The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Marches Farmer on April 04, 2018, 10:15:34 am
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70% to be exact. If I can work out why I'll let you know. Usually around 50-55%. Anyone else seen this?
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I’ve got your excess ram lambs then! 14 ram lambs and 8 ewe lambs. Same ram used the year before gave a 50:50 split.
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We're 2/3 female to 1/3 male this year as well. Just one of those things when you have a small flock, since there are fewer ewes for everything to average out over.
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Mendelian here......
Pedigree Llanwenog 4 male. 4female
Llanwenog cross. 6 male. 6 female
Amazing!
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We have very high percentage of ewe lambs this year too. Last year we were over run with ram lambs but this year it is the complete opposite. We are using the same rams this year as we did last.
I crossed one zwartble ewe last year with a wensleydale ram, she had fantastic lambs but both were rams. This year I have crossed quite a few of the zwartble ewes with a wensleydale ram and am delighted that I have lots of ewe lambs and only 1 ram lamb. It will be interesting to see how their fleeces turn out, they seem to be more wensleydale like than zwarble like.
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We have very high percentage of ewe lambs this year too. Last year we were over run with ram lambs but this year it is the complete opposite. We are using the same rams this year as we did last.
I crossed one zwartble ewe last year with a wensleydale ram, she had fantastic lambs but both were rams. This year I have crossed quite a few of the zwartble ewes with a wensleydale ram and am delighted that I have lots of ewe lambs and only 1 ram lamb. It will be interesting to see how their fleeces turn out, they seem to be more wensleydale like than zwarble like.
That is a cross I am tempted to do for some fleece sheep.
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Reggae sheep! We need to see photos, VAnderson! :thumbsup:
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Here are a few snaps of triplet zwartble x wensleydales. They always seem to have the little white bit on the top of their heads but it disappears as they get older. The black colour appears to be quite dominant, even ewes crossed with the white wensleydale ram are give black lambs.
I also have pedigree wensleydales (both black & white) which I breed and sell the fleeces/spun yarn. So I am hopeful that this cross will give fantastic fleeces, the 2 boys I had last year certainly did.
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And here are some pics of last years boys when they were a bit older
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Same here, I've only just restarted my flock, last year had two ewes and they had 2 of each. This year I've lambed 4 ewes and had 5 girls and 1 boy
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Lots of girls here too!! 20 lambs from 10 ewes - 8 sets of twins, 1 triplet and 1 single. 4 tup lambs, 16 ewe lambs!!! Having said that, this was our best/easiest lambing in the 6 years we have been lambing, all ewes lambed on their own, except the single needed a little pull, all lambs up and suckling on their own. Ewes were turned out on particularly good grazing just before tupping, maybe something to do with it? Dont know the answer but very happy and relieved this year! :thumbsup: