The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Bramham Wiltshire Horns on January 04, 2017, 05:46:01 pm

Title: Scanners been
Post by: Bramham Wiltshire Horns on January 04, 2017, 05:46:01 pm

All 4 in lamb

3 1st timers to singles and 2nd timer to twins

This years lamb ram

Ryelands btw

Title: Re: Scanners been
Post by: angie on January 04, 2017, 06:25:30 pm

 :hug: :excited: all the best

Title: Re: Scanners been
Post by: TheSmilingSheep on January 04, 2017, 06:28:30 pm

good news!
we used our own ram lamb this (last) year for the first time... fingers crossed.... but our scanner's not due until the end of this month.....

Title: Re: Scanners been
Post by: Marches Farmer on January 04, 2017, 07:06:57 pm

That's par for the course for a Down breed - start off with a single (gives Mama the opportunity to raise a lamb without having her first-time milk production over-stretched), then go on to twins and end up with singles again in old age (when twins would see her struggling to keep in good condition).  Just be careful not to feed the single-bearers too much - lambing a large single is much more trouble than tangled twins.  Our flock, with an even  spread of ages, generally scans at around 165%.  I like to have as many old ewes as possible, provided they're in good condition (and it's often hard to keep condition off the Southdowns), as they know exactly what they're doing and just get on with it.