Author Topic: Buying a texel tup (Read 3624 times)

perkhar · « **on:** August 15, 2016, 11:40:40 pm »

Hi had a look in to buying a texel shearling tup for my chev x texel gimmers. He was out last year as a ram lamb was successful. Wondering what I should look out for when buying a ram and things I should check before committing to buy

Thanks

farmershort · « **Reply #1 on:** August 16, 2016, 07:46:15 am »

Wow.. this is a bit of a mine field.

From my point of view, the most difficult thing is spotting the ram that isn't going to "melt" as soon as you get him home.. this is due to the rams being artificially bulked up before the sales.

With that in mind, the best way to buy a non pedigree texel tup might be to buy it "from the field" rather than from something like the NSA ram sale.

As far as breed spec goes, you can get that from the texel society website.

Width of the head is sometimes a concern, for ease of lambing. Obviously they should be well muscled. Good feet. Some people prefer a larger frame.... Should be taller than a beltex in any case.

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #2 on:** August 16, 2016, 08:17:43 am »

Watch him at rest. If he shows any sign of panting or you can hear him breathing, walk away. Texels and Beltex suffer from Texel Throat (chondrodysplasia) caused by their short neck. If you walk around the ram sales at Builth you'll see lots of them.

Old Shep · « **Reply #3 on:** August 16, 2016, 01:15:49 pm »

Try to buy off someone you know rather than at a tup sale if possible. I wouldn't go for anything "showy" - just good backside, confirmation etc. Ask to see any offspring. Check testicles! I've never come across texel throat but texel feet are common (they grow out in a splayed fashion) so check he's got good feet.

Whereabouts are you? We normally have a few texel tup lambs/shearings to sell but not this year I don't think. But might know someone who does.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #4 on:** August 16, 2016, 01:21:51 pm »

If he's going on gimmers, I'd look for narrow shoulders and not excessively over-muscled rear end. When Texel lambs get stuck, it's the shoulders and/or backend that gets stuck, far more than the head, in my experience.

And a 'fine skin' really helps too - makes the lambs more slippery, less friction in the birth canal.

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #5 on:** August 16, 2016, 02:44:26 pm »

I believe fine skin can be a problem if lambed outdoors/in a cold area. Lots of local farmers moved away from the Charollais and back to the Suffolk because of that.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #6 on:** August 16, 2016, 02:56:18 pm »

Quote from: Marches Farmer on August 16, 2016, 02:44:26 pm

I believe fine skin can be a problem if lambed outdoors/in a cold area. Lots of local farmers moved away from the Charollais and back to the Suffolk because of that.

Fine skin on a Texel tup will never be in that league. But a coarse-skinned Texel tup on a rough-skinned hill ewe or cross hill ewe can produce lambs that are so rough-skinned it makes an appreciable difference to lambing. Ask me how I know

waterbuffalofarmer · « **Reply #7 on:** August 16, 2016, 03:57:26 pm »

Try and go for one which has been outdoor bred and grass reared, I would go and speak to a few breeders of the texel sheep society http://texel.co.uk/ They would def be able to help you

Much better than going tosales, you get to negotiate and see the sheep in their working clothes, plus the land where they're from and the farming methods used. Provided you have a day or two to spare

perkhar · « **Reply #8 on:** August 16, 2016, 06:08:48 pm »

Thanks for all the responses I have a texel in mind rears locally not a massive tup so would be good for first time lambing I hope. And came from nice stock. Also has been brought up from a lamb in our climates.