The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: twizzel on September 30, 2013, 02:54:09 pm

Title: Finishing lambs before winter
Post by: twizzel on September 30, 2013, 02:54:09 pm
I've got 6 lambs that I bought as stores at 3 months old. They have grown really well, some better than others, but I need to finish them before winter really sets in (so by end Nov) as most of them will be Christmas dinner and the farm we get our cades from lambs in January. Have started feeding a bit of cake each day which they are eating, but is there anything else I can do to finish them by this time, as I know the grass loses a lot of it's goodness around October time. I'm wondering whether to put hay out for them... They are in a large field that was fertilised and then cut for hay, there is plenty of grass... thoughts?
Title: Re: Finishing lambs before winter
Post by: Foobar on September 30, 2013, 03:24:41 pm
What breed are they and what do they weigh currently?
Title: Re: Finishing lambs before winter
Post by: twizzel on September 30, 2013, 04:17:51 pm
All commercial lambs, Texel x something not sure what, but I do know they used a Texel ram. Some of them seem slightly finer so wonder if they have some primitave in them somewhere. Roughly 33-37kg at a guess, we don't have scales so can't weigh them.
Title: Re: Finishing lambs before winter
Post by: twizzel on September 30, 2013, 04:19:42 pm
Here's a pic taken a couple of weeks ago, the white faced lambs (the suffolk ewe is going tomorrow)...
 
Title: Re: Finishing lambs before winter
Post by: Azzdodd on September 30, 2013, 06:13:24 pm
All mine went about 33-35kg is it worth what the feed will cost to get them to abit heavier? Or just send them now
Title: Re: Finishing lambs before winter
Post by: YoungRasher on September 30, 2013, 06:45:07 pm
just out of interest, What price would you expect to get for them? Thanks.
Title: Re: Finishing lambs before winter
Post by: shep53 on September 30, 2013, 07:11:53 pm
Don't worry about what weight they are you can kill at any weight you like , the condition score is more important depending on how fat or not you want your meat , the lambs look good  but not fat , grass looks ok,so how fat you want them and how fast dictates the amount of concs
Title: Re: Finishing lambs before winter
Post by: SteveHants on September 30, 2013, 08:32:27 pm
I can't put my hand on those, but they look pretty well done to me.
Title: Re: Finishing lambs before winter
Post by: twizzel on September 30, 2013, 09:33:57 pm
Ah great thanks guys. The lamb to the left of the photo is one of the ones that I was sure was nearly finished, the lamb almost facing the camera is the one that's slightly leaner. I don't want them fat. Our lambs this year so far have killed out at between 18kg and 24.5kg and all were lean even the heavier ones. These ones don't feel quite there yet, their spine still sticks out a bit on the loin, I'd like a little more covering really.
 
 I've got a pretty busy October working and a rare long weekend away so might send them at the end of October. Young Rasher we've got £70 for half this year for the surplus lambs all to close friends and family.
Title: Re: Finishing lambs before winter
Post by: Foobar on October 01, 2013, 09:35:42 am
If that's the only grass you have, divide it up using electric fence and give them a new section each week so that they get the best from it.  I dunno where you are but the grass is still growing where I am.

Title: Re: Finishing lambs before winter
Post by: twizzel on October 01, 2013, 11:10:24 am
We're on a 150acre farm so there is grass, trouble is the fields are not overly sheep proof  :roflanim:  they are out on about 6 acres at the moment. There's a ram and wether out in another 10 acre field with the bullocks... we are in Cornwall so grass is still growing, infact there has been a noticeable spurt in the last couple of weeks, it's very mild.