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Author Topic: Tupping ewe lambs  (Read 3336 times)

crobertson

  • Joined Sep 2015
Tupping ewe lambs
« on: October 20, 2017, 10:28:55 pm »
I'm sure this subject has been done to death but we have just two ewe lambs left from this year who I'm not sure what to do with. A couple just starting out were going to buy them so I fluked them when I rounded up my others pre tupping to save them a job and so I knew my little lambs had received a dose, however, they have now decided they don't want them.

I have just moved our girls to winter grazing which is right next to our house which gives our paddocks a much needed break until April but the tup goes in next week and the lambs  have 8 weeks on their withdrawal if I sent them for meat, it really isnt worth taking 2 cross bred lambs to market and I don't particularly want to graze our land that is meant to be resting so I thought about either selling them with a lamb at foot or as a shearling next year.

I never normally breed ewe lambs and always wait until shearlings but what experience do folks have / expected difficulties / difference in management and should they only be left with one lamb ?? They are texel x derbyshire gritstone so I plan on running them alongside the gritstone pedigrees, I've added a photo of the lambs and I've added a photo of my gritstone tup I'll be using who isn't overly bulky in the shoulder or head.

Thanks in advance
« Last Edit: October 20, 2017, 10:34:09 pm by crobertson »

Old Shep

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • North Yorkshire
Re: Tupping ewe lambs
« Reply #1 on: October 20, 2017, 10:35:32 pm »
Traditionally our farm never tupped ewe lambs.  Last year we tried a few, only 2 held and one lost 2 weeks from lambing, the other lambed herself and brought up a lovely lamb.  This year we are trying a few again.  Only texel X mules and only to a charmoise tup for easy lambing, and only those well over 40kg.   I'm not sure what breed yours are, but they need to be at least 60% of their adult weight, not have genetic lambing difficulties, and go to an easy lambing tup.


Breed and size are critical.




Helen - (used to be just Shep).  Gordon Setters, Border Collies and chief lambing assistant to BigBennyShep.

crobertson

  • Joined Sep 2015
Re: Tupping ewe lambs
« Reply #2 on: October 20, 2017, 10:52:04 pm »
Thanks for that, they're texel x derbyshire gritstone but don't look anything like the texel. Gritstone tupping weight is around 62kg so 60% would be around 37kg. They were weighed a few weeks ago at least 35kg I will re-weigh to see what they are now.
I must add I really dont mind if they don't take, in fact I would prefer that, but if they're running in the field with the tup I must prepare for if they do !

Buttermilk

  • Joined Jul 2014
Re: Tupping ewe lambs
« Reply #3 on: October 21, 2017, 07:39:04 am »
I have put lambs to the ram when short of space to keep them seperate.  They lambed no problems although one was not feeling maternal after lambing and her lamb was raised by another ewe.  They all grew on and made the same size as the following years lambs which were not put in lamb.  Zwartbles to Zwartbles ram.

harmony

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: Tupping ewe lambs
« Reply #4 on: October 21, 2017, 08:15:51 am »
Often Hoggs make the best mums

twizzel

  • Joined Apr 2012
Re: Tupping ewe lambs
« Reply #5 on: October 21, 2017, 08:39:46 am »
Don't feed too much or you'll have big lambs, quite often they have singles. My ewe lamb had a single, definitely didn't have enough milk for twins if she had had them. Had problems lambing as the lamb came head first no feet, definitely less room in there to get the feet forward. She was a great mum though and went out after 48 hours. They must be well grown as it can stunt growth- I tupped my lamb as otherwise she would have been a rediculous size as a shearling. She was born early Feb, reared on a shepherdess and tupped end of oct. she was also shorn in late August which was well worth doing.

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: Tupping ewe lambs
« Reply #6 on: October 21, 2017, 09:43:15 am »
I suggest having a mineral lick available until you begin feeding pre-lambing.  Growing lambs will take up a lot of calcium and other minerals the teg will need for her own growth.

bj_cardiff

  • Joined Feb 2017
  • Carmarthenshire
Re: Tupping ewe lambs
« Reply #7 on: October 21, 2017, 10:08:54 am »
Its very hit and miss, you might be lucky or unlucky. If you've never done it before and your experienced with sheep you should try it, it might suit your system? I've had some very nice lambs and also some truly awful lambings, rejected lambs and also lambs that were sat on and squished..

Tim W

  • Joined Aug 2013
Re: Tupping ewe lambs
« Reply #8 on: October 21, 2017, 10:25:54 am »
I lamb 200 + ewe lambs every year here, no big problems....key i think is

55% of adult weight at tupping
Plenty of grass ahead of them until 6 weeks before lambing when you can let them get a bit tighter for grub
Leave them alone at lambing to get on with it
Wean at 8/10 weeks to give the mums time to recover

Go for it!

 

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