Author Topic: When do I put the tup in (Read 18016 times)

Womble · « **Reply #30 on:** September 11, 2015, 06:49:31 am »

Quote from: Jon Feather on September 10, 2015, 08:04:43 pm

Surprised thats its okay to let a tup lamb "on the job" so young.

I went out to condition score our tup lambs last night. A couple of them had really sticky backs, and as I peeled my hand off, I thought "I wonder what that is?"

Jon Feather · « **Reply #31 on:** September 11, 2015, 10:09:17 am »

Sorry to be an idiot about this but I'm getting a bit confused about ewe lambs and gimmers, and whether I can tup mine young ladies. Apart from the 4 ewes from 2012 and 2013 I have their 4 female lambs, born April 2015.

I was thinking that a gimmer was this years female lamb but wikipedia gives the following;

Gimmer (/???m?r/, not /?d??m?r/) – a young female sheep, usually before her first lamb (especially used in the north of England and Scotland). Also theave.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #32 on:** September 11, 2015, 10:13:30 am »

Yes, gimmer is the sheep equivalent of heifer - a breeding female who hasn't yet bred. Unless it says gimmer lamb or gimmer shearling, you only know which from the context.

I think generally people think it better to leave primitive type ewe lambs to run on, ie., to not breed them till they are shearlings, so they have their first lamb at two years old.

Jon Feather · « **Reply #33 on:** September 11, 2015, 11:38:14 am »

"Yes, gimmer is the sheep equivalent of heifer2

That's brilliant Sally. Another term to learn. I sort of know what a heifer is really but I wouldn't bet my cap on it if you know what I mean.

Thank you very much for all the responses everyone. Much appreciated by this novice.

I'll put the 4 ewes to the tup this November and leave the "gimmers" till next November.

Which make me think.....where do I put him between this November and next November?

waterbuffalofarmer · « **Reply #34 on:** September 11, 2015, 11:47:20 am »

Quote from: SallyintNorth on September 10, 2015, 07:25:59 pm

If the tup lamb is well grown, at least 6 months old and at least 60% of his final size / weight, in good condition, he should have no trouble at all with 10 ladies. Althouuughhh... It's generally advised to give a lamb no more than 15 ladies, ideally with most of them being experienced, while he learns his job. If all his ladies are gimmers, so neither they nor he know what they are doing yet , it might be wise to allow 2 cycles

Last year, Chad, my Shetland then aged 6 months, tupped my 15 girls (of which 6 were first timers) no problem, even Rosie Mule who dwarfed him (but was very experienced )

And we've used tup lambs on the commercial flock several times, never had a problem.

I don't know..... My tup lambs and cull ewes were in together and the tup lambs got them all in lamb, I know that because they all lambed 5 months later. I mean't to send them off to market but the price was terrible at the time, so I decided to wait until the spring and they got in lamb, it was a very nice surprise and the lambs were unrelated and really good if I may say so. Mine are Lleyn though would that make a difference?

Anke · « **Reply #35 on:** September 11, 2015, 12:04:37 pm »

Quote from: Jon Feather on September 11, 2015, 11:38:14 am

Which make me think.....where do I put him between this November and next November?

In the freezer...

milliebecks · « **Reply #36 on:** September 11, 2015, 12:05:36 pm »

Thank you so much everyone!
My 'gimmers' are 'shearlings', so one tup lamb for 2 cycles/6 weeks should do the job.

I only joined the forum yesterday, and I've learnt loads from this one question. I have plenty more .....

Jon Feather · « **Reply #37 on:** September 11, 2015, 12:14:41 pm »

Quote from: Anke on September 11, 2015, 12:04:37 pm

Quote from: Jon Feather on September 11, 2015, 11:38:14 am

Which make me think.....where do I put him between this November and next November?

In the freezer...

artscott · « **Reply #38 on:** September 11, 2015, 01:23:53 pm »

Why does everybody seem to remove their tup? Our tup stays with the ewes most of the year. I just take him out mid August (which makes him sulk) pop him back with them on the 5^th Nov. Then he stays with them all through the rest of the year, when the ewes are lambing he takes himself off to the other end of the field almost like he is trying to avoid being blamed for his actions.

I don’t know if anyone mentioned it but ewe lambs need to be well grown and in really good condition if they are to be tupped. Ours are a little too small this year so they will kept away from the tup until next autumn. But after tupping ewe lambs before I would do it again if they were big and strong enough.

Me · « **Reply #39 on:** September 11, 2015, 01:56:17 pm »

Quote from: artscott on September 11, 2015, 01:23:53 pm

Why does everybody seem to remove their tup?

Because people want a compact lambing more than they want the extra ewe or two to have a lamb, because the rams can sometimes bother lambing ewes and create problems, because if feeding cake to in lamb ewes rams can get over fat and push ewes off feed... probably more reasons, but thats a start anyway

Anke · « **Reply #40 on:** September 11, 2015, 03:02:33 pm »

One of my last Shetland tups had a quick one-way trip to market last February as he was - very suddenly- getting incredibly aggressive towards the ewes as well as me... it was all food-orientated, he wouldn't even let the ewes near the hay anymore... always a danger. (and my nearest abattoir is a 150mile round trip, mart is 5 miles...)

Backinwellies · « **Reply #41 on:** September 11, 2015, 07:21:34 pm »

Quote from: artscott on September 11, 2015, 01:23:53 pm

Why does everybody seem to remove their tup?

Mine gets 4 weeks (I use a teaser first) ... after that is removed I do not want to be lambing forever ... and do want to do only one or two trips to the abattoir with finished lambs (an hour away) ........ ewes not pregnant can be removed from group.

over 3/4 of mine lambed in 8 days this year