[Simon O]

Hi, I am looking about advice on store lambs/sheep.
Hi I have a field of about 3 acres that has not had any stock on it the last year and I thought I should try to get some sheep on it soon as the grass is starting to grow. I had hoped to try to get to Lanark market to get these, keep them till grown, and get them slaughtered for meat. Is now a usual time to get store lambs? What would be the usual stocking rate for this seasonal use? The land is not high quality but I think is reasonable. When are they usually taken to slaughter? The idea is really to use the field this year to get some meat, as I have got other plans for the land for next year.
Simon

[Small Farmer]

Commercial farmers round here (the soft south) either lamb very early for the spring lamb market (in which case they're doing it all themselves) or during April to get the grass.  Lambing hasn't quite finished here yet.  That means that the lambs won't be weaned for quite a while unless you want bottle-fed orphans (you don't).

When we started keeping sheep we bought commercial crosses from a local farmer.  I think we first approached him in June and got them in the first week of August.

Someone else will know the earliest practical age for weaning.  Our oldest lambs are 8 weeks and very firmly attached to mum still.   Our youngest at 5 weeks is 26kg and heading fast to a slaughter weight of 40-43kg.  On good grass it's quick if mum stays in good condition.

[Rosemary]

Agree with Small Farmer. We lamb in April, in common with many, lambs are weaned at about 18 weeks in August, and go for slaughter at te end of October off grass. Store lambs are those that don't make slaughter weight before the winter so tend to come from hill / upland flocks and are sold at the huge lamb sales in the autumn.

I don't know is you will be able to buy weaned / store lambs at this time of year. You could buy some ewes with lambs at foot though. Or just get your local farmer to graze stock on it in return for a lamb or two for the freezer.

You might be able to source some of last year's lambs of a primitive breed like a Shetland and finish them of grass as hoggets.

[Remy]

As the others say store lambs are usually had late autumn time, those that have not made a good slaughter weight.  If you specifically want sheep to graze your grass now then it would most likely be ewes with lambs, although these wouldn't be too cheap.  If you could stand bottle feeding you could get some cades, although even these tend not to be given away free any more!  A good source of sheep for sale is on Preloved, you'd get an idea of what's available and the cost.  Commercial cross sheep are generally cheaper than the purebreds, but a good bet if you want to breed your own for market later.

[Simon O]

Thank you guys for your speedy advice. I hoped that there wasa market for early born lambs to be sold on for feeding up but not knowing that they would usually be grown on by the breeders.  I know my neighbour grows on all his own lambs fully because I asked him. Maybe if it comes to it I can ask if he wants to put some of his ewes with lambs down there, or maybe I could as you say get ewes with lambs at foot myself. I did not really want orphan lambs though I know they were selling at Lanark market at 50p a head. It appears there is not as long a time interval between weaning and slaughtering as I thought. I have got some food for thought here anyway.
Thanks.

[Fleecewife]

Hi Simon    The length of time between weaning and slaughter depends largely on breed.  Some breeds have been developed so lambs can go straight off their mothers, whereas the slower developing ones such as the primitives take over a year to reach a good weight, and there are breeds at all points in between.
How long do you want to have the sheep on your field?  Perhaps you could work backwards from that to find a breed and a lambing date which would allow you to finish your lambs when you want to.

[feldar]

Hi Simon, you could try the downland breeds like the Dorsets or Hampshires. They would have lambed earlier and will have lambs at around the 30 -50kg mark now, some will have younger stock that you could grow on.
We have been sending lambs to market now for the last month so there may be some still about at your local mart.
Hope that helps

[robert waddell]

Ian your neighbour is the best bet  to approach   he is from memory a buyer for lothian lamb or something and knows the sheep industry inside out
buying at lanark can be a bit hit or miss   there are three  main buyers   the last time i was there    and to get the small lots that you are after you could end up with primitives  or ill doeres or worst still ready to kick the bucket
downlands   they are thin on the ground  and are usually pedigree so not sold at normal sales   and you don't want to be paying over the odds either