The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: mowhaugh on January 26, 2016, 02:25:47 pm
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Thinking ahead to Autumn here.
We have 12 Shetland ewes, who belong to my children, but mainly my middle one, Angus, who is 3. He has a pretty good grasp of the way things are, that we produce animals for meat and so on. But, he is VERY attached to his Shetland tup, Ken. we have just had a sort out of tups, and culled anything that we won't use again this back end. Angus persuaded me to keep Ken (I wouldn't have actually culled him, he is only 3 shear, so I would have looked for a swap, but that is beside the point). He says he understands that we can't keep Ken for ever but wants to keep him a bit longer.
The problem lies in that we have 4 of Ken's daughters to tup in November. There is absolutely no way I am getting into a two tup situation for 16 ewes, and I am not keeping something, not even as Angus's pet, that is not producing, so need to tup these 4 with something we have. The choices are: Lairg type cheviot (could work well), Kerry Hill (ideal shape for easy lambing but offsping likely to be worth about 10p, I would think), Berrichon (ditto Kerry Hill, although maybe a bit more shapely. And might just be interesting!) or texel (a normal shaped one that looks like a sheep, but still a bit worried about the lamb size for lambing, although offspring might at least get the boy some pocket money for a new tup!).
Thoughts and experiences?
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In a similar situation (pet ram lamb who was loved by everyone) I had him vasecomised and use him as teaser ...shorted lambing to 10 days last year with 19 ewes. .. so he still earns his keep and keeps ewe lambs company when taken from breeding flock. (he will follow a bucket anywhere!)
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Buy more Shetland ewes and another Shetland tup :innocent:
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Rosemary, behave yourself.
Backinwellies, that is actually a very sensible suggestion, we keep some Berrichon x Chviot tup lambs to grow on as teasers, which we use with all our ewes, as we then know that without a doubt they are teasers (it got very confusing the year we used cheviots, OH sprayed big Ts on their backs, clipped them and forgot to respray them!).
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If these will be 1st timers in autumn I wouldn't tup them with anything other than Shetland (or other small native breed).
Depending on what your health status is - can you board the 4 with a nearby Shetland breeder? I would have thought there are a few near you... (not me though, I don't know yet what is going to happen to my sheep come autumn).
Teasers sound good though, at least you will be able to tell him apart from the rest of your tups AND get a new Shetland one to do the work... :innocent:
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If you're ok with horns on a teaser who doesn't know he's not a full tup, then sounds like you have an answer ;)
Otherwise I had been going to ask whether you eat some of the Shetlands yourself? If so, and the quantities work, would it be ok to put Ken to his 4 daughters and make sure to eat all those offspring?
And find Ken a nice swapsie home for 2017...
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Still think my suggestion is the best :huff:
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Otherwise I had been going to ask whether you eat some of the Shetlands yourself? If so, and the quantities work, would it be ok to put Ken to his 4 daughters and make sure to eat all those offspring?
In theory, that is a grand idea, I just don't think my mind can cope with it. Not the eating, I'm fine with that, it's the Ken getting up to mischief with his daughters!
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Not the eating, I'm fine with that, it's the Ken getting up to mischief with his daughters!
Ach, yer fine; it's the Borders ;D
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Ach, well I'm in Cumbria, so it's no big deal here! :roflanim:
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Shetland tups aren't good in tupping season when his ewes done they like to escape and look for more(my experience) Vasectomise or castrate Ken or swap for new Shetland tup, if you ve got secure enough fences, space have 2 shetland tups or if you want to put to commercial continental tup I would reccommend Charollais.
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Space isn't an issue, but having a second tup would mean they had a very small number of ewes each. Which makes the looking for more ewes issue a much greater likelihood. I really do want to use Ken again as I think he is a fantastic tup, so pretty set on the iea of tupping them with something else. However, I am absolutely not buying another tup for the sake of 4 gimmers. It will have to one of what we've got already and they will just tag onto their larger batch. We also don't have space to split the shetlands into two in that although there are acres and acres of ground, there are not enough separate enclosures.
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Why can't you sell those 4 gimmers at the Lanark sale and then he gets some pocket money from that (or buys 4 unrelated ones as replacements)?
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Unless you have anyone else locally with a Shetland tup who you would be happy to take the 4 to, for tupping?
I'm with Anke - I'd really rather a Shetland or similar size tup for a first-timer. But if not possible, then I'd go with the tup that'll give the lowest birth weight of the options you have available. I'd worry about her tummy muscles carrying the lambs more than I'd worry about the actual lambing itself - Shetlands are pretty generously sized in the birth canal.
Given the size of Cheviot store lambs, that might even mean the Cheviot would be a contender? (I've never lambed Cheviots, so don't know what size lambs they have at birth.)
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Why can't you sell those 4 gimmers at the Lanark sale and then he gets some pocket money from that (or buys 4 unrelated ones as replacements)?
Because he's spent hours and hours with them, they have individual names, he's halter trained him themself...
I've never been in this situation before of trying to balance the practicalities with the emotional needs of a 3 year old. 1200 cheviots do not cause me anything like the hassle!
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Unless you have anyone else locally with a Shetland tup who you would be happy to take the 4 to, for tupping?
Will investigate this. Could easily have some visiting wives to Ken in exchange!
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I'm with Anke - I'd really rather a Shetland or similar size tup for a first-timer. But if not possible, then I'd go with the tup that'll give the lowest birth weight of the options you have available. I'd worry about her tummy muscles carrying the lambs more than I'd worry about the actual lambing itself - Shetlands are pretty generously sized in the birth canal.
Given the size of Cheviot store lambs, that might even mean the Cheviot would be a contender? (I've never lambed Cheviots, so don't know what size lambs they have at birth.)
Both the Kerry Hill and Cheviot lambs are pretty wee at birth - much less size difference between their lambs and a shetlands than you would think from the relative size of the adults. The Kerry lambs probably look bigger, but it is all legs, and they are extremely narrow. So that is probably the best bet if we do have to go for the other breed of tup option.
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I don't have any practical sheep advice but I know that the emotional needs of a three year old boy should not be underestimated! My boy always responds best to new suggestions by me saying 'I've got a great idea...!' Works every time. Good luck!