The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Twotwo on September 20, 2017, 10:41:33 am

Title: Crutch or not
Post by: Twotwo on September 20, 2017, 10:41:33 am
Our ram lamb is due to go in with the girls soon, they have had mucky bums due to the wet grass. So should I crutch them as some say? Last year I did as Tim Tyne says in his book and only trimmed off the worst bits but the ram was an old hand at the job !  what do others do.
Title: Re: Crutch or not
Post by: harmony on September 20, 2017, 11:12:39 am
I would clean them up. There is still a chance of fly strike and it has got to be better for rams/ewes to serving ewes with clean back ends. Once the ram has been in you don't want to be tipping your ewes so I would get them cleaned up now.
Title: Re: Crutch or not
Post by: Twotwo on September 20, 2017, 12:01:00 pm
Sorry, always difficult to explain oneself properly in texts. I will trim off the worst but what I'm really asking is, some people crutch back tight while others thought that put rams off ! and I wondered you knowledgeable people on the forum thought.
Title: Re: Crutch or not
Post by: shep53 on September 20, 2017, 12:36:06 pm
Have fully crutched and done nothing , can't say iv'e found any difference in conception , now I only trim dirty or very woolly , easier life as I get older  :farmer:
Title: Re: Crutch or not
Post by: Marches Farmer on September 20, 2017, 04:10:31 pm
I'll be crutching 'em this year.  I find the young ewes sometimes get a bit loose when the Spring grass comes in and I don't want to catch and trim mucky backsides to keep them clean for the lambs.
Title: Re: Crutch or not
Post by: SallyintNorth on September 21, 2017, 05:19:00 am
Timing is all.  If you're clipping right back, don't put the ram in for at least seven days, preferably ten.  It's a bit prickly at first!  :o
Title: Re: Crutch or not
Post by: Buttermilk on September 21, 2017, 07:11:16 am
I do my sheep with them standing and just trim off any clangers.  One person holds them and one trims.