[andywalt]

Hi All

i have a few questions if anyone has a few minutes to answer please? all replies are appreciated!

Do you think a Norfolk horn Ram and Suffolk ewes will make great meat? are Norfolk Horn Rams docile?do the lambs take a little longer to mature for meat? also could you advise an average time for the lambs to fatten if they have plenty of good grass and care, would you think 8 months is about right, I dont have any weighting equipment?

look forward to your views, many thanks

[chickenfeed]

 ;)we have 9 lambs (or did unntil last week) we sent 1 off as it has grown quicker than the rest it dob was 17/4/2010 it came back as 18kg of meat so a decent size. the others are going in about 3 - 4 weeks all april born. they were a mix of texel, suffolk & mules the one that we sent off was a suffolk cross.

we dont have a weigher either just feel their back end if its all boney we leave them for a few more weeks 

[shetlandpaul]

suffolks lamb very early so you will need a shed of some type.

[daddymatty82]

depending on how much meat you want back send them whenever you like a friend of a friend has jacobs and knows nothing about livestock but makes out he does they are this yrs lambs and are the size of a collie so he is sending them this month even though there not ready depending on how much meat do it when you feel ready as the grass is going to stop growing soon will there be enough grass how much feed will you be feeding through winter? we only have a few shetland and a few texal crosses (50 in all) we want them at about 35kg from the crss breeds live weight to get a decent deadweight to make it pay or its not worth it

[andywalt]

thanks very much thats very helpful, I also was hoping to find someone who has some experiance with Norfolk Horn Rams. Im sure someone will pop up

cheers

[daddymatty82]

try looking on the breed society they will have people in the know of the breed

[humphreymctush]

Your set up would be a bit unusual because the suffolk is really a breed of ram. Suffolk ewes are not good mothers and only really exist to produce suffolk rams. Suffolk rams give their lambs size, muscle and fast growth. The Norfolk horn ewe is a good mother but the Norfolk ram will not give such a good carcass as the Suffolk. So it would make more sense to have a suffolk ram and norfolk horn ewes.
One thing you will notice is the lambs will be born with black wool and it will go white after a month or two. Some Suffolk lambs also do this because they were originally bred by crossing a Norfolk horn with a south down.

[andywalt]

cheers for that Humfrey, I have been pondering and trying to learn about what would be a good matching to give size and taste, this is a small flock that I am buying intack, 8 suffolk x kent and 5 sheerlings suffolk x kent x Norfolk horn, i have been told that the meat is great from the norfolk horn, but i have to say the ram is getting on and next year I am thinking to have a change of ram, you think a suffolk ram would be the best match? what about a south down or warzley thingybobs which are massive? maybe too larger lambs for the ewes?  I will be guided as I will need guidance over the next year or so, I know plenty about cattle from the past but sheep.....is very new.

[humphreymctush]

dunno what a warzley is unless you mean Zwartbles which are medium size. The Norfolk horn ram is a good idea this year if you keep the ewe lambs for future breeding.
As far your next ram goes, take your pick from Suffolk, Texel, Caralais, beltex, meatlinc or any native down breed. Suffolk is the fastest growing, Beltex has the biggest arse. None will be too big.
As far as meat goes I think people tend to over estimate the significance of the breed and underestimate the significance of what the lambs are fed on. Lambs taste better if they dont get much concentrates and best of all if they are on heather.

[andywalt]

I think next year I will look for ether a Suffolk Ram or a Southdown Ram

Andy