Weaning - time to cull?

arctictree

Just weaned the lambs on Sunday and took a walk through the ewes today. Their bags are full now but noticed a couple of them seem to have a blind side. Would you lads cull or take a note of these ewes and make sure they only keep one lamb next year? Also, if you are culling, would you wait a couple of months until they have put on weight?

AntrimGlens

I always cull straight after weaning because for some reason or another you'll end up keeping one or two of them if you don't cull straight away. I had a lovel texel mule which was light on her bag on one side and I himmed and haaad over keeping her as she was only a first lamber, but decided against it so she got the hook. She'd have been the one that lambed a set of triplets about 3 in the morning when i have no foster ewes or singles lambing and then i'd have been cursing myself.
Have seen it happen too often where unless they're gone immediately, one will die or go completely wrong of her bag and the loss of this one would easily have covered for the extra weight they'd have put on by the time you come to sell. Or if you don't mark them then one will somehow get back into the rest of the flock and will somehow avoid you until tipping time and you think, sure there's no point culling her now.
Also the culls will go someway to paying for the replacements now.

arctictree

AntrimGlens wrote: »

I always cull straight after weaning because for some reason or another you'll end up keeping one or two of them if you don't cull straight away. I had a lovel texel mule which was light on her bag on one side and I himmed and haaad over keeping her as she was only a first lamber, but decided against it so she got the hook. She'd have been the one that lambed a set of triplets about 3 in the morning when i have no foster ewes or singles lambing and then i'd have been cursing myself.
Have seen it happen too often where unless they're gone immediately, one will die or go completely wrong of her bag and the loss of this one would easily have covered for the extra weight they'd have put on by the time you come to sell. Or if you don't mark them then one will somehow get back into the rest of the flock and will somehow avoid you until tipping time and you think, sure there's no point culling her now.
Also the culls will go someway to paying for the replacements now.

I think I'll just bite the bullet and cull them. I have a prolapse ewe to go to. I'll send them off with the first batch of lambs. Only asking for trouble otherwise.

farmer10

Lads weaned my lambs at 13 weeks old d other day am worried I might have went a bit early some ewes with big bags what do you think?

rangler1

farmer10 wrote: »

Lads weaned my lambs at 13 weeks old d other day am worried I might have went a bit early some ewes with big bags what do you think?

I never worry about them even with big bags, they seem to dry off alright here any way

Western Pomise

farmer10 wrote: »

Lads weaned my lambs at 13 weeks old d other day am worried I might have went a bit early some ewes with big bags what do you think?

Keep them on a restricted diet of little grass/hay and they will dry off in a week.

Green farmer

Heard this evening that cull ewes are making very good money in mart at moment. Makes decision to sell easier

Western Pomise

arctictree wrote: »

Just weaned the lambs on Sunday and took a walk through the ewes today. Their bags are full now but noticed a couple of them seem to have a blind side. Would you lads cull or take a note of these ewes and make sure they only keep one lamb next year? Also, if you are culling, would you wait a couple of months until they have put on weight?

Ewe with only one spin is trouble with a capital T....get rid,cull ewes are a good trade at mo,even if you only put the ones for culling into grass for a fortnight they would do a good thrive and then sell,give them a vitamin dose as well.

farmer10

rangler1 wrote: »

I never worry about them even with big bags, they seem to dry off alright here any way

Thanks I have them v tightened up anyway so hopefully be alright

arctictree

Western Pomise wrote: »

Ewe with only one spin is trouble with a capital T....get rid,cull ewes are a good trade at mo,even if you only put the ones for culling into grass for a fortnight they would do a good thrive and then sell,give them a vitamin dose as well.

Just got her number last night. She raised triplets this year, hard to lose that one. One side seemed to be empty and the other teat was all cracked with an open wound in it. No milk coming out of either side. Cull??

rangler1

arctictree wrote: »

Just got her number last night. She raised triplets this year, hard to lose that one. One side seemed to be empty and the other teat was all cracked with an open wound in it. No milk coming out of either side. Cull??

This would be a problem I have seen with ewes left with triplets......unless they are able to fill the three lambs when they suck, the lambs just keep sucking amd eventually the udder gets sore, resulting in what you describe and the ewe is written off