[Hillview Farm]

I need help picking which ewe lambs to keep and which to sell. I have one that I know I'm selling but its down to the last three... I can only keep one more ewe lamb!

'Chunky'- Title says it all, She is one hell of a chucky ewe, Really smart looking but very rounded, hit a good killing weight well before weaning. She is a little lively. She was out of a shearling ewe and was a single.

'Tan'- She is more lady looking than any of the lambs, long legs and a shallowish body. Also hit a good weight pre weaning. I planned on keeping this one as she is so friendly. she is out of a shearling ewe and was a single.

'fluffy'- (named by a child) She is a lovely looking little girl, looks like a mini me to her mother. She has good conformation, out of a shearling but was a twin.

looking at this maybe the chunky ewe is best but also fluffy as she was a twin.  Who should I keep?

[bigchicken]

What breed are they, Generaly I would go for a lamb with the best conformation and on how well her mother is.  I take it she will be used for breeding personally I like a ewe with a good length of back. And after all this it usually the one that takes my eye.

[shygirl]

are having twins heredity?

[SallyintNorth]

are having twins heredity?

Pretty much, yes.  But with only one year's breeding history it can be a bit hit and miss. 

Most of us would prefer a first-timer to have a single, and then to have twins every year until her teeth drop out. 

I wouldn't discount any of them on the basis of being a single from a shearling.

Chunky maybe is the best conformation?  Good in terms of passing that onto her offspring, but could be less good if you use a well-muscled type of terminal sire, in case the lambs are too chunky and hard to lamb.

Buyers in a fat or store ring pay for buttocks and a 'tight skin' (not a rough fleece.)  Maybe length after that.

Personally I don't think you've given enough reason to deselect or select any one.  So just keep the one you like best 

[Hillview Farm]

Just sold the girls, Feeling heartbroken

[SallyintNorth]

 

[smudger]

Buyers in a fat or store ring pay for buttocks and a 'tight skin' (not a rough fleece.)  Maybe length after that.

Hi Sally could you explain the 'tight skin' thing again. I have heard / read this a few times but are you saying its the quality of the fleece (density / handle/ crimp) and nothing to do with the skin at all?

[SallyintNorth]

It's the 'sheepskin' they're looking at.

It took me ages to work out why it was so important.

• Rough skins mean more friction in the birth canal.  A slippery skin can mean a live lamb where a rough-skinned lamb could've got stuck.  Doesn't matter in the original breeds, eg Swaledale, as the mother has enough room for any lamb she can produce to pass, but becomes more of an issue as you progress more towards a fat lamb coming out of a terminal breed or terminal breed cross.
• Rough skin can be an indicator of overall breeding.  If there are two Texel crosses in the ring in front of you, the one with the rougher skin is more likely to be out of a mule or mule x texel; the smoother skinned one more likely to be more purebred.  So the carcase is likely to be better in the smoother-skinned one.
• Rough skins provide more weather protection.  Well-protected lambs may be fatter than their thinner-skinned peers.  Fat on a carcase is undesirable. 

[SteveHants]

• Rough skin can be an indicator of overall breeding.  If there are two Texel crosses in the ring in front of you, the one with the rougher skin is more likely to be out of a mule or mule x texel; the smoother skinned one more likely to be more purebred.  So the carcase is likely to be better in the smoother-skinned one.[/l][/l]

I fully expect my woolshedding x SufTex to confuse the same people..... [/list]

[SallyintNorth]

I fully expect my woolshedding x SufTex to confuse the same people..... [/list]

If it's shed its wool they can see the carcase so no need to use indicators!