The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: bloomer on July 20, 2014, 05:18:04 pm
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someone help please...
i have secured the use of some grazing and would like to get some lambs to put on it now that will go away before christmas...
i am resigned to buying from market, but not knowing how it works i cant work out what kind of prices the markets have been getting for store lambs...
breed isn't really important but it would help to have a clue what they are likely to cost me, i can get to forfar, either stirling auctions or lanark...
help and suggestions are welcome...
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General advice - Best thing is to go once with no intention of buying, and watch the trade. Then go and choose some you like the following week, and bid on them.
You're a little early for store lambs yet. I can't see that Lanark are selling stores yet; at least there are no reports for store lamb sales this year yet. It looks as though they start selling store lambs on August 12th.
Longtown's opening store lamb sale is a week on Tuesday, 29th July. According to their website there will be some store lambs to sell this Tuesday, 22nd July, but I think it'll not be many yet.
Dumfries' opening store lamb sale is 22nd August.
It looks like Stirling are selling store sheep on Wednesdays, so may be worth popping along there this Weds. But as there were no store lambs sold Weds just gone, I think I'd be inclined to give them a call and check that they are expecting some to come through ;)
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As sally says its to early yet for store lamb sales at the marts mentioned mid aug onwards , the first sales in southern England have only just started . prices for good lambs to finsh before xmas £50 upwards depending on breed and weight , don't know how many you want but small lots are not easy to buy early in the season , I sell at stirling in aug in lots of 100+
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Ah I was looking for more like 7 to 10 lol this could be a challenge!
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Preloved has loads off stores ATM :)
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Ok I'll look :-)
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Price of lamb has dropped like a stone here! Also, already some sales of store and breeding beasts.
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Don't know weather you want to kill them and sell /use the meat or resell , you could buy a few lean old ewes fatten and resell fairly easily
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I'm really looking for lawnmowers (for several acres) that I can eat/give bits of away and give me some practice with sheep, before if it goes well maybe buying breeding stock next year if it works out for everyone ok.
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Good luck if you go to enough sales you will find what your looking for , if no success by end of aug speak again and ill see what I can do
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Our local newspaper has a report from the markets each week.(Immediately after the property pages for some reason). Might be worth having a look at yours for up-to-date prices. :)
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down here in the southeast our local market (Ashford-hobbs parker) have their first store sale this friday, 25th july.
i would be reckoning on store lambs of a decent size making £70 or £75 down here and finished lambs about £90 or so
various things affect the price:
time of year
breed
amount of grass about (a lot this year so price will be fairly high as lambs are more advanced)
weight of lamb
as for what breed, i would avoid horns or a first time beginner although you will probably be buying wethers so i would not dis-count horned breeds if some come along at the right price. i will be running lleyn ewes with lleynXshetland lambs at foot and as i have been working on the farm i am getting them from i know that lleyn are of great temperament where as the suffolk and texels i have been working a little bit with on another farm are more flighty and no where near as nice to handle but if i was in your shoes and some came along at the right price i would consider them as they will only be with you for a few months
Cheers Ed
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I'm really looking for lawnmowers (for several acres) that I can eat/give bits of away and give me some practice with sheep, before if it goes well maybe buying breeding stock next year if it works out for everyone ok.
Get some Shetland Hoggs (wethers and/or girls) and they should be a good size - but still manageable by children as well - by Xmas. If you get them from a small flock they will probably already be bucket trained, won't need any medication etc (except maybe a fluke treatment in late August).
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do you have any you're selling anke???
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do you have any you're selling anke???
Yes, depending on how many you want. My homebred ones are white.
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Put a post up in the marketplace section, I got lots of offers when I did that a little while ago. http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=47640.0;topicseen (http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=47640.0;topicseen) you could get a few different breeds then and try them out before you make the jump next year.
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At the moment our local marts are selling strong stores at around £50, smaller at about £30-£40 and a few tiny ones for around £25.