Author Topic: How much is a Ram worth? (Read 8048 times)

Me · « **Reply #15 on:** September 04, 2015, 09:06:01 pm »

Cartilage in the throat becomes inflammed/infected as a result of pressure from the surrounding tissues/poor/compressed conformation. Texels/Beltex very common, snore, roar and snort their way around to the ever lasting through a haze of steroids and marbocyl or they get better and do it again one day (after siring a few more snorters)

Porterlauren · « **Reply #16 on:** September 04, 2015, 09:47:28 pm »

Quote from: Marches Farmer on September 04, 2015, 07:48:25 pm

I prefer to buy an aged ram if I have a lot of first timers - the rams know what to do even if they don't and it keeps lambing to around 19 days, which suits our system. I am puzzled by the popularity of Texel and Beltex - farmers in this area have moved away from them in increasing numbers in the last few years, partly due to lambing problems and also because of Texel Throat.

Cant imagine a beltex causing too many lambing problems?

waterbuffalofarmer · « **Reply #17 on:** September 04, 2015, 11:26:41 pm »

I sold my 4 yr old ram at a sale and I got 100 ££s for him, I only paid £200 for him. The ram I bought last year set me back £500-600, so not bad considering he has very good genetics. I like to buy a young ram, although not a yearling unless from good stock. I sometimes breed my own ram lambs and they sire brilliant lambs. I think its all down to breed and looks for most people, so the more traditional small rams may not be as much as say a Suffolk for example. Texel throat is a disease I have never heard of, sounds nasty. Is it only in that breed or can other breeds get a form of it too?

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #18 on:** September 05, 2015, 12:00:38 am »

You're welcome, Old Shep

Our vet says the throat condition is quite prevalent in Dutch Texels - and our most recent purchase did turn out to have it

. We weren't sure whether the problem only really evidences in adult males, which wouldn't bother us as we don't breed tups, or all offspring. We've kept just a few of his daughters and will monitor the situation.

I think there are lambing problems with pure or near pure Beltexes, yes, same as with pure Texels. So much double muscling leads to a narrow birth canal failing to stretch enough for the huge gigots. It's why we go back up to the Mule after 4 generations; once they get too much Texel-type in them, we start to see difficult lambings. Swaley Mules are very roomy

Porterlauren · « **Reply #19 on:** September 05, 2015, 12:03:31 am »

Sorry Sally, I think he was talking about people going away from using a beltex as a terminal sire on ewes, due to lambing problems. Whilst I agree that lambing pure beltexes are like lambing through a letter box, when a beltex sire is put over say a mule, they should pop out pretty easy!