[Azzdodd]

Recent circumstances meant I had too sell all my flock. I then bought some more welsh X cheviot and cheviot x Charolais. They are all in lamb ATM too a texel or cheviot. I'm looking too buy a ram for August September time I don't have any idea what breed to go for something with good growth rate and I would like too keep some ewe lambs as replacements

[SallyintNorth]

I don't know where you are Azzdodd, but if it's not too wet / cold, we rate the Charollais.  Easy lambing, solid very active little lambs that jump up and feed straight away, grow really fast, great conformation, always weigh heavy for their size.  But they can be thin-skinned, so care is needed if you lamb into cold / wet weather.

We also use Dutch Texel - again, usually small lambs that lamb easily, good growth rates, good conformation.  Because they are smaller than other Texel breeds it can help get the lambs to be finished at the magic less-than-45kgs-liveweight the market likes best.

However with those crosses, you'd do fine with a regular Texel, and you can probably pick up a perfectly serviceable (sic) tup lamb for not much different to fat price.

[Azzdodd]

I do know a local breeder of Charolais I wouldn't lamb will April and normally nice and dry by then lol! I have looked at Dutch texel WOW they are beautiful but I don't think there is any local breeders (north wales) I've been umin an arin over a texel so many horror story's about them huge lambs!! 

[SallyintNorth]

Do not cake ewes carrying Texel lambs, just good forage and a lick - but best if you can scan and maybe just give a very little cake to twin-bearers for the last month or so, otherwise you may get problems with not enough milk for two - unless yours are milky ewes.

[Marches Farmer]

How about a traditional breed like the Suffolk? Don't get one of the overstuffed ones from ram sales but something straight off the hill will still give you a good carcase and growth rate and be far less likely to result in either lambing problems or thin-skinned lambs.

[ScotsGirl]

I don't know where you are but I will probably be looking at selling my Suffolk ram to change bloodlines and he throws good lambs. He is easy to handle and I think 3 years old.