[trish.farm]

Does the tup you use make a difference to ram/ewe lamb %?? I have always had a 50:50 mix of ewe and ram lambs there about.  So far had 14 lambs, 13 of them rams.  Is it just because this year I need to keep some ewe lambs back? 

[Rosemary]

We've always had pretty much 50:50 until last year when we had 14 ewes and 7 tups.

[YoungRasher]

Last year I got 14 tups and 10 ewe lambs from 12 Mule ewes. 

[ZaktheLad]

I don't think the ram makes a difference (although many do).  2014 I had 4 ewe lambs and 10 ram lambs from 7 ewes.  The previous year (with the same ram used as a ram lamb), I had 10 ewe lambs and 9 ram lambs from 10 ewes.   I am also hoping for some more ewe lambs this year...

[Ladygrey]

last year out of a group of 32 lambs I think I had 5 or 6 ewe lambs, I was hoping for ewe lambs aswel

This year as long as I can get some pedigree charmoise ewe lambs (so far I have had two ewe lambs and one ram lamb) then the rest can all be rams for all I care as they are all going to market

[SallyintNorth]

They say that the older the tup (or bull) gets, the more male offspring he sires.

We did measure one year on the moorland farm, and there was a very slight correlation, but not statistically significant on the numbers we had.

Personally I wonder whether it's more that if you have a favourite tup or bull, you don't keep his daughters the first year or two, so that you can keep him longer. Then when you are ready to keep some of his daughters on, he seems to throw nothing but males!   

[Melmarsh]

Aren't we all talking about sods law I have usually had 50:50 but as with everyone else ,as soon as you want ewe lambs you get the boys !!! 

[Foobar]

I had a ram lamb that threw 80%+ males.  Didn't use him again

[trish.farm]

I cant complain as they are all cracking lambs, (rather too big as I have had to help pull quite a few out!) all up and running very quickly!!  Just wanted to keep 5 or so ewe lambs as I have a new tup arriving in June.  Yep, sods law!!

[Ladygrey]

I cant complain as they are all cracking lambs, (rather too big as I have had to help pull quite a few out!) all up and running very quickly!!  Just wanted to keep 5 or so ewe lambs as I have a new tup arriving in June.  Yep, sods law!!

Definitely change the tup as you are having to pull quiet a few, a cracking lamb to me is one that runs out when the ewe sneezes 
then the next tup maybe will have more ewe lambs 

[Marches Farmer]

Always averaged 50:50 but rarely keep a tup for more than two years because of his daughters entering the breeding flock.  Have one female bloodline that rarely throws anything but twin ewe lambs, though.

[Dogwalker]

Last year I had 6 ewe and 2 ram lambs from the 4 shetland ewes, which was great as I'm just starting with them and building up numbers.

A friend commented that up in the hills around Elan they had more ram lambs last year than usual.  She put it down to the weather at tupping time. 
I've heard it's related to the stage of the cycle they're caught.  Old farmers tales?

[Jukes Mum]

I'm sure it's down to sod's law. We have fingers crossed for just boys this year, so are almost guaranteed girls 

[trish.farm]

I cant complain as they are all cracking lambs, (rather too big as I have had to help pull quite a few out!) all up and running very quickly!!  Just wanted to keep 5 or so ewe lambs as I have a new tup arriving in June.  Yep, sods law!!

Definitely change the tup as you are having to pull quiet a few, a cracking lamb to me is one that runs out when the ewe sneezes 
then the next tup maybe will have more ewe lambs 

I had to borrow a Hampshire Tup last year as I lost my Romney in Aug and didn't have time to source a new Romney tup.  Only ever had to help a few all the years I have used a Romney tup, had to pull half these lambs out.  None of the ewes are first timers either.  Lambs are great, up and feeding and dancing around quicker than ever, just huge!!  Back to a Romney this year when my new boy arrives, that was why I wanted to keep a few Hampshire X ewe lambs, will be keeping only one at this rate!!

[Ladygrey]

I cant complain as they are all cracking lambs, (rather too big as I have had to help pull quite a few out!) all up and running very quickly!!  Just wanted to keep 5 or so ewe lambs as I have a new tup arriving in June.  Yep, sods law!!

Definitely change the tup as you are having to pull quiet a few, a cracking lamb to me is one that runs out when the ewe sneezes 
then the next tup maybe will have more ewe lambs 

I had to borrow a Hampshire Tup last year as I lost my Romney in Aug and didn't have time to source a new Romney tup.  Only ever had to help a few all the years I have used a Romney tup, had to pull half these lambs out.  None of the ewes are first timers either.  Lambs are great, up and feeding and dancing around quicker than ever, just huge!!  Back to a Romney this year when my new boy arrives, that was why I wanted to keep a few Hampshire X ewe lambs, will be keeping only one at this rate!!

Gosh half is a really bad amount!!!
I had to pull most of my hampshire x cross lambs last year,

I am interested in romneys at the moment and trying to do some research into them, purely for the reason that I am thinking about going MV but that means I have to find a maternal breed that is MV so I can close the flock

There are many that are heavily recorded for many many traits which appeals to me