[fsheep]

Hi there,
due to a lack of pasture i would like to sell my lambs as soon as possible, these were born in the first week of June, and I have someone willing to buy them as store lambs, when can they be sold? Thanks for any advice

[GeorgieB82]

The advise I got from the local mart was they are fit to sell once they can stand properly (but that was for ewe and lamb couples). Lambs can be weaned early so I would say you could sell stores from 8 weeks.

[landroverroy]

Just a thought - you are not going to get much of a price for 8 week old lambs. It will not cover the price of keeping the ewe over the past year. Also, it seems a shame to sell lambs so young when they are still fairly dependent on their mothers, so will suffer quite a set back on weaning. If you are short of  grass this year, will you not be equally short of grass next year?  So would you not be better reducing your flock size altogether and selling sufficient ewes with their lambs now, so that you have enough grass left to keep the rest with their lambs and wean them a month later when they will be bigger and fetch a better price?

[GeorgieB82]

Just a thought - you are not going to get much of a price for 8 week old lambs. It will not cover the price of keeping the ewe over the past year. Also, it seems a shame to sell lambs so young when they are still fairly dependent on their mothers, so will suffer quite a set back on weaning. If you are short of  grass this year, will you not be equally short of grass next year?  So would you not be better reducing your flock size altogether and selling sufficient ewes with their lambs now, so that you have enough grass left to keep the rest with their lambs and wean them a month later when they will be bigger and fetch a better price?

That is an excellent response, my response was a direct reply to the OP but Roy has certainly made very valid observations.

[Coximus]

you will get nothing really for such young lambs - store trade is bad at the moment as lamb prices are down so alot fewer people wanting to take a punt.

As said above - you shouldnt run out of grass at this time of year, so your most likely overstocked / too many animals for the land you have - consider selling the ewe with lambs and you may make £100 for mother + single £120 mother + twins.
Few people would want lambs that late as is not likely they will finish and be worth anything until late next spring now, as they will go into "store" mode soon (sept) as the grass slows down and quality drops.

Hence need to sell as a family.

Also what breed are they? Obviously a skinny breed will be worth bugger all, but some texel x's may be worth alot more!

[Hellybee]

Oh they're still need they're mum at that age IMO,  sell them as sets with mum I would x

[shotblastuk]

buy some hay!!

[Marches Farmer]

As has been outlined above I think there may be a number of useful lessons to be learned from your experience this year.  It's so dry here we're not expecting grass growth to pick up until the end of September.  At the beginning of the year I considered us understocked, but not now.

[Rosemary]

Good advice above. We've just weaned our lambs at 16 weeks and they barely notice. They'd have noticed at 8 weeks of age and I'd have worried bout the ewes drying off without getting mastitis, especially withthe flies at this time of year.

If I were you, I'd either buy in some hay or sell ewes with lambs at foot. It's been a starnge year.

[member=27063]Marches Farmer[/member] - so dry? Really?

[Marches Farmer]

Oh, yes. A few brief showers and drizzles in the last eight weeks.  I "dug" some potatoes yesterday but was actually hacking up football size lumps of clay.  Even the weeds are drooping!

[Rosemary]

Oh, yes. A few brief showers and drizzles in the last eight weeks.  I "dug" some potatoes yesterday but was actually hacking up football size lumps of clay.  Even the weeds are drooping!

 

[crofterswife]

Where as here it hasn't stopped raining since Autumn.

[Me]

Rain near every day here but today -  due another downpour Thursday

[clydesdaleclopper]

We've had so much rain that I'm growing superb watercress in a raised bed that's 2ft above normal ground level 

[Victorian Farmer]

I think we have gone into autumn  last season it was the August Bank holiday week end frost and birds going. Im stuck whith 320 lambs born end of March they are £20 dawn at the mo. Going to take them to York the 3rd October whith no reserve as transport  is one way big gamble... The lambs are worth £25 each it's a shame some one can't take them. A trailer full of wood is better price than stock. Fowl £5 lambs £52 caws £200 mad season and Orkney has no grass.