[thenovice]

Morning all, does anyone have any experience of the above breeds? Ta very much 

[VSS]

IME Suffolks lack "get up and go" and seem to lack much will to live! Suffolk crosses are better.

No personal experience of Oxfords, but there was a lad on our recent lambing course who had just finished his first lambing with Oxfords, and he was very pleased with them.

[thenovice]

The oxfords certainly look quite large!

[Blinkers]

Pure Suffolks can be a nightmare to lamb  , but as VSS says, Suffolk Crosses make excellent stock.

[ballingall]

Suffolks are large too. Only experience I have with them was a borrowed pure bred ram who we had for 4 months- he was the most evil ram I have ever met, and was pure solid muscle. However, him being evil may not have been indictitive of the breed! He gave us good cross lambs.


Beth

[GaddesdenGal]

I'd put up on a previous thread about an Oxford Down ram on the farm where I used to be. He lived donkeys years and made prolific crosses with Charollais, Border Leicester and the other ewes (it was a long time ago I can't remember what else was there) It was a large commercial flock and his lambs were always the longest lived when kept on as ewes, also in comparison there were more lamb losses with the pure bred lambs. He was a lovely ram.

[Gunnermark]

My friend breeds Pedigree Suffolks and when I asked him about the idea of getting Suffolks he said don't bother, the lambs don't have a thirst for life pretty dopey! As for Oxfords have no idea!

[ScotsGirl]

I would agree that Suffolk crosses Are best, you get good sized offspring but more getup and go.  Having said that I have a pedigree suffolk and once I got the lambs feeding they are full of life. Just a little lethargic for first few hours.


I have a lovely pedigree ram also and he is a big softie. He is two now and loves a cuddle. Only time to watch out is when in with the ewes. He will go for any man he can but just bunts me about like one if his girls. Just wish he realised that still hurts! I just make sure I have a crook with me and actually I whacked him over the head with a bucket last winter and waved a finger at him and now as soon as I wave the finger he turns his head away.

[mmu]

We keep Oxfords, lovely sheep, good natured ram at the moment, but a neighbour has one he bought off the hill in the north of England and he was WILD. Probably more nuture than nature. I think there are some old fashioned Suffolks about, but not easy to find. They make good terminal sires, but Oxfords took best prices at Thainstone last year.

[Marches Farmer]

Get a Suffolk straight off the hills, not stuffed full of feed.  Both breeds have a huge amount of Southdown in them and, since the SD hasn't been as popular as the Suffolk as a terminal sire breed for many years, hasn't been bred for bigger and bigger frame.  A big lamb will take a lot of pushing and I sometimes think the poor old Suffolk ewes just get exhausted, hence the reputation for being "too posh to push".  Last year our Southdowns were up and suckling even quicker than our Badger Face lambs, which surprised even me.

[SteveHants]

I hear NZ suffolks are pretty good, much like UK Suffolks were in the 60s.

[thenovice]

Thanks for the info folks

[smiley bucket]

Suffolks are lazy, lie down and wait for you to move them, not nice sheeep to work with and a nightmare to get up the race - in my experience.
Oxfords are amazing, not only beautiful but huge, they will make your shearer look like a midget, and i've always found them pleasant to work with, but don't underestimate the size of them when you have to turn them up to do feet etc!
 

[ScotsGirl]

Suffolks can be trained like all other commercial types.  They don't have to be difficult to handle but it takes time to teach them what you expect. I've had mine 18 months and did want to sell her but now she is learning to trust me and we seem to have reached an understanding!


I would however like to try the NZ bloodlines if I can find the money to buy one or two

[thestephens]

we have a very small flock of oxford downs, our 5 ewes had a total of 10 lambs but with only 5 survivors, they are very friendly sheep, one of the last year lambs is very "free range" and escapes on a regular basis to come and see us! The tup is a big lad but very friendly, sometimes too friendly!