The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Slimjim on September 30, 2014, 08:36:59 am
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I will be using a HD ram on my Jacob, Badger Face and Leyn ewes this year. I also have a well grown Leyn x Jacob ewe lamb that I am proposing to put to this tup. Does anybody have any experience of using HD tups on lambs? I have read a lot of recent and past posts about the pro's and cons of putting lambs to the tup in general, but I have been advised that a HD ram would be especially a bad idea since they have such large heads. Any thoughts please ? Many thanks.
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A Hampshire Dow is a good fast growing terminal sire ideal to use for fat lambs
However they do have wide heads, wide shoulders and big wide bones in the head, shiulder and legs, taking into account that muscle gives and bone doesn't, I would not put a Hampshire down onto ewe lambs for a first time lambing.
A ewe lambs pelvis is narrow and is not stretched as well as being not fully grown yet, so to breed a ewe lamb for the first time I would always put something with a narrow head, narrow shoulders and fine bones
There may be people out there who have used a Hampshire down on ewe lambs, however I would not do it as if it goes wrong well then you have lost the ewe lamb!
This year I have maybe 20 ewe lambs to go to the tup, but they are all going to the charmoise tup for easy lambing lambs with a low birthweight but high vigour, and then these lambs fill out later on to produce a good carcasses shape
I know someone who puts the charollais ewe lambs to a Shetland with good results, and these ewe lambs are well grown, maybe 50 kilo at time of lambing
Good luck :)
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I think you have sort of answered your own question. A lot of people who put ewe lambs to the tup will use a maternal sire not a terminal sire like a Hampshire. Have you had lambs from him before? Do the lambs have big heads?
There is a very fine line with ewe lambs. They need enough food to grow themselves and the lambs but also if you over feed you risk large lambs that won't come out without a vet.
I've toyed with the idea but choose not top but there are many people that do. Good luck!
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I've never put ewe lambs to the tup but Southdowns (which we keep) are often recommended for first-time lambers. Like all Down sheep the head and shoulders look wide but only because of the wool. When shorn they're actually much narrower than, say, a Texel or Belte,x and have a longer neck, which seems to be a key factor in whether or not the lamb can line up for birth.
I'd choose a utility type of ram, though, not one bred for showing.
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I agree with LG.
And I'm also using a Charmoise on about 25 ewe lambs this year.
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The Charmoise is the best choice of tup on ewe lambs I have seen.. but if they were my sheep for the sake of simplicity I would put the HD tup on everything (just to be controversial)
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Thanks for all those comments. On balance, it doesn't seem a great idea so I will let the ewe lamb grow through to next year. She is already bigger than the badger face ewes, so as shearling I am sure she will be fine. No adverse advice about using the Hampshire on my other breed ewes so I shall carry on with part of the plan. Thanks again.