The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: SavageU on January 06, 2024, 07:35:46 pm
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So we have a flock of Ryelands. Majority are registered and the tup is registered.
Will ALL the lambs from both registered parents more or less meet the breed standard?
The ones without a registered ewe - perhaps not but see what we get?
I aren't sure yet what I want to do with my lambs, keeping them means I have to think about my tup next year and I aren't sure I want another tup or to get rid of him as he's lovely.
I think I'd rather sell the ewe lambs and perhaps keep some wethers to keep the grass down dependant on numbers.
I have 13 ewes and i'm told to anticipate 20-24 lambs which seems a LOT for me.
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Not necessarily; for any pedigree sheep you need to check for basics like correct mouth, correct pasterns, no inheritable conditions like entropion, hernias (they are more in cattle than sheep), mother has enough milk/no bad maternal traits. Then once they’ve met that basic criteria you can look at breed standard. I normally kick out at least 10% of my ewe lambs and kill them, and out of the remaining ones, will put some to a terminal ram- they haven’t met my expectations between weaning and tupping as shearlings but they are fine for rearing meat lambs. I don’t keep any lambs from ewes in my B terminal flock.
I don’t think ryelands are quite as prolific as what you’ve been told. I’d expect about 160% from them.
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I don’t think ryelands are quite as prolific as what you’ve been told. I’d expect about 160% from them.
We regularly had 180 - 200% form our Ryelands, ewes to tup to weaning.
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aren't there inspections from the Breed Society ?
I remember RBST used to accept that progeny from registered parents were auto registered, but I much prefer the inspection method, esp for newcomers to the breed
Not foolproof of course, either
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aren't there inspections from the Breed Society ?
Not for Ryelands. We had them from 2007 and there haven't been inspections in my time.
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I feel the estimation on numbers is about right. Out of 12 I have some twins and maybe even triplets.
Rosemary do you know if Ryelands have an R rate as in the percentage for reprodiction generally?
At any rate, would just be happy with healthy singles and happy mums this year, even with empties. I'm not suggesting that I just decide they are registered, I just wondered about registering the lambs really afterwards, once I am satisfied via the society, that they meet the breed standards and if I could only register lambs from registered parents on both sides.
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Rosemary do you know if Ryelands have an R rate as in the percentage for reprodiction generally?
Sorry, no. Breed society might be able to help.
Only lambs from two registered parents can be registered.
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We have ryeland a flock of both white and coloured so I have two rams both friendly boys. I usually take a look at all of them and register tup lambs if they have a good shape and look like they will make a good tup, the rest I castrate and either put in the freezer or sell as lawn mowers, if I keep replacement ewe lambs I have to change the tup I will need a new white tup later this year as I kept to 2 ewe lambs from last year.