I (impulse) bought 9 Zwartble ewes at Sheep Fair last year, just for a bit of variety and colour in amoungst my mules and because they've always interested me, but am massively disappointed in them! 1 was empty, 4 had singles and 4 had twins. All bar one have been a pain in the lambing shed, either by getting half way through labour and then deciding that it 'wasn't their scene' and loosing interest and so needed lambing, or having thick lambs that just stand about like blobs instead of getting on with suckling and life in general, or having a single titchy lamb, or, best of all, believing that their lamb only needs to be cleaned constantly and has no reason to go anywhere in the region of their udder. Their only saving grace is that 24 hours in the adopter and they'll take on any spare lamb. Are they all like this or did I just buy someone else's rejects? They won't be in the 2018 lambing shed!
Zwartbles
- Thread starter Becs
- Start date
rc mx110
Member
We have 1 zwarble, and I am not impressed with it at all, huge ewe, normally thin, not the best mother either
Best bit is I got mine for free!
I think a lot are bred for showing...
I've got 5 X cheviot that I bought with my Cheviots. They are 4t and have all lambed no problem. 1 had a lamb pinched and didn't want it back so is now in the adopter. But other than that they've been no bother and have some nice lambs.
I've got 5 X cheviot that I bought with my Cheviots. They are 4t and have all lambed no problem. 1 had a lamb pinched and didn't want it back so is now in the adopter. But other than that they've been no bother and have some nice lambs.
- Location
- West Kent
A lot will come from small flocks where the females are kept as replacements for the sole reason they don't have nuts. No matter that their mother had terrible feet, poor mothering ability etc.
- Location
- Derbyshire
A friend of mine bought 5 to use as recipients. They all failed and had crossbred lambs (a problem with the ET not the Zwartbles). All 5 shearlings had twin black ewe lambs and they were some of the strongest lambs at birth. Chances are the 10 ewe lambs will be kept as commercial replacements.
- Location
- Welshman living in Nottinghamshire
Unfortunately that way of thinking isn't restricted just to zwarbtles.
Jackson4
Member
- Location
- Wensleydale
I had 3 one year 6 scanned 1 alive, hung lambs tight pelvis etc another half the lambs reared. Never carried enough on their backs and struggled after lambing. Not great feet and the few x's kept had similar problems and glad to have got rid. Just goes to show you get what you breed for, and 99% of the time with these it was wool colouring, lugs and that dairy type that needs feeding well.
The crosses I had looked an ok sheep and I can see how it would work, milky sheep and big tight skinned lambs but would need improving a lot and I'd be worried of what tups i bought in. Jme.
The crosses I had looked an ok sheep and I can see how it would work, milky sheep and big tight skinned lambs but would need improving a lot and I'd be worried of what tups i bought in. Jme.
- Location
- Cornwall
Awful things - had 3 zwartbles in a flock of 70 or so lleyns. Zwartbles all dropped dead over a year or 2 for various reasons. Couldn't keep the things alive.
M-J-G
Member
Some are bred by breeders with foresight, but too many of them are kept for a hobby, with no culling policy, particularly in females.
And we all know where a zero selection and a lack if culling gets you!
And we all know where a zero selection and a lack if culling gets you!
GenuineRisk
Member
- Location
- Somerset
Know zip about sheep but isn't itt the same the world over breeding for specific colors or markings no matter what the breed/species? Other traits go by the bye ! Personally couldn't care less about colour / markings which is just as well in my breed! They're all red when they're dead and whether it's got a pretty white head marking or not is pretty irrelevant if everything else about the animal is excellent, no ?
cheviot53
Member
- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
My neighbour bred them pure for 3yrs but I see the rams have gone and the ewes left are being crossed . From everything iv'e seen and read their feet are a big problem . A big sheep farmer told me in the early 2000's that he was going to use them to breed a mule type and had 100 ewes , 2yrs later none
- Location
- Devon
Or to small flocks
- Location
- West Kent
By accident I have 3 mule x zwartble ewe lambs. I have marked them as keepers as I'm curious to see how they turn out, but any issues and I will have no hesitation in culling.
- Location
- Welshman living in Nottinghamshire
Or indeed to ewe lambs. Judging by the tup lambs regularly for sale from August onwards, some folk obviously think everything born should get the chance to spread it's seed, even if it's a shiťty arsed, pigeon toed, overshot rat bag......with three legs! But hey, he's got two bollocķs(!!)
- Location
- central scotland
got £105 for two mis marked wethers on thursday born 20th dec and 7 jan they're not all bad.........honest, but then again I wouldn't buy a Holstein cow to produce fat bullocks, if they look tall and narrow they will probably be just that, as for mothering ability if they are getting worse that will be our (breeders) faults bred to show not to make dough