[Sunnybank]

we currently have a small flock of Shetland lambs and have been advised  by several breeders to wait til next november (2012) before tupping.

my question is, is this advice the same for other breeds too. we are thinking of starting a small flock of either ryelands or greyface dartmoors next year when we hope to get more land.

we are enjoying the shetlands and dont mind waiting but next year i would like another breed that can lamb at the same time as my shetlands, so should i buy lambs or older ewes and can a ram lamb do the job lol

this keeping sheep has been very addictive and a great learning experience. I will be helping a local farmer with lambing to get some experience.

thanks in advance for your help and advice

[humphreymctush]

Most breeds are  kept for a year and a half before being put to the ram. At that age they are described as gimmers. You can breed from ewe lambs but they dont normally grow as well and they will need extra feeding.
Personally I think its easier to have all your sheep the same breed so that they all have the same requirements. If you want variety you could get shetlands with all different colours and markings

[Fronhaul]

Most of the slower growing breeds are better left until they are yearlings before you breed from them.  That would definitely include Shetlands.  I have never kept either of the other breeds you mention but I suspect the same would hold good for them.

Plenty of people on this forum (myself included) use ram lambs.  In fact this year we used 3 ram lambs and 2 older rams on our sheep.  If you are going to use ram lambs I believe it is better not to use a harness but  you can still use raddle.  Mix in a little baby oil or similar if you are concerned about the fleece being stained.

Hope this helps.

[SteveHants]

I wouldn't put lambs to the ram myself unless I was desperate - especially  not the slower maturing breeds.

[Hazelwood Flock]

Greyface Dartmoors are put to the ram as shearlings, as are most of the traditional breeds. Commercial sheep are bred to grow fast, produce early, and die young!

[SallyintNorth]

Commercial sheep are bred to grow fast, produce early, and die young!

We don't usually tup our Texel ewe lambs but have tupped a small number of very well grown Charollais crosses. 

The incidence of problems amongst the hoggs is way higher than amongst the first-time shearlings, especially mastitis as the growing lambs make more and more demand on the young mother who is still not full grown herself.  This seems to happen even when she is rearing a single (much preferred to twins, by us.)

Mules (Blue faced Leicester cross from a Swaledale or Blackface ewe) are often tupped as hoggs; we bought and tupped a batch last year.

We have also in the past bought Mule hoggs with lambs at foot.  These sheep did not last very well at all.

I don't yet know how the Mules we bought as hoggs and tupped last year will last - they are looking good at the moment.