The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: crobertson on February 28, 2018, 07:34:54 am

Title: When does a sheeps breeding cycle end ??
Post by: crobertson on February 28, 2018, 07:34:54 am

After tupping we removed our ram and whether and kept seperately and allowed two ewe lambs to join the girls. Is the start of March too soon to return them all together to avoid the ewe lambs getting tupped ? It would help out practically over the next couple of months to have them all together and just put the boys in a field pen at feeding time.

Thanks in advance

Title: Re: When does a sheeps breeding cycle end ??
Post by: Sbom on February 28, 2018, 07:42:04 am

My teaser ram was tupping  a ewe yesterday!

Title: Re: When does a sheeps breeding cycle end ??
Post by: Marches Farmer on February 28, 2018, 09:54:57 am

Theoretically only a very few breeds are receptive to the tup all year, but it's not a theory I've ever cared to put to the test.

Title: Re: When does a sheeps breeding cycle end ??
Post by: Anke on February 28, 2018, 10:46:09 am

I have taken on (someone else's) bottle lambs from a gimmer ewe that lambed in late August, due to some member of the public having left gates open... the ewe did not survive as she hadn't been fed for pregnancy...

Title: Re: When does a sheeps breeding cycle end ??
Post by: bj_cardiff on February 28, 2018, 01:28:31 pm

I'm happy to turn my ewe lambs out with the Rams from the beginning of April. Others have said that they wouldn't do that because the rams could bring the lambs into heat but I've been doing it for years and never had a summer lamb.

Title: Re: When does a sheeps breeding cycle end ??
Post by: SallyintNorth on February 28, 2018, 02:49:49 pm

Some breeds cycle all year round - Dorsets, for instance - so the answer might depend on what sort of sheep you’re talking about. 

Ex-BH used to leave his tups with the ewes year round, and got some early lambs some years but not very late ones. However, when we introduced Charollais into the mix we had to start keeping the boys separate; the ewes which were part Charollais were much more likely to cycle at odd times :/

Title: Re: When does a sheeps breeding cycle end ??
Post by: firther on March 02, 2018, 08:45:34 am

i had a cheviot ewe that lambed to a texel in middle of july last year, nice lamb as well and I wasn't expecting it  :D