The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: firther on September 29, 2013, 05:36:17 pm
-
were at that time of year again, so what tups and ewe's are you all using?
i'm using texel shearlings onto a mixture of texels and mules. I did have some llyens but they all moved on now. Hopefully the 2 tups won't be firing blanks but I do have a ram lamb for back up, unlikely all 3 to be misfiring ;D
-
we have just brought a portland ram for our 4 registered girls and he will be going in with the 15 commercial x bred ewes( Texelxs and a couple shetlandxportlands)
-
We are breeding the same Heb ewes and the same 4 tups. We are pleased with our lamb crop from last year, so we will do the same tupping groups this time. It will save me many hours of puzzling out who to mate with whom, although I enjoy that really - like a crossword
For our two Shetlands we are borrowing a tup lamb - haven't seen him yet :sheep:
-
I'm using my Hampshire Down again on my girls but he is not going in until 14th November as I am planning a slightly later lambing next Spring. :fc: I should have lambs around first week in April onwards and I am just hoping for more grass growth than there was in early Spring this year! I was really pleased with the lambs sired by this HD tup in his first season this year and so he will be staying with me for a long time yet.
If I decide to keep any of his ewe lambs I will be on the look out for another HD ram for them :excited:
-
I bought a coloured ryeland ram lamb yesterday called Tonto. I am hoping I can keep him away from the girls until mid Nov also. The weather is a bit kinder to the lambs (and me) in April
-
Our two new tups, one Dutch Texel (Baler) and one Texel (Wee Wally, hope he isn't Wee Willy :roflanim:) have been out a while now, but no action yet.
BH always puts the new boys to work first - keeps 'em happy and we have time to assess their lambs before the regulars start flooding the market. :D
My little fleece flock, and a half-dozen of BH's small (Dutch Texel X) gimmers are going to Cap'n, my Shetland X (Charollais X (Beltex X (BFL x Swale))) tup lamb. Not ideal with all those breeds in there, but he's a good lamb, nice fleece, and should give a reasonable fat lamb that's easy lambed, up and running quickly, and fastish growing. Hopefully with nice fleece ;) :spin: :knit: :spin:
That leaves Old Dutch (did you not get 'Baler'? He's the New Holland :roflanim:), Fred the Charollais and three Texels - Stamper, Big Daddy and The Old Boy.
BH will deploy them as and when he sees fit - sometimes I get to help decide, sometimes he just does his own thing. I helped choose last year and we've had the best grades we've ever had - just saying :eyelashes:
-
Well Im new here but I thought Id join in :)
Got a charollais x texel going into half the commercial girls (texel x mules) and a new texel going into the other half, that lot started flushing yesterday so the boys will go in in 3 weeks.
Its my first year experimenting with pedigree whitefaced woodlands, so the boy (ram lamb) is going into the vast flock of 5 girls next sunday. Want an early lambing as Im going to experiment with leaving the woodie lambs intact so they are off the property quicker. Might not be a great plan when ive got a few intact lambs come October!! Lets hope not!
-
My poor old tup was getting so frustrated he was squirting constantly poor lad. As he is going to the mart this year I put him in early to get one more season out of him. Instead of keeping a tup this winter I'll be keeping some of his offspring, ready for a new tup next year. He's a nice Suffolk and built like a farmhouse table, we've had some lovely lambs from him but it's time for a change.
-
We breed pedigree Coloured Ryelands; we have 13 females this year including three gimmers (Sweetpea, Smudge and Stella) and we're using the same tup as last year - Lingah Nemo. He'll be off after this year as his daughters will be coming up next year and he doesn't have the best temperament (but he did throw nice lambs).
The ewes and gimmers are starving to death (they tell me) on our worst grass; they'll have their makeovers at the weekend (fluked, dagged (although I don't think any of them need it), faces trimmed (so at least they can see him coming ;D ) and feet done) then they'll be on to some nice grass on the 16th with Nemo in the next paddock, so they can flirt along the fenceline then on 5th November, we'll open the gate.
Last year, we could hardly get him in for the ewes reversing up to the gate. Tarts. ::)
-
Rambo our Shetland is checking out the wether lambs in with him and pulling faces :P :roflanim: . He will soon be going in with our Shetland x Ryeland ewes and a couple of GFD. Last year the cross produced 'teddy bears' ;D with lovely fleece.
Henry the GFD ram is coming to visit again and will have his regular GFD ewes and a couple of the Shetland X's for more 'teddy bears'. Just waiting to see how the skins turn out from last year...looks promising but it is always a lottery with the tannery ???
-
Bramblecot - off the topic of tups, but which tannery do you use for your sheepskins?
-
Mines over and done my boy got ill so they went with a neighbours oxford down tup getting tempted by getting a few more ewes.....I really like my charolias
-
Mainly we have Lairg type north country cheviots which are bred pure, so we will be using 8 of those first time over, chasing up with homebred shearlings. But the oldest of those females will be tupped with Berrichons - 3 of those (we'll keep the ewe lambs for our crossbred flock). The crossbred females will be tupped with Meatlincs - 3 of those too. We also have 28 elderly dorper mules who we will tip with our Zwartbles Sebastion, he'll then get to chase up for the cross sheep, and 18 Kerry Hills in two groups with two tups. Also hope to have 3 black cheviot ewes with a black tup lamb I am borrowing.
Other than the Kerry Hills, this won't be until bonfire night.
-
Mainly we have Lairg type north country cheviots which are bred pure, so we will be using 8 of those first time over, chasing up with homebred shearlings. But the oldest of those females will be tupped with Berrichons - 3 of those (we'll keep the ewe lambs for our crossbred flock). The crossbred females will be tupped with Meatlincs - 3 of those too. We also have 28 elderly dorper mules who we will tip with our Zwartbles Sebastion, he'll then get to chase up for the cross sheep, and 18 Kerry Hills in two groups with two tups. Also hope to have 3 black cheviot ewes with a black tup lamb I am borrowing.
Other than the Kerry Hills, this won't be until bonfire night.
How do you keep up? ;)
-
15 Llanwenog ewes/ewe lambs await the gate opening to let in Sam the Llanwenog Ram (well shearling really).
-
Mainly we have Lairg type north country cheviots which are bred pure, so we will be using 8 of those first time over, chasing up with homebred shearlings. But the oldest of those females will be tupped with Berrichons - 3 of those (we'll keep the ewe lambs for our crossbred flock). The crossbred females will be tupped with Meatlincs - 3 of those too. We also have 28 elderly dorper mules who we will tip with our Zwartbles Sebastion, he'll then get to chase up for the cross sheep, and 18 Kerry Hills in two groups with two tups. Also hope to have 3 black cheviot ewes with a black tup lamb I am borrowing.
Other than the Kerry Hills, this won't be until bonfire night.
How do you keep up? ;)
I was thinking the same thing :D
several rams to several groups of ewes all pure bred Ouessants but not until the first week of November. No lambs before April if you please.
-
Pure Wilts will go to a Wilts Ram. I keep meaning to sell m y old Wilts ram - I should pull my finger out.
Terminal sires: SufTexs (x2) and it looks like I may be buying one of these Charrolais things......
Have just bought a woolshedding tup for replacements too.
Exciting stuff.... ;D
-
Mainly we have Lairg type north country cheviots which are bred pure, so we will be using 8 of those first time over, chasing up with homebred shearlings. But the oldest of those females will be tupped with Berrichons - 3 of those (we'll keep the ewe lambs for our crossbred flock). The crossbred females will be tupped with Meatlincs - 3 of those too. We also have 28 elderly dorper mules who we will tip with our Zwartbles Sebastion, he'll then get to chase up for the cross sheep, and 18 Kerry Hills in two groups with two tups. Also hope to have 3 black cheviot ewes with a black tup lamb I am borrowing.
Other than the Kerry Hills, this won't be until bonfire night.
How do you keep up? ;)
That's why I'm totally bonkers! I do have several different coloured notebooks which are very useful. And my OH does come in handy occasionally!
-
I'm off to Skipton market ram sale on Friday to buy one .Probably a texel or beltex or may be a cross between the two.
-
great response folks, its good to hear what other people are using. i'm using 2 tups on 2 groups of 15 and then hopefully upto around 40 next year. tups go in sat day which is about 10 days earlier but i'm trying to miss changing of clocks which always seems a pain as sheep don't get moving as early and when you to work it can make all difference lol
-
Country soul - my son has these are for sale near Skipton if you are interested? http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/109162920/3-texel-shearing-tups-for-sale.html (http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/109162920/3-texel-shearing-tups-for-sale.html)
(or anyone else interested for that matter)
-
I'm off to Skipton market ram sale on Friday to buy one .Probably a texel or beltex or may be a cross between the two.
try a cross between the 2 andy and then I can see how you get on lol
-
15 Llanwenog ewes/ewe lambs await the gate opening to let in Sam the Llanwenog Ram (well shearling really).
What date are you opening they gate?
-
our starter flock was pure bred wilts but until this year we couldn't get hold of a wilts rams so we currently have a mix of the original wilts and wilts x lleyn. this year we've got use of Arthur a fine pure bred wilts so looking forward to creating a few fresh wilts plus seeing if we can get some self shedding crosses. Nov 1st we open the gate
-
Pedigree BWM on BWM, in two groups as I'm keeping my ram that I used last year so I have another ram to serve his ewe lambs from this year. Gates open Saturday! Excited! :excited:
-
Tupping Hampshires are all done but we are getting ( hopefully) some Lleyn ewes or some Sufolk crosses for November tupping. Just need to find some! :-J
Got my Black Welsh Mountain coming soon too :excited:
-
For Wayfarer :wave: . Devonia near Buckfastleigh. If you want any details, pm me :thumbsup: . Rambo still :huff: :huff: about his wethers!
-
Also for Wayfarer, Devonian do a great job, but take about 7 months to process a skin.
-
well got rained off at work today so put tups in with ewe's this aft, all numbered up and harnesses on tups. so get cracking lads :fc:
-
Tupping Hampshires are all done but we are getting ( hopefully) some Lleyn ewes or some Sufolk crosses for November tupping. Just need to find some! :-J
Got my Black Welsh Mountain coming soon too :excited:
You are always welcome to come and look at my 'woolless Lleyns'.....
-
Bleu Du Maine pedigree flock :love: and a Bleu tup is going in with the Beltex girls :innocent:
For the first time in a long time I'm actually looking forward to lambing :unwell: and currently trying hard to resist the temptation to buy ever Tubby out! LOL!
-
My Suffolk mules, Suffolk crosses and for the first time Lleyn cross texel are going to Suffolk Rams. They go on 'holiday' to see the ram, they are going on the 29th of oct so it will be slightly earlier for me this year :)
Cant wait!!!!
-
Tupping Hampshires are all done but we are getting ( hopefully) some Lleyn ewes or some Sufolk crosses for November tupping. Just need to find some! :-J
Got my Black Welsh Mountain coming soon too :excited:
You are always welcome to come and look at my 'woolless Lleyns'.....
Might take you up on that one Steve.
Do you have many for sale?
-
I don't as I have only bred replacements for myself (and have expanded, so bought a few more) but I know where you can get some, because I wanted more myself - would be over on Dartmoor, but might be worth seeing some a few miles away before you go all that way.
If you were in no real hurry - I have bought a woolshedding tup with decent EBVs and I could breed you some to order if you liked.
-
We need replacements this year unfortunately. We have really culled out hard this year we had a lot of older girls, that had to go. But your breed may be worth looking at for next year.
I will speak to OH. Something we don't have to shear to much sounds good to me.
-
We need replacements this year unfortunately. We have really culled out hard this year we had a lot of older girls, that had to go. But your breed may be worth looking at for next year.
I will speak to OH. Something we don't have to shear to much sounds good to me.
Or, indeed - at all.
The couple I got my Ram from run a council farm over near Bristol - they reckon going into wilts/easycares has kept them sheep farming into their 70s. I'm a youngish feller - but less time spent trimming feet/shearing means I have enough time to run nearly 400 ewes whilst my daughter is in school.
Let me know though - the rams dont go in for almost a month yet and if I knew you wanted them, Id be happy to put a few more ewes to the easycare tup.