The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Hillview Farm on April 25, 2014, 09:27:18 am

Title: When to move ram lambs away?
Post by: Hillview Farm on April 25, 2014, 09:27:18 am

Can anyone share when they split ram lambs away? Do you put the ram lambs and mothers away from the ewe lambs and mothers or do you just split them off at weaning? If so, what age do you wean? We have commercial breeds :)

Title: Re: When to move ram lambs away?
Post by: SallyintNorth on April 25, 2014, 09:55:51 am

Anything with testicles is getting sent away fat if at all possible by August.  Any lambs with testicles still here by September get speaned and kept away from the ewes.  Hereabouts, we can give ourselves another month to separate them from the ewe lambs if we want.  (We lamb in March for the most part, and I don't think we've ever had a hogg lamb before April.)

Factors will include climate (nothing got randy on our farm till mid-Oct last year, it was just too warm), breed (we find the Charollais and his offspring happier to get busy in August, whereas the mules and those with Blackie blood can't think about it before October, really), age (ours are 5 months by August, if you lamb in January they'll be ready to work sooner!), and fitness.

Title: Re: When to move ram lambs away?
Post by: SallyintNorth on April 25, 2014, 09:57:12 am

Forgot to say we don't spean unless we have to.  Most of our lambs get sent away off their mothers at 4-5 months old, 38-45kgs liveweight. 

Title: Re: When to move ram lambs away?
Post by: Bionic on April 25, 2014, 10:50:15 am

Sally,what does spean mean?

Title: Re: When to move ram lambs away?
Post by: SallyintNorth on April 25, 2014, 10:52:45 am

'spean' = separate and wean

Title: Re: When to move ram lambs away?
Post by: Bionic on April 25, 2014, 11:28:26 am

Quote from: SallyintNorth on April 25, 2014, 10:52:45 am

'spean' = separate and wean
[/quote


Ah, obvious when you think of it, thanks

Title: Re: When to move ram lambs away?
Post by: Marches Farmer on April 25, 2014, 11:32:15 am

I wean at 16 weeks and separate at 20 weeks.  Any rams showing promise for potential breeding or destined for the freezer go onto grazing at a neighbour's orchard and the rest go to market as store lambs.

Title: Re: When to move ram lambs away?
Post by: Tim W on April 25, 2014, 11:36:20 am

Wean from 10 to 14 weeks old---

Ram lambs get separated from females by mid September but have been left a bit longer with no real problems

As said factors to consider include breed type, weather, daylight hours

Title: Re: When to move ram lambs away?
Post by: Bionic on April 25, 2014, 11:46:57 am

Sally,to send away at 5 months are you feeding during the summer?

Title: Re: When to move ram lambs away?
Post by: Hellybee on April 25, 2014, 11:53:21 am

We wean in August, then they get split, think we ve only had one Ewe lamb in early January due to being tupped by a lamb. 


Then in the autumn they go off to the store sales.  Eyes not in enough yet  I don't think to finish them, suits us and we still get decent prices. 

Title: Re: When to move ram lambs away?
Post by: SallyintNorth on April 25, 2014, 05:45:47 pm

Quote from: Bionic on April 25, 2014, 11:46:57 am

Sally,to send away at 5 months are you feeding during the summer?

Yes, we do.