The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Rosemary on January 24, 2012, 09:50:18 am
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Thirteen lambs due from nine ewes. The three gimmers have one set of twins and two singles; six ewes, three twins, three singles. Bit disapponted with two of the singles in the ewes as they both had twins last year (tried it, didn't like it?). Maybe didn't get the flushing right this year.
But if I have nine healthy ewes and 13 healthy lambs at the end of April, I'll be well pleased. :sheep:
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Very good :)
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:thumbsup: :)
can I ask what is 'flushing' please Rosemary?
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:thumbsup: :)
can I ask what is 'flushing' please Rosemary?
It's when you put your ewes on a rising plane of nutrition going into tupping. After weaning, you'll put them on your poorest grass to dry them off then about three weeks before the tup goes in, you either put them on to good grass or start giving them some hard feed. This is supposed to increase the number of eggs released, therefore the number conceived.
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In the absence of a teaser, this is the first year I have tried tupping 'tubs'...I'll post up my results when I get them.
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:thumbsup: :)
can I ask what is 'flushing' please Rosemary?
It's when you put your ewes on a rising plane of nutrition going into tupping. After weaning, you'll put them on your poorest grass to dry them off then about three weeks before the tup goes in, you either put them on to good grass or start giving them some hard feed. This is supposed to increase the number of eggs released, therefore the number conceived.
Thank you :)
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In the absence of a teaser, this is the first year I have tried tupping 'tubs'...I'll post up my results when I get them.
I would be very interested to read your results, we had appalling conception this year, we just didn't have the grass to flush with, lots of singles, thinking of maybe sponging next year. We used teasers, so had close lambings in blocks but just not the numbers
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Congratulations, Rosemary. :)
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if I have nine healthy ewes and 13 healthy lambs at the end of April, I'll be well pleased. :sheep:
Quite! With a 300-head-ish commercial flock, we are happy if every ewe rears one good lamb - good singles grow better and are away sooner, when prices are still high, and usually get away without any treatments, or being weaned, or any cake, etc.
And a ewe that has a single this year will probaly sail through rearing twins next... ;)
Bit disapponted with two of the singles in the ewes as they both had twins last year (tried it, didn't like it?). Maybe didn't get the flushing right this year.
Ach, could be so many things. Flushing is just about ovulating eggs. They have to be fertilised, implanted, the embryos have to be ok, grow ok... the ewe's nutrition has to be right, a shock can cause one to be lost ...
If the singles-this-year-twins-last girls are 2nd-croppers, I'd say they're being sensible! 3 lambs in the first 2 crops is pacing themselves sensibly! :D
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A lot of the commercal boys around us have reported lower percentages after scanning this year. Here in Shropshire we had a terrible year for grass, none of it! So, I guess it's down to that. We did our best to flush the ewes with buckets and the best grass we had..so we'll see what happens. Didn't get around to scanning this time so worrying now about overfeeding etc now. Anyway, lets hope all your lambs are born safely by end of April! :sheep:
Allison