store lambs

limo_100

well lads thinking of buying a few store lambs for the winter to leave them out on the pasture clean up the pasture. I'v never had sheep before i no noting about they tbh, i'm doing it as much for experience as anything else if any one has any advise for me from there own experiences it would be much appreciated. Its a pity johngalway is not here any more he was good with this stuff :mad:

Farmer Pudsey

limo_100 wrote: »

well lads thinking of buying a few store lambs for the winter to leave them out on the pasture clean up the pasture. I'v never had sheep before i no noting about they tbh, i'm doing it as much for experience as anything else if any one has any advise for me from there own experiences it would be much appreciated. Its a pity johngalway is not here any more he was good with this stuff :mad:

What way are the pastures set up are they in paddocks, is it wet land or dry. Do you need early grass, what sort of system have you in place at present. Are you intending on selling them or putting in the freezer. How many acres and how many lambs. Forget about johngalway Pudsey is here ( after a couple pints).

limo_100

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

What way are the pastures set up are they in paddocks, is it wet land or dry. Do you need early grass, what sort of system have you in place at present. Are you intending on selling them or putting in the freezer. How many acres and how many lambs. Forget about johngalway Pudsey is here ( after a couple pints).

the pasture is in a block about 20 acres. its not in paddocks because the fields are not to big. It would be heavy enough ground but fairly manageable. No i wont need early grass back there until the end of march. System is 40 suckler cows so the lambs would sold in the spring or maybe factoryied, i wont bother putting them in the freezer. I also have another 20 acres of meadows beside the pasture i was thinking of giving them the hole run, also are land has not had sheep on it in at least 30years.
was thinking of getting 20stores...

snowman707

depending on the grass cover I would be putting maybe anything up to 40 onto the 20 ac of grazing until about xmas time, I would then move to the meadow until sale

when F P sleeps off the hangover he may have better advise :rolleyes:

Farmer Pudsey

I go with twenty even though you do not need early grass it amazing how bare they will eat it. If your bounds are not fairly good they might nibble at the neighbours as well. One thing about sheep and especially stores from a mountain they will find any exit there is to visit somewhere with a fresher bite.

You could try a couple troughs and put a bit of straight oats or barley into it after a while to get good finish on them it also handy th get them into a pen. However this will depend on the price of same. Are you goung to target the factories or the butcher market. If goung for the domestic market you will not have to worry about weight as much

limo_100

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

I go with twenty even though you do not need early grass it amazing how bare they will eat it. If your bounds are not fairly good they might nibble at the neighbours as well. One thing about sheep and especially stores from a mountain they will find any exit there is to visit somewhere with a fresher bite.

You could try a couple troughs and put a bit of straight oats or barley into it after a while to get good finish on them it also handy th get them into a pen. However this will depend on the price of same. Are you goung to target the factories or the butcher market. If goung for the domestic market you will not have to worry about weight as much

yeah i was thinking 20 stores as well just in-case i make a mess of the hole thing i wont be two much out of pocket. The bounds are fairly good thats why im gona give them the good run to save the temptation for them.
Would i be as-well to give them some grain to help them settle down and i have a yard there so maybe il feed them in there in case i need to dose them or anything.

Im not sure what ill do with them il either sell them as finished stores or put them in the factory but i wont go for the butcher market as i no noting about it. I suspose il be buying stores at 30kgs plus what weight would they be finished at?? is it around 60kgs?

Farmer Pudsey

limo_100 wrote: »

yeah i was thinking 20 stores as well just in-case i make a mess of the hole thing i wont be two much out of pocket. The bounds are fairly good thats why im gona give them the good run to save the temptation for them.
Would i be as-well to give them some grain to help them settle down and i have a yard there so maybe il feed them in there in case i need to dose them or anything.

Im not sure what ill do with them il either sell them as finished stores or put them in the factory but i wont go for the butcher market as i no noting about it. I suspose il be buying stores at 30kgs plus what weight would they be finished at?? is it around 60kgs?

as far as I know lambs finish at anything from 45-50% depending on carcase type, how they are fed, weather, weight etc. A 60kg lamb will kill around 30Kgs also that weight would take a while to put on the carcase would only be suitable for the butcher trade. When I enquired if you were targeting the butcher market I was refering to their trade whichtakes lambs at hevier weights that factories,

A factory requires a lamb to kill idealy less than 22kgs but at 24 usually maximun depending on their control of the market ( 45-50kgs LW). Butchers take lambs at heviers weights.

limo_100

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

as far as I know lambs finish at anything from 45-50% depending on carcase type, how they are fed, weather, weight etc. A 60kg lamb will kill around 30Kgs also that weight would take a while to put on the carcase would only be suitable for the butcher trade. When I enquired if you were targeting the butcher market I was refering to their trade whichtakes lambs at hevier weights that factories,

A factory requires a lamb to kill idealy less than 22kgs but at 24 usually maximun depending on their control of the market ( 45-50kgs LW). Butchers take lambs at heviers weights.

Do the butchers buy the lambs in the mart? tbh ill just take it as it comes and see how they do up until xmas and after that ill give them the meadows and lamb meal and then decide where the best trade for them would be.

But i take it from your last post that lambs about 45-50kg is the weight that the factory would be looking for.

By the way what price would 30-35kg lambs be trading at now??

lucky john

I have kept store lambs over the years and there is no easy money in this. If your main aim is to clean up the land and get a bit of sheep/lamb experience then go for it. I dont know what part of the country you are in but my experience is with low land and not mountin lambs.
For whats its worth here are a few points.

If your land has been reseeded in the last few years the will do well without too much extra feeding. If not then 20 lambs with the run of the whole farm is best. Even feeding straights costs a bit these days so only feed minium to keep them quiet.

I'd buy lambs no lighter than 35kg and 37-38 if possible. Your selling live weight needs to be 45-50kg next spring and that takes a bit to hit over the winter. Chances are 30kg lambs out now in the marts are the runts and will be harder to turn around.

Stick to ewe lambs if the money is reasonable. If prices are poor next spring keeping the ewes on until next Aug and selling as hoggets will give you an option.

Shear them if you can. The wool will be worth dam all but they will thrive better over the winter. It will keep them from been stuck in briars as well.

Sheep/lambs can be lots of work so dont buy in trouble. Try to avoid lame or dirty lambs. When you get them home give them a fluke/ worm dose and a drop of cobalt. Keep them in a shed or yard for a day or two before you let them out. It cleans them out and will keep your ground clean as well.

These point are the book way to treat store lambs. i doubt many would bother but come next spring you might see the benifits.

HillFarmer

I've experience with the mountain type stores and i think they are definitely worth a gamble this year.

Local mart, hill lambs ( weathers ) are going for small money,
You'd pick up 25 kf lamb for 35 euro. He will thrive on the better lowland.

Also if you givew them that run, they'll stay around no bother, fist full of oats between them and you'll have no bother.

Username John

HillFarmer wrote: »

I've experience with the mountain type stores and i think they are definitely worth a gamble this year.

Local mart, hill lambs ( weathers ) are going for small money,
You'd pick up 25 kf lamb for 35 euro. He will thrive on the better lowland.

Also if you givew them that run, they'll stay around no bother, fist full of oats between them and you'll have no bother.

Hi Hilfarmer,

What mart is that?

errisshooter

id go for 20 small lowland ewe lambs they mite cost a little bit more but come next feb you could do an aful lot more with them,sell the best of them as breeders and butcher the smallest.less risk for a firstimer than buying weather or Ram lambs

supersean1999

HillFarmer wrote: »

I've experience with the mountain type stores and i think they are definitely worth a gamble this year.

Local mart, hill lambs ( weathers ) are going for small money,
You'd pick up 25 kf lamb for 35 euro. He will thrive on the better lowland.

Also if you givew them that run, they'll stay around no bother, fist full of oats between them and you'll have no bother.

was anyone at a mart in the last few weeks, what would the 30-35 kg wether and ewe lambs be making , suffolk crosses

bogman_bass

nobody seems to be asking the question -do you have the fencing for sheep?

Manoffeeling

Would it pay to buy those light mountain lambs and finish over the winter?

snowman707

supersean1999 wrote: »

was anyone at a mart in the last few weeks, what would the 30-35 kg wether and ewe lambs be making , suffolk crosses

heard they were sold in roscrea last week for €20 over the weight, no interest in ewe lambs this year it seems after the poor hogget trade

supersean1999

snowman707 wrote: »

heard they were sold in roscrea last week for €20 over the weight, no interest in ewe lambs this year it seems after the poor hogget trade

well no two years are ever the same, imo some men will make savage money next year, there seems to be bargains to be had , iv not been at a mart in few weeks but there certainly was in sept anyway,