually having & rearing a lamb.
My/our ET vet tells me that it’s quite common practice in the upper echelons of one popular breed.

I bought a ewe for good money back in the summer (a descendant of a female that I should never have sold, in hindsight), with a view to flushing her a couple of times. Not a ‘winter flush’, but I flushed her to one ram in September, freezing the embryos, then to another ram a month later, then she was served naturally by another when she next cycled.
Not a cheap game by any means, but about a dozen lambs on the way from her next Spring.

I suppose in those upper echelons if they have an ewe who can pump out 5 or 6 figure progeny why would they risk lambing her? Literally no f**ker buying asks any questions about flushing ewes and their functionality. They certainly won’t factor functionality in if they’re not gripped by the goods. Personally I flush for females so I want to flush the right females. I get the feeling that playing with fire is ok for a bit, you can still get functionality even if you don’t necessarily breed for it, until it’s not, and then it’s too late. I wouldn’t say there’s any difference between embryo reared and natural reared ewes as mothers here.