The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: m3joeEm on April 05, 2019, 05:24:23 pm
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https://rau.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/what-is-the-importance-of-performance-recording-and-improv
I have been a member for several years on this forum, starting with 35 Suffolk/Texel sheep and now several years later i have 100 sheep of mainly Scottish blackface and a few Texel X Lleyn and counting, which are due to lamb from 20th April :).
I always keep an eye on the site and have learnt a fair bit about sheep on here. I am doing a survey on sheep and performance recording for improving ewe efficiency and I know there are a lot of people on here that would have good views to share and would appreciate some input.
With or without Brexit there has always been a risk of subsidy removal from livestock farming. Therefore one must ask:
“Is sheep farming sustainable?” I’ve decided to explore this area and as part of my research, I would appreciate for as many U.K commercial sheep farmers/farm managers or anyone with experience working with breeding sheep systems to take a short time to express their views on the relationship between; ewe efficiency, performance recording and farm subsidies.
https://rau.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/what-is-the-importance-of-performance-recording-and-improv
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Done. You will never work out which reply is mine...
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:D I think I figured it out :) some great points an interesting views for sure. Had some interesting replies so far and just uploaded it yesterday. My aim for my own flock is to get as many kgs of lamb produced from grass from as little kg put to the ram because I've worked with huge sheep and when they have rear less than 2 lambs the huge feed bills (even forage) for these beasts takes a huge chunk out of the lamb prices. Have ten Lleyn X texels weighing 60-70kg (all weighed before tupping) in lamb to a charollais this year each scanned with two lambs. A long time to weaning but I am excited to see how they perform. (all reared one lamb as a ewe lamb and one reared 2)
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Have a look at my website charmoise.co.uk forage only, outdoor lambing, recorded terminal sires, low lamb mortality, low ram cost per ram sired, fully guaranteed rams
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I enjoyed that, thanks :)
I answered as though I was still a proper farmer in the uplands, not the very small scale operation I’m on now, I hasten to add ;)
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Have ten Lleyn X texels weighing 60-70kg (all weighed before tupping) in lamb to a charollais this year each scanned with two lambs. A long time to weaning but I am excited to see how they perform. (all reared one lamb as a ewe lamb and one reared 2)
To me though a 70kg ewe is a big ewe, too big, 60kg ewe is more efficient, isn't there a biggish NZ study concluding the same? The exact same ewes genetically treated better as lambs returned less money when lower stocked at 70kg than higher at 60kg
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Thanks for any replies, much appreciated
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Have ten Lleyn X texels weighing 60-70kg (all weighed before tupping) in lamb to a charollais this year each scanned with two lambs. A long time to weaning but I am excited to see how they perform. (all reared one lamb as a ewe lamb and one reared 2)
To me though a 70kg ewe is a big ewe, too big, 60kg ewe is more efficient, isn't there a biggish NZ study concluding the same? The exact same ewes genetically treated better as lambs returned less money when lower stocked at 70kg than higher at 60kg
Yes i suppose its still quite big, I must look at the weight recordings once more as I cant remember exactly but i know it was in the sixty range for the lleyn X. The blackface were 50-60kg and an odd one over that