[thenovice]

Im a big southdown fan too, but as you say, not the easiest of lambers. I only had 2 ewes, last year, and both needed assistance with delivery. It was my first lambing, so how about that for averages! Got 9 to lamb next spring, and combined with the cases of SBV that are starting to reappear, im a little nervous. Maybe i should pass on the old ewes, and try another breed. Thankyou for all the helpful advice folks 

[Marches Farmer]

Southdowns are my main breed and I expect my ewes to produce and rear good twins until at least 13 years old.  One of the problems with sheep of any breed that haven't been kept on commercial lines is that they become pets and are kept and bred from when on a commercial farm they would have been culled and their lambs finished, not kept for breeding.  In our flock anything needing more than a pull at lambing, failing to mother up immediately, having too little milk, not keeping her condition through lactation or getting in lamb within the 3 weeks that the ram is in for - GOES.  All the ewes still have all their teeth and I haven't seen mastitis for four years.  I don't, however, show my sheep or buy show quality rams.  Everything here has to be as tough as old boots and, apart from the ewes in late pregnancy, get by without any hard feed. 

[thenovice]

Thats interesting  , how many ewes are you running, and does that mean that your southdowns are unregistered? The problem with starting a flock from scratch is the cost of the sheep, and because i dont have the numbers, i can sell my lambs for a lot more if they are registered. Im not a landowner, and i have a young family, so the animals have to pay for themselves 

[SteveHants]

You ought to still get a half-decent price for your lambs if you develop a reputation for running your flock along commercial lines, and added to his, you will be pampering them less so your cost of production will go down, thus, hopefully keeping your margin the same.

[Marches Farmer]

That's what I do, although I only register and sell for breeding an animal that I would keep myself if I had the space.  Anything else is sold as an unregistered  store or ends up in the freezer.  Because of our ruthless culling policy that's only happened with surplus ram lambs for the last four years.  I sell breeding stock direct from the farm so buyers can see for themselves the quality of the flock and how tough they have to be - quite a few of our buyers are from Wales and want something that can cope with really bad weather (actually the South Downs, being high ground without much cover just a few miles inland from the English Channel, is quite challenging at times). I'm presently running 61 Southdowns alongside a flock of Badger Face Welsh Mountain (Torddu), breeding the BF's pure for replacements one year and crossing with a SD for commercial type lambs the next.