The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: birkb on July 08, 2009, 09:35:52 am

Title: what to do with tup lambs
Post by: birkb on July 08, 2009, 09:35:52 am

I have kept three full tup lambs from this years crop which I would like to breed from in due course.  They are approaching three months old.  I have not done this before and I am not sure how long they should stay with the flock...I thought about four months...but any advice would be appreciated !!

Title: Re: what to do with tup lambs
Post by: tirdu on July 08, 2009, 08:58:05 pm

Well three months all lambs are taken from there mothers with us, are they pedigree or cross bred tup lambs you have?

Title: Re: what to do with tup lambs
Post by: hexhammeasure on July 08, 2009, 10:52:47 pm

we seperate our tup lambs from their mothers asap after the longest day. with suffolks and other all year round lambers they come into season when the nights start getting longer. so we take off the boys to forestall any mishaps. when weaning lambs its best to take the mothers out of a (well fenced) field and leave the lambs in situ. Less stress apparently. If you are rearing for breeding sales you should have already started feeding up the lambs and increase when the mothers have been taken off