The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Hugo on September 28, 2015, 09:32:53 am
-
I want to expand my flock and have been offered some old ewes for sale as they don't have any shearlings for sale as they want to keep them. But they are offering me old ewes which are still good, is there any down side to buying older ewes he is asking for £50-£60 for each ewe and I want to buy 4. I really like this breeder and trust him and he has good stock, but am I wasting money when he will have shearlings for sale next year. Are old ewes good if they have good teeth which the last few I bought off him last year had. Any problems with having older ewes and what is the positives of having older ewes?
Any help or advice on this would be much appreciated.
Thank you.
-
Provided they have good teeth I would go for older ewes over shearlings.... experienced and less flighty ... and if from a small holding probably come to a bucket easily too.
-
I'd first check their feet and condition (takes a month of good grazing to put on a condition score, but how much is desirable depends on the breed). Then their teeth - if she can't look after herself she certainly won't be able to raise a lamb or two. Then the udders - redness, heat or hardness means mastitis. If all's well I prefer a shed of old ewes that know what to do and just get on with it. You may get two to four more crops of lambs from them if they're treated well.
-
I started with 2nd lambers then sold them on after 2nd crop with me, one needed c section this time and the other one had a sore udder. Both went as cull ewes good market for them at the time. So eyes open this time and be prepared to move them off next time. I now have 30 after starting with 6.
-
I would also go for older sheep for an expansion. If they've been kept until draft age, they've been breeding well and know their job.
-
How old is old? What breed are they? Those two things together will influence the answer to your question. 'Old' varies from breed to breed and type to type. I don't keep commercial sheep but they don't seem to be used beyond about 7, whereas the Primitives, as long as they have their teeth, can go on lambing until well into their teens.
A shearling has no experience so you have no idea what kind of breeder she will be, but an older ewe, depending on why she is being sold on, should have a few years of lambing under her belt.
So I would advise to ask for far more information on the particular ewes on offer, so you can make a decision based on knowledge rather than on general guesswork.
-
I would also take older ewes in preference to gimmers, if they have a) a sound udder and b) have no history of difficult lambings. I would not rule out broken-mouthed girls, with some extra TLC and on good ground they should also do fine. But they have to be in good condition by now, any that are skinny now will not really get well enough covered for mating this year.
It also depends if you trust the person selling them to be honest with you and not sell you ewes beyond their breeding age...