The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Louise P on August 25, 2015, 01:17:48 pm
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As title says, I'm after an Exlana tup to buy or rent. I'm in the North West but can travel for the right tup. I only have 10 females but am hoping to keep the ewe lambs to increase the flock.
It's difficult having so few. I'd like a nice tup to breed some nice ewe lambs for the flock but at the same time, I can't justify paying top dollar for a tup to serve so few females, especially when I'll have to replace him in a couple of years?
The other school of thought is to buy an easycare ram lamb from a nearby farmer, use him over the winter then send him in in the spring. Would this produce a nice ewe lamb or does this then ruin all the good I've done driving to the other side of the country for some nice exlana ewe lambs?
Any help or advice gratefully received :-)
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I went to go and tag some people in this post but then realized tags weren't on this forum, woops
Im sure Tim would be along soon to help you out
Exlana tups are expensive for a ten ewe flock, if you could either look for a well bred, recorded easycare tup, there is not an awful lot of difference between them sometimes
Porterlauren on here has exlana's and easycares and he will be able to help you out possibly, it may be possible to source a ram lamb from someone?
I know plenty of people who grade up easycares or wiltshire horns using an exlana tup and may have a ram lamb available
I doubt it would un do everything, as long as your selection and culling remains heavy, just select the ewe lambs to keep which still have the functional traits that you require or which the pure exlana's have
Hope this helps a little :wave:
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Not sure why you thought you couldn't tag here, Keepers.
Did you mean [member=29066]Tim W[/member] ?
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Not sure why you thought you couldn't tag here, Keepers.
Did you mean [member=29066]Tim W[/member] ?
Wow! learn something new every day! :idea: had no idea you could tag on here, maybe because I never see anyone tagging!
[member=41540]Porterlauren[/member]
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It's relatively new; Dan calls it 'mentions'
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It's relatively new; Dan calls it 'mentions'
Its a good idea to have it :thumbsup:
Very useful
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Much as I would love to sell you a tup , they probably are too expensive for a small flock (yearlings this year were £550 to £750)
But if you want to buy a recorded shedding tup nearer to home and possibly a little cheaper why not look at the Maternal Sheep Group site www.maternalsheep.co.uk (http://www.maternalsheep.co.uk)
They are based in the borders but may know people nearer to home----if you PM me your location I may be able to suggest places to look?
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Oh thanks everyone for your quick replies. Tim, I'm near Chorley in Lancashire. Yeah, unfortunately I think you may be a bit expensive for my few ewes, especially since they're all lambs so probably won't all take this year. I hope to have enough in a few years to be able to come and buy a nice tup from you :-)
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Shame you are so far away, i'd happily sell you a good shedding ram lamb, born a twin, unaided, no hard feed, no messing, fiddling or pampering etc. Most of mine are going for killing, but have a few that could be sold as breeders.
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Where are you Porterlauren? My Dad's up and down the country all the time so could possibly call?