Author Topic: Suffolk Lamb (Read 4400 times)

tirdu · « **on:** February 22, 2009, 10:59:18 pm »

Just come in from my before bedtime half past ten check in the lambing shed and had to pull the biggest ewe lamb probably ever produced on the farm. Absolutely massive. Suffolk x with legs built like tree trunks

Both mother and lamb doing well

Hilarysmum · « **Reply #1 on:** February 23, 2009, 06:55:50 am »

Not being very up on sheep, is it better to have 1 really big one or 2 smaller ones. Congratulations on new baby

hexhammeasure · « **Reply #2 on:** February 23, 2009, 08:30:44 am »

size depends mostly on what the owner wants a large single is preferred by those breeding rams for pedigree sales as they can boost them to a larger size. for the ewe twins are ideal we prefer twins as they are easier on the ewe at birth although harder on the ewe before weaning

tirdu · « **Reply #3 on:** February 23, 2009, 07:52:12 pm »

Well personnaly myself i rather a good set of twins but single are nice sometimes especialy for first time lambers as 1 is a lot easier to look after especially for a first time mother.

tirdu · « **Reply #4 on:** February 23, 2009, 07:54:22 pm »

That at the moment hexhammeasure isnt all that true at the moment from my personal experience. With todays commercial farming many ram buyers are looking for rams which ar twin born in the hope that the genetics for this trait pass on to its offspring to help both overall head of lambs born per ewe.

hexhammeasure · « **Reply #5 on:** February 23, 2009, 09:14:43 pm »

and of course every breeder always says it was a single! funny how many are born to twins or triplets these days.

Maybe i'm just a cynic

tirdu · « **Reply #6 on:** February 23, 2009, 09:47:44 pm »

O well, we never sell rams as breeding sheep we slaughter all the males, and breed for as many females as possible for breeding as the demand we're getting for polled dorsets as breeding sheep is unbelieveable.