[Cycle gladiator]

Hi we have two ewes and three lambs which we sheared at the weekend they are Romney's and never settle fully when sheared which makes it hard work as they are so large. I'm sure much of it is to do with my lack of experience (second season) but any advice would be greatly recieved. Also the boys are going to slaughter so could anybody advise on the optimum age and weight please.

[Haylo-peapod]

40 kilos live weight is what I've always been told - although I believe some of the chunkier breeds (Texel's etc) go at a heavier weight.
 
Age will depend on when they are ready and what you are feeding them. Commercial lambs go when they are only a few months old but with my GFD's that are slow maturing they often aren't ready until they are over 12 months old. I would imagine that Romneys should be ready before Christmas.
 

[Cycle gladiator]

Thanks haylo I was thinking November just in time for xmas

[Rosemary]

Thanks haylo I was thinking November just in time for xmas

Check with the abattoir and butcher that you're planning to use - the abattoir we use doesn't do private kills in November or December.

[SallyintNorth]

Re: when ready for slaughter...

If you're eating them yourselves, then they're ready when they're fit and big enough for what you want.  You can grow them on as long as you want, depending on how big you want your joints - but watch they don't get overfat.

If you're selling them in the ring or deadweight, you get the best return per kilo if they will kill out at not more than 21kgs.  For a very muscley type, like a Texel, this would mean 40kgs liveweight (with an empty stomach - up to 43kgs on the farm.)  Hill breeds can probably go up to 45kgs plus (empty) and still hit the mark.

You get less per kilo, and often less per head too, if they are over 44kgs in the ring (46-47kgs at home.)

Just as important as weight is condition.  They want to be fit not fat.  Test the tail-head - run your fingers down the sides of the tail; if you can feel the tailbones easily, they're not ready yet.  If you have to really squeeze the tail to feel the bones, they're too fat.  Do the same on the loins and behind the shoulders, you should be able to feel the 'transverse processes' (where the spine juts out and the ribs attach) with pressure - but not too easily.

Age is irrelevant, except if they get old enough to start cutting their adult teeth, in which case their value plummets as they cost more to process (rules and regs about spinal matter.)  But that's usually not until around 12 months old, often later.  However, again if they are for your own consumption, they may develop more flavour in their second year and in truth it doesn't cost that much more to slaughter hoggs with adult teeth - our abattoir charges an extra couple of quid is all.

If you can get to ScotSheep next week, visit the Eblex stand - they'll have lambs and models, diagrams and experts to help you understand all that.

[SallyintNorth]

Hi we have two ewes and three lambs which we sheared at the weekend they are Romney's and never settle fully when sheared which makes it hard work as they are so large. I'm sure much of it is to do with my lack of experience (second season) but any advice would be greatly recieved.

We all answered the second question but not the first.

I didn't quite understand the question.  Do you mean they won't sit still while you are clipping them?  Or that they are unsettled after clipping?

I'm not a shearer (yet - hoping for some training in hand-clipping this year) but in general, a sheep sat vertically on her tailbones is a very uncomfortable sheep; she needs to be slightly onto one hip, head folded over and down her side.  She also needs to be completely certain that struggling is useless, then she'll settle!  The more you can tip her up and hold her with confidence and firmness, the easier she'll find it to be quiet while you do whatever she needs.

[Cycle gladiator]

Thank you all very much for your comment.