Sheep Photo Thread

eire23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122447080#Comment_122447080

The last three weeks of march.

Bleating Lamb

They are lovely lambs.It’s hard to beat the Suffolk x Cheviot imo.You can do both things with them,either kill or sell for breeding.

eire23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122453522#Comment_122453522

Thanks, the mother's of the Suffolks above are of a mayo ewe and Wicklow Cheviot ram. Them lambs are real good hardy sheep, I cross them back then with a sufftex and you have a great factory lamb.

Kevhog1988

New ram lamb we bought today. My shearing is getting better too

eire23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122592922#Comment_122592922

Stick with the shearing, the more you do the easier it gets.

Kevhog1988

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122594277#Comment_122594277

My young lad is 13 & flying fit. I'd rather get him at it 🤣🤣🤣.

eire23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122594394#Comment_122594394

Have you done a course on it? If you haven't it's the best day or two you could spend. You will pick it up aot easier as you can shear already.

Kevhog1988

I did the course 2 year ago and then didn't shear again for 18 months. Picked up a good bit just watching YouTube since. Might do another course if I can.

nicksnikita

Bossmen for the upcoming season.
Cheviot ram for the Cheviot ewes and Kerry Hill ram for blackface ewes

Kevhog1988

Dorset x mule hogget. A nice sheep I think. Looking forward to see what she will produce wheb she goes back to a dorset this year.

JJayoo

Baaa

Kevhog1988

Dorset is throwing some lumps of lambs

Farmer Dan

How do you get them to come out with the number on them? 🤔😆....

Fine lamb. Your fond of the Dorset.

Noel will be proud of your hat.

Kevhog1988

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123384112#Comment_123384112

numbered it straight away as mightnt catch again for weeks lol

Dickie10

ewe lamb that lambed in April with Hampshire Down ram lamb ready to wean. Ewe lambs did great this year

White Clover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123699392#Comment_123699392

She's in great condition too. Powerful Meath land.

Dickie10

it’s great power in it for sheep for some reason compared to a bit I rent 4 miles away seen it in replacement ewe lambs before that were wintered there , I had to give up doing it, they have plenty to eat but come back thin in February.

Farmer Dan

Apologies, I know this is a photo thread. You obviously like the Hampshire Dickie? From your experience could you list there advantages/ disadvantages please? Most suitable ewe type for them etc etc. Thanks

Dickie10

any maternal ewe, Suffolk,llyenn and Belclare are mostly what I have. Advantage are; easy lambed, although a terminal type ewe like texel or Charolais might not help, very lively when born , there up on feet very quick, so good survivors if lames outside in April/may. Very quick to slaughter , some singles in 10 weeks, most doubles between 12-14 weeks. Great for late lambing with lambs that need to be finished in winter because they are so easy fleshed, they are naturally fat producing so need very little meal in winter to have backs like a snooker table. Can’t really think of any disadvantages. The rams seem to tip a lot of ewes. I won’t be buying a texel again because of this. Find texels most overrated breed around.

Kevhog1988

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123372092#Comment_123372092

Same lamb at 12 weeks - 42kg

Kevhog1988

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123700481#Comment_123700481

That's impressive in fairness. Did you keep any of the ewe lambs to cross back to the Hampshire?

Dickie10

I experimented with 4, a disaster really all 4 jumped up and ran away on their lambs as they were lambing as ewe lambs, all 4 needed assistance to lamb as ewe lambs which is rare enough in Lleyn and Belclare ewe lambs. Stubborn too a few needed adoption crates to tske their own lambs. Also mostly had singles. I’m down to 2 now culled the other 2 , there about 4 years old now

Dickie10

I’m looking into these NZ Tefrom rams or Romney , I want to breed low input ewes that can lamb without much fuss from mid April to mid May . I’ll cut back in amount lambing in February.weather is getting worse snd worse and grass growth going back 6/8 years in spring I’m finding. Seems a good spring is once in 5 years event . What would have been normal to decent spring weather in 70s - 00s

Kevhog1988

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123703828#Comment_123703828

Any interest in Dorsets?. They are very maternal, prolific and still quick to gain weight. Even though I'm toying with the easycare idea I dunno if I'll leave the Dorset.

kk.man

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123704834#Comment_123704834

I bought Dorset store years ago and when fat i sold to a well known butcher. He gave me an exceptional price at the time. Rang me many times for more. Unfortunately I didn't have any.

Kevhog1988

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123705127#Comment_123705127

Give him my number 🤣

Dickie10

I like idea of New Zealand maternal genetics, I feel a lot of British isles ewes are gone to soft . By right an April lambing flick outside shouldn’t need huge amounts of shepherding. Be a lot to be said of a flock scanning 1.6 and weaning 1.3 or so with minimal feeding. High prolific here scanned 2.05 this year, mortality rate of 11% so probably only weaning 1.7 after huge meal bills and labour with triplets etc, pet lambs . Don’t mind having a flock like that of manybe 80 ewes in February but looking to have maybe 50 ewes that take minimal feeding and labour in mid April lambing. I can see store lamb enterprise not being overly profitable as store lambs become more expensive to buy in, as sheep get scarce in marginal regions. Might be no harm to have your own store types for selling from October to March

Dickie10

Nice job this ewe lamb done , no creep since my may

weaning today. She’ll be glad of the rest