Smallholders Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Sheep questions  (Read 5143 times)

silkwoodzwartbles

  • Joined Apr 2016
Re: Sheep questions
« Reply #15 on: June 17, 2020, 10:11:48 am »
This is why I love this forum, I hope this has helped you [member=27335]vfr400boy[/member] and good luck with your lambs and their replacements :thumbsup:

vfr400boy

  • Joined Jan 2013
  • one life live it
Re: Sheep questions
« Reply #16 on: June 17, 2020, 12:18:38 pm »
Yes I think it helps I need to try get a lambing shed or just buy more weand lambs next spring , just seems a shame to waste the grass

shep53

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Dumfries & Galloway
Re: Sheep questions
« Reply #17 on: June 17, 2020, 01:10:16 pm »
Once your lambs are gone you could buy a few small lambs keep over winter and sell or a few old lean cull hill ewes and do the same , this would keep on top of the grass and you could sell at any time either as stores or with feeding as finished

Womble

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Stirlingshire, Central Scotland
Re: Sheep questions
« Reply #18 on: June 17, 2020, 02:16:07 pm »
Indeed, and I am sure we all do that.


Evidence suggests that not everybody does though - just have a look through Preloved etc and see some of the tups being sold for breeding that really should have been burgers. We certainly fell into that trap with poultry early on, and bred some real crap because we got carried away by how cute the chicks were!  :-[


It's oh so difficult to buy well until you know what you're looking for though, especially with older animals. We sold a few older ewes last year who would have made a cracking starter flock, but they were all ewes who we'd have gladly kept if only we had the space. This year we'll be getting rid of two ewes, but they'll be going for mutton, since I refuse to pass on known problems to somebody else.
"All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." -Terry Pratchett

vfr400boy

  • Joined Jan 2013
  • one life live it
Re: Sheep questions
« Reply #19 on: June 17, 2020, 03:48:13 pm »
Once your lambs are gone you could buy a few small lambs keep over winter and sell or a few old lean cull hill ewes and do the same , this would keep on top of the grass and you could sell at any time either as stores or with feeding as finished
Were is best place to buy some small lambs ? And what price would they be roughly? That sounds like a good idea

twizzel

  • Joined Apr 2012
Re: Sheep questions
« Reply #20 on: June 17, 2020, 04:37:30 pm »
Once your lambs are gone you could buy a few small lambs keep over winter and sell or a few old lean cull hill ewes and do the same , this would keep on top of the grass and you could sell at any time either as stores or with feeding as finished
Were is best place to buy some small lambs ? And what price would they be roughly? That sounds like a good idea


Local market will have store lambs which essentially need to grow on and fatten up. Prices fluctuate from as little as £30 up to £60 or more. I think if I was in your shoes I'd let the grass rest over winter. 1.5 acres won't sustain many sheep over winter without additional feed and forage, and would need resting in the spring.

shep53

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Dumfries & Galloway
Re: Sheep questions
« Reply #21 on: June 17, 2020, 05:42:56 pm »
My thought was if the lambs are gone by AUG then in Sept /Oct  buy 3-4 to eat the large amount of grass available  then resell Jan or keep a bit longer if still grass , having put on a on a bit of meat , if a rising market then might make a couple of pounds

vfr400boy

  • Joined Jan 2013
  • one life live it
Re: Sheep questions
« Reply #22 on: June 17, 2020, 05:43:39 pm »
Cool ok I will do that then then next time get 8 lambs not 4 , i need to find some were i can rent with a shed or better still buy my own


Local market will have store lambs which essentially need to grow on and fatten up. Prices fluctuate from as little as £30 up to £60 or more. I think if I was in your shoes I'd let the grass rest over winter. 1.5 acres won't sustain many sheep over winter without additional feed and forage, and would need resting in the spring.
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vfr400boy

  • Joined Jan 2013
  • one life live it
Re: Sheep questions
« Reply #23 on: June 17, 2020, 07:29:27 pm »
Just weighed the biggest one hes 28kg so growing fast

 

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