The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: tommytink on June 11, 2020, 10:25:23 pm
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So I understand about not weaning ram lambs, just sending them straight to market or abbatoir, but what about ewe lambs? If I was to sell someone x amount of ewe lambs that they wanted to keep, could I take them straight off the ewe?
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You could, but that will be a lot of shocks for the poor wee girlies all at once. I think I would prefer to wean them at home, get them going on strongly again, and then sell them when they are in tip top condiiton.
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Its another of those things that people do whatever suits them best..
Weaning depends on your ewes really and how well they are coping, and how much grass you have for them. Once separated the lambs growth will be knocked back, so its probably better (IMO) to sell from the ewe, rather than a month weaned.
If anyone is interested in buying your lambs and they are over 3 months old I wouln't hesitate at selling them straight off the ewe. I wouldn't imagine any ram lambs would be up to weight for an abbattoir until 5 months old, so at that age they are probably weaned in any case, so also fine.
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Whilst I've not sold breeding stock (only fat lambs, and they are sent off from the ewe), with cattle we always wean and then give them a month or so to adjust before selling as suckled calves. I think I'd be tempted to do the same with ewe lambs too unless a bit later in summer when the ewe has started to wean them herself.
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Also, factor in what you are wanting to achieve. If you want to build a name as a breeder, you would not want people taking delivery of lambs which are under considerable stress - weaning, travel, strange ground, new parasites and bacteria in the environment, strange people - and will therefore take a knock back for their first week or so. Hence my comment above about selling them when they are in tip top condition.
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If you have a buyer for your ewe lambs then ask them if they want them straight from the ewe or not. Just don't be tempted to wean too early. The longer you leave it the more independent the lambs and the less traumatic weaning time is.
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You could, but that will be a lot of shocks for the poor wee girlies all at once. I think I would prefer to wean them at home, get them going on strongly again, and then sell them when they are in tip top condiiton.
This was my thought, just too much to deal with in one go.
The guy who sold us the Badgers popped over this week and I asked him but to be honest because he’s proper commercial I think he either takes them straight off the ewe to the mart, and doesn’t worry about weaning any replacement ewes as they’re all out on tack anyway. I think he tends to sell later in the year so weaned anyway, whereas I’m looking to downsize as soon as possible (August at the latest).
He said to sell ram lambs before end of July. Target weight for them is around 35kg plus. At the moment I’m not too fussed about weaning the Badgers. My main aim was to supply little starter flocks (of ewe lambs) to people like me. They’d be well handled and desensitised to humans, unlike the rabble I bought! Although mine are registered I’m not even sure I’ll go down the line of registering the lambs, although it might be silly not to as I could do it this year as both parents registered. Either way I wouldn’t want people thinking I’ve sold them rubbish sheep if they go a bit backwards because they weren’t weaned.
I am weaning the Radnors this week. They’re 13+ weeks now and almost as big as their Mums and punching hell out of them when they have a drink, which I don’t see too often. Plus the boys are sometimes trying to get sexy with the ewes which I’m not comfortable with!! We’re keeping hold of all of them for the time being so no issues with their condition going on hold for a bit. A couple of the ewes are super skinny, and four out of five had twins so being their first time as well I think they could do with a break now.
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from a buyers point of view id rather buy straight off theyre mothers. that way they are as free of worms as possible. lambs weaned and grazing (especially if grazings tight) often carry a greater worm burden
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from a buyers point of view id rather buy straight off theyre mothers. that way they are as free of worms as possible. lambs weaned and grazing (especially if grazings tight) often carry a greater worm burden
But you should quarantine worm all incoming stock anyway (Zolvix or Startect) so that would clean them out of worms before they are turned out.
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I would prefer to buy straight from the mother. The lambs get one shock, weaning and moving not two seperate shocks in a short space of time.
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I would prefer to buy straight from the mother. The lambs get one shock, weaning and moving not two separate shocks in a short space of time.
I agree, provided the lambs haven't been taken off their mother too early solely for the purpose of selling them. I don't wean my lambs before 16 weeks anyway, by which time they are pretty independent. Weaning is going to set them back anyway whether on the holding of their birth, or somewhere else. But taking them to another location on selling is not necessarily traumatic, provided they are not sold singly. You have to remember that safety of a herd animal is in the flock, or herd; so provided they are sold with other animals that they have lived with all their lives then they are not going to be too traumatised or stressed.
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from a buyers point of view id rather buy straight off theyre mothers. that way they are as free of worms as possible. lambs weaned and grazing (especially if grazings tight) often carry a greater worm burden
But you should quarantine worm all incoming stock anyway (Zolvix or Startect) so that would clean them out of worms before they are turned out.
quarantine dose or not, the less worms i buy in the better. the less chance of making resistance to the monepantel drenches
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These guys are all roughly 10-12 weeks. I was looking to sell as ewes with lambs but they’re a bit old for that now. The guy that sold us the ewes came over last week and said don’t sell them together now, sell them separately and it would be better.
I’m in no rush to sell them, but we’re mindful of the predicament we were in last year. Come late Autumn we lose the sun completely and therefore the grass stops growing. We need to not only sell the lambs but also downsize the ewes. They are not the type of sheep people want though. Nice for showing but no weight in them for the meat market.
We are still planning the Radnor weaning. Their lambs are much bigger. I was in two minds but today I’ve found a weird growth on one of the ewes udders, right near the teat. On a sideline if anyone can shed any ideas on what this is I’ve attached a pic...
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I don't know why you think they are too old to sell with lambs at foot? If you are going to downsize then I would advertise them now as ewes with lambs at foot and see what happens. You say you aren't in a rush and mention August but we are already half way through June.
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I agree with Harmony. If you were planning to sell the ewes with lambs then now is as good a time as any as prices are good because there's plenty of grass around and people are looking for stock. That way you will also have more grass for your other sheep later in the year.
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I have got them advertised as lambs with ewes and got quite a bit of interest but a lot of time wasters like someone that offered me less per head than if I took them all to the mart myself. Got them on some farming as sites and the usual Facebook and Preloved etc. but it’s hard as everyone just wants to give you a bag of nuts for them.
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Your picture is either a supranumary teat or a wart, I would need a closer look to be sure which one.
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I have got them advertised as lambs with ewes and got quite a bit of interest but a lot of time wasters like someone that offered me less per head than if I took them all to the mart myself. Got them on some farming as sites and the usual Facebook and Preloved etc. but it’s hard as everyone just wants to give you a bag of nuts for them.
How much per life are you asking? It might be they are a bit pricey. You may be better weaning the whole lot, selling the ewes as breeding ewes in a breeding sale at local market and putting the lambs in the store pens. Depends how quick you want them gone really.
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Your picture is either a supranumary teat or a wart, I would need a closer look to be sure which one.
It wasn’t there previously so don’t think it’s an extra teat. Definitely looks possibly like a very small gammy bit to the end. The lambs are definitely coming off in next couple of days so will check her out and have a feel of it, and prob spray with some AB and keep an eye on it.
It’s been suggested it could be a cyst or abscess caused by a blocked gland or lambs teeth I guess, or getting prickled by a thistle or some such. I know our Badgers came back from rough grazing and a couple had some marks to their udder from thistles, though none in a lump like this.
I think the problem with the sheep is they aren’t commercial meaty types and that’s what everyone wants. Plus I don’t want to sell them for less than we paid, especially as they’ve done they’re first lambing now. The guy that sold them to us suggested hanging on to them till Autumn and that there’d prob be more interest as breeding season approaches. I appreciate the year is speeding by. Most people that contacted wanted ewes or lambs, not both together!
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Your picture is either a supranumary teat or a wart, I would need a closer look to be sure which one.
I think the problem with the sheep is they aren’t commercial meaty types and that’s what everyone wants. Plus I don’t want to sell them for less than we paid, especially as they’ve done they’re first lambing now. The guy that sold them to us suggested hanging on to them till Autumn and that there’d prob be more interest as breeding season approaches. I appreciate the year is speeding by. Most people that contacted wanted ewes or lambs, not both together!
Obviously you can leave your advert running. Are you a member of the relevant sheep society? They will have a for sale page and people looking at it will be looking specifically for those type of sheep.
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Your picture is either a supranumary teat or a wart, I would need a closer look to be sure which one.
It wasn’t there previously so don’t think it’s an extra teat. Definitely looks possibly like a very small gammy bit to the end. The lambs are definitely coming off in next couple of days so will check her out and have a feel of it, and prob spray with some AB and keep an eye on it.
It’s been suggested it could be a cyst or abscess caused by a blocked gland or lambs teeth I guess, or getting prickled by a thistle or some such. I know our Badgers came back from rough grazing and a couple had some marks to their udder from thistles, though none in a lump like this.
I think the problem with the sheep is they aren’t commercial meaty types and that’s what everyone wants. Plus I don’t want to sell them for less than we paid, especially as they’ve done they’re first lambing now. The guy that sold them to us suggested hanging on to them till Autumn and that there’d prob be more interest as breeding season approaches. I appreciate the year is speeding by. Most people that contacted wanted ewes or lambs, not both together!
It might be a bit late in the season for buying ewes with lambs at foot. R.e selling for less than you paid- ewes will devalue for each year you have them, so they are probably worth £10-20 a head less than what you paid if they’ve reared lambs.
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If you bought them from a reputable breeder, a member of the breed society, then do mention how and by whom they were bred in your ad. Ewes from someone no-one's heard of won't be worth as much as the same ewes from a breeder ;)
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I just sold ewes with lambs at foot last week.
Echo SiN's comments above.
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I have always found it very hard to sell ewes/lambs to smallholders and often find that its financially better and a lot less hassle to just cull them (depending on the ewes condition obviously). Trouble with people starting off with sheep is that they often can't tell a good ewe from a bad one. Usually the factor that makes them interested is the cheap price.
Established breeders might pick up the odd ewe at sales but many will breed their own replacements or buy from society sales rather than online sales sites.
I think your best option would either be to take your chances and send them through the sale ring or wean the lambs, fatten the ewes for a month or 2 and cull the ones you don't want to keep.