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Wildlife / Re: Swallows'25

« Last post by Fleecewife on September 13, 2025, 12:17:31 am »

I think you're right.  They apparently have 2 to 3 broods a year, just like swallows, so perhaps mine will have a successful brood this year, so long as they finish the new nest pronto.
We are squabbling about how best to protect the nest from woodpeckers and possibly rats.

The second nest of House Martins survived to fledge yesterday, in spite of the wind.  I'm wondering now how long it will take them to be ready to migrate.  They have to build up a store of fat, learn to catch insects on the wing and have enough reserves to fly to Africa.  If only the wind would die down they would have load of insects.
Our swallows are still around as the wind is a southerly, but the instant it turns I think they will be off.

62

Sheep / Re: Best time of year to send a ram for slaughter

« Last post by twizzel on September 11, 2025, 09:37:28 pm »

Why don’t you send him to your local market? Cull prices are good and if you don’t need the meat back that’s where I’d send him straight after tupping. If sending in May I’d not bother wasting money to have him shorn.

63

Sheep / Re: Best time of year to send a ram for slaughter

« Last post by Richmond on September 11, 2025, 09:07:13 am »

Thanks. I'd rather sell him live if I can. We're not short of meat having already put an old ewe in our freezer earlier in the year and are also having back one of the lambs that are going to slaughter soon.

He'll be in with the ewes October and November and for grass management reasons we had planned to leave him in with them for December as well so his field is rested for a full three months, but I'll advertise him for sale in December so if he's sold then that would be great. But if not I think I'll just hang on to him till about May and send him to slaughter then. He'll have had a bit of spring grass by then. And another question - I normally have him shorn in May so should he go to slaughter after being shorn or shall I leave him with fleece on?

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Sheep / Re: Best time of year to send a ram for slaughter

« Last post by SallyintNorth on September 10, 2025, 09:07:01 pm »

As I said, we have sent tups off after tupping and never had any issues with the meat we got back.  But, like boar taint, it could be one of those things that doesn't always happen but *can* happen.  So if you want there to be no risk and it's not a problem to keep him till spring, then do that.  If you'd rather have him away and would be okay if you were unlucky and ended up with mince that needs curried and/or fed to the dogs, I'd send him off now.

65

Sheep / Re: Best time of year to send a ram for slaughter

« Last post by Bywaters on September 10, 2025, 06:36:21 pm »

I've read conflicting stuff on whether to send a ram outside of tupping time - in the main the advice seems to be before the testosterone levels get high or after

Anyone any actual experience of this ?
Sally - you  seem to have, from your comments above  What is your view please?

66

Sheep / Re: Best time of year to send a ram for slaughter

« Last post by SallyintNorth on September 10, 2025, 06:15:10 pm »

We've sent tups off straight after tupping and had 'em minced just in case - but the meat was beautiful. 

If you want to keep him through to spring, he'll be fine anytime.  The meat tastes sweeter once they've been eating grass for a few weeks.  Where I am, the grass thinks it's still winter until halfway through April, but we're often short of grass for lambing, so the tup would either have to hang around until mid May or so, or be going off without much new grass in his belly.  Personally, I'd be guided by conditions and management considerations, rather than optimising meat quality for one tup.  But if you have no constraints, then whenever he can have been having nice fresh grass for a month. 

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Sheep / Best time of year to send a ram for slaughter

« Last post by Richmond on September 10, 2025, 04:59:24 pm »

Using our ram one more time this season and then he's up for sale. If no takers he'll have to go in the freezer, so what, in everyone's opinion, is the best time to do this? March? April? May? He will be 3 by then.

68

Sheep / Re: Ewe nuts for wether short term

« Last post by Richmond on September 10, 2025, 08:23:28 am »

Update: I rattled the bucket, I called repeatedly, and they looked at me from the other side of the field as if I were bonkers and then carried on grazing. I walked towards them and they walked away! Meanwhile the ewes in the other field ran to the gate faster than greyhounds .......

However I had better luck today and they came straight in.

69

Sheep / Anyone used a battery / cordless dog type trimmer?

« Last post by Bywaters on September 08, 2025, 06:33:25 pm »

Just wondering if anyone has successfully used a dog type cordless trimmer to, for example, help with flystrike ?

If so, what make . model ?

I don't want to go the "makita" type route, I'd rather have something smaller and lighter

70

Sheep / Re: Ewe nuts for wether short term

« Last post by Richmond on September 08, 2025, 08:26:33 am »

I think they'll probably come to my call tbh, but just wanted to rattle something for extra encouragement.
Thanks for all your suggestions and advice everyone, much appreciated.