[Hillview Farm]

  Just being nosy again

Who here hires tups?
What breeds, Ages?
How long for?
How much do you pay? Per head or is it a set price?
Had any problems?

[lachlanandmarcus]

I borrow a registered Shetland  tup either ram lamb or shearling, from a breeder who wants to prove them before they are sold as breeding rams.


She doesn't ask for any money but I attended a show to support the breed class locally at her request. I have hired previously and paid £50 (as the ram was aged I got to keep him in the end for that money)


The only issue we have had has been this year when the borrowed ram has brought in pinkeye :-( thankfully I had only put four ewes in and the rest are separated two fields away. One of those things but the vets bills means buying my own tup would have been cheaper this year! . But then if I bought one they could have brought it in too, so.....


I keep the tup from early /mid Nov to new year.

[Marches Farmer]

I hire out pedigree Southdown tups and tup lambs (up to 10 ewes only for the lambs).  Some go to SD or Ryeland flocks, some to other breeds where they want a breed for easy lambing but still a good carcase.  This year I charged £40 for 4 weeks and £10 for any subsequent weeks.  Hirers collect them or I charge diesel at cost for delivery and collection.  Healthy ewes are normally covered within 19 days.  All returning hire tups go into quarantine and most go straight to slaughter after the standstill.  Any that don't continue in quarantine for 12 weeks.  You need to watch the health status if hiring in.  We've never had orf, scab, Johnes, Jaagsiekte, CODD or enzootic abortion on the farm and eliminated footrot in 2007.  All our animals are well handled and very docile and we tend to get people coming back year after year - already taking bookings for Autumn 2014!

[DartmoorLiz]

I've borrowed a scotch blackface ram after my lleyn tup would only jump on my lleyns (as discussed here under "ram only likes his own kind").  I paid £2 per head (£50) and I'm not sure when he's wanted back, it would suit me if it was the new year because it would be nice if he got around any returns before going.  He's a fine chap and no problems so far.

[Simon O]

I have hired a Kerry Hill Tup last year and this year. It was £5 a ewe last year (£50) last year and I suppose will be similar this, hopefully partially offset by some bartering of produce. KH tups can be pretty expensive so I think this is a better option for me at the moment. I keep the ram for 2 cycles, last year we did one journey each but this year I think I will do both the journeys -120 miles round trip so diesel expense is also significant, but not many people have enough KH sheep to spare a ram.

[mowhaugh]

I have hired a Kerry Hill Tup last year and this year. It was £5 a ewe last year (£50) last year and I suppose will be similar this, hopefully partially offset by some bartering of produce. KH tups can be pretty expensive so I think this is a better option for me at the moment. I keep the ram for 2 cycles, last year we did one journey each but this year I think I will do both the journeys -120 miles round trip so diesel expense is also significant, but not many people have enough KH sheep to spare a ram.

If the trade for tups is as bad at the Carlisle sale next year as it was this year, you could buy a top quality tup for £100, then you'd have him for at least two years, or if you didn't want to have a tup hanging round all year round, you'd probably get £70 - £90 back in the fat!

Or, if I keep any tup lambs from next years' crop to potentially sell as shearlings, and they are big enough by the time you are wanting to tup your ewes, and you liked any of them enough, you could borrow one free - it's good to be able to sell a shearling knowing it does what it is meant to!

Kerrys are not a good example on the whole though, as their male - female prices are backside forwards compared to most breeds.

[Simon O]

Yes you are right Mowhaugh I was surprised at those prices this year - I suppose more people kept their tup lambs hoping to make some money, so depressed the Market. I had 2 that I was thinking about keeping, and had been wondering about using the better of them on the ewes as it was unrelated to all but its mother, but in the end I put them in the freezer and got some nice pieces of lamb out of it, so I am glad I did not keep them to next year after all. I might take u up on this next year, or buy one if prices are still down.

[Tim W]

Hiring tups??

A great way to bring in disease or resistant parasites----everyone thinks it won't happen to them but £200 spent on a tup will look cheap if you bring in multi resistant worms that you cant' kill. Or MV or Border disease or johnes or a new strain of pasturella or COD or scab or toxoplasmosis ---the list goes on              

[YoungRasher]

surely the risk of bringing in parasites etc is the same if you buy or rent.

[Tim W]

If you buy you tend to bring in an animal way before you use it so you can isolate it for a month or more, you can treat it for worms (2 different wormers) fluke and observe for any problems it may bring in ---I also tend to test animals for MV/Border/Johnes etc when they are in isolation. I buy tups for the season in spring/summer and can isolate them for a few months

Most people who rent a tup just put the thing straight in with their ewes----it is also more likely to have come from a farm where tups are coming and going from farm to farm and therefore has more chance of contracting and spreading disease

[YoungRasher]

I see what you mean now. That all makes sense.