[Ladygrey]

Commercial sheep farmer would have her down the road at the first opportunity!!!!

Some would yes, but there actually is a very surprising amount of commercial farmers who would keep it

[ScotsGirl]

I have moved on most of my trouble makers and it was worth it as lambing so far has gone well, no losses (shouldn't speak too soon as 6 to go!) and no orphans. Only one iffy one left but she has produced triplets this year and is a good mum even if difficult to deliver lambs.


I think it is difficult whatever the age with small flocks. What do people do with tups? My Suffolk ram is such a softy and now 4 yrs old. Presumably no good to eat. Not sure I could ever part with him, is castration an option eventually so he can stay?


I could sell him on now while he still had life in him but couldn't guarantee getting another like him that I can manage.

[ZaktheLad]

I have the same issue with my HD tup.  Such a lovely chap - good looking and fantastic temperament.  He throws some fab lambs.  He is rising 3 so I could sell him on but worry about what sort of home he would end up in    I will be keeping him I suspect 

[SallyintNorth]

BH cycles his tups frequently - you guys are making me wonder whether that's partly so he doesn't get too fond of them.

With our current bull, we've held off keeping any of his daughters on so far so that we don't have to face that 'too many of his daughters' moment too soon.  But we've had some really lovely heifer calves off him this year, I suspect we'll start to keep them on now.  Two, or at most three, more years Brad... 

His predecessor we acquired after BH's uncle saw him withdrawn from sale having only reached fat price.  Uncle knew we were looking for an Angus bull and that we need a really quiet one as we have public footpaths and thousands of tourists (not exaggerating.)  We contacted the owner, who said he was too 'nice a gentleman' to go in the fat and he wanted a working home for him.  We bought him for just a little more than fat price, and he did us proud for two years.  Having kept on some of his daughters, we then tried to find him another working home but drew a blank.  I suggested contacting the previous owner, just in case.  Sure enough, he now had a batch of unrelated heifers he could use Ridley on, so bought him back.  We heard that a couple of years later, he'd then found him another working home, where he'd be on a very small herd of dairy cows so could stay as long as he could work

So you see, it's not just smallholders who get attached to certain animals

(And the heifer calves we are most likely to keep on have Ridley as their grandpa and Brad as their pa )

[Jamie12]

I have a small flock o 30 ewe lambs. I have some definant ones t go, two barren who are persistently lame and who complete little monkey  who causes as much havoc as possible at any given oppertunity. If I stick to culling any with issue I hope it will make my flock better

[Womble]

For me, if it's a hobby flock, unless there are welfare issues you should be able to keep whatever animals you like, since it is you who'll bear the consequences. Equally though, the logic of replacing a problem animal with a better one is obvious and requires no justification if that's what you decide to do.
 
The problem comes when dealing with rare breeds etc, where there may not be a better replacement waiting in the wings. However, unless the breed is *really* rare, wouldn't it be better in the long term to keep a few really good sheep than a lot of average / poor ones?
 
My problem is that having finally got in touch with my ruthless side and made my decisions for next year, Mrs Womble doesn't agree! 
 

[Victorian Farmer]

READING THE COUNTRY SMALLHOLDING .SMALLHOLDERS NAW NEED better stock more money better breeds a pigme goat made 700 pound saterday hot livestock high VALUE live stock better replacements rtificial Insemination the way forward for better stock and more at the sales so the flok needs to be better We've culled a couple of times you need the best stock posabul olor]

[Marches Farmer]

OK if you keep all the offspring and never sell on any as potential breeders as you then have the resultant problems to deal with.  Doesn't do the breed any favours if you don't.  We cull ruthlessly and have an easier lambing with every successive year.  Occasionally we keep an old ewe in good condition to be a "nanny" sheep to the ewe lambs after weaning, but she'll not be bred from again and be replaced as soon as she struggles to keep her condition.

[Daisys Mum]

I need to get rid of my Zwartble Tup, I don't really want to sell him on as he has atrocious feet, I have not kept any of his offspring! He is now 2 years old, what on earth should I do with him?

[Foobar]

I need to get rid of my Zwartble Tup, I don't really want to sell him on as he has atrocious feet, I have not kept any of his offspring! He is now 2 years old, what on earth should I do with him?

I would eat him .

[Anke]

I need to get rid of my Zwartble Tup, I don't really want to sell him on as he has atrocious feet, I have not kept any of his offspring! He is now 2 years old, what on earth should I do with him?

I would eat him .

Have to do the same with my black Shetland tup, his temperament is just too difficult to handle (his feet are fine)... but he was still reeking of tup  a couple of weeks ago...

[Womble]

Unfortunately there are loads of surplus Zwartble tups about. Plenty of good ones at the Stirling auction in September didn't sell at the minimum price of £150, so the freezer is surely the best place for one with bad feet.

You have all our sympathies though DM  .

[ewesaidit]

Thanks Trish.  That's good to know re the mutton from older ewes.   Will need to decide soon as winter grazing let ends at the end of March and then I'm struggling for grazing until the grass comes through.   

I no longer send lambs off to market - partly because of the way they were handled when they got there, partly because of the odd derogatory comment about my (non commercial breed) lambs and undeserved poor prices, and partly because they probably end up on a lorry for many hours before they meet their fate.  Managed to find buyers at my work who were happy to have half a lamb butchered and boxed for the freezer and a reasonably local farmer who takes them straight to the abbatoir and I collect the boxed meat from him.  As I only have around half a dozen tup lambs to go each year this works well.