Changing from Sheep

galwayhillbilly

Right I am three years in farming but I have a bit of a dilemma, I started off with sheep and a few suck calves who are now cows, The better half is at home full time so she helps with lambing when I am at work. She is looking at going back to work or education, so I won’t have anyone to check sheep between 8 and 6 when I am at work during lambing. I am working 70 hrs a week at the minute but if she got a job I could give up the weekend shifts. I am about 2 years away from having the set up I would like in sheep and I am firmly of the belief that sheep is the most suitable farming system for my land type and I prefer working with sheep, but I am also aware that if my wife went back to work I would have much more time to spend on the farm and much better quality of life. It goes against the grain to be changing systems just when you are about to get to a stage when you can say you are properly set up butneeds must.
I am looking for a low cost easily managed system such as Calf to Beef or Calf to weanling or even Calf to replacement cow. Or go for one of the low maintenance breeds specialist breeds like Galloway/Highland/Dexter(Heavy land). At the moment I am favouring, calf to weanling maybe bring 2 or 3 heifers to finish until I can get my sheds in order. If I have any spare cash in July/August (not likely) buy a few pens of store lambs and finish on stubble turnips as part of reseeding programme. Any suggestions more than welcome! Even something way out there; like horticulture or growing fodder for sale or most preferably a way of staying in sheep, as long as it’s viable as a part-time business (Until I can become full-time and take over the world:rolleyes:).
If I sold all my sheep in early spring scanned in lamb I could have depending on prices maybe 3-5k to invest in stock + whatever I can skim off the SFP.

AntrimGlens

galwayhillbilly wrote: »

Right I am three years in farming but I have a bit of a dilemma, I started off with sheep and a few suck calves who are now cows, The better half is at home full time so she helps with lambing when I am at work. She is looking at going back to work or education, so I won’t have anyone to check sheep between 8 and 6 when I am at work during lambing. I am working 70 hrs a week at the minute but if she got a job I could give up the weekend shifts. I am about 2 years away from having the set up I would like in sheep and I am firmly of the belief that sheep is the most suitable farming system for my land type and I prefer working with sheep, but I am also aware that if my wife went back to work I would have much more time to spend on the farm and much better quality of life. It goes against the grain to be changing systems just when you are about to get to a stage when you can say you are properly set up butneeds must.
I am looking for a low cost easily managed system such as Calf to Beef or Calf to weanling or even Calf to replacement cow. Or go for one of the low maintenance breeds specialist breeds like Galloway/Highland/Dexter(Heavy land). At the moment I am favouring, calf to weanling maybe bring 2 or 3 heifers to finish until I can get my sheds in order. If I have any spare cash in July/August (not likely) buy a few pens of store lambs and finish on stubble turnips as part of reseeding programme. Any suggestions more than welcome! Even something way out there; like horticulture or growing fodder for sale or most preferably a way of staying in sheep, as long as it’s viable as a part-time business (Until I can become full-time and take over the world:rolleyes:).
If I sold all my sheep in early spring scanned in lamb I could have depending on prices maybe 3-5k to invest in stock + whatever I can skim off the SFP.

What numbers have you got, using your estimate of €3-5k in sales I'd say approx 50 ewes. Could you not run a teaser to tighten them up and take a weeks holiday during lambing? What about installing a camera and having a neighbour available if you spot one lambing on the camera while you're at work? Sponging? but it's expensive.!

Username John

AntrimGlens wrote: »

What numbers have you got, using your estimate of €3-5k in sales I'd say approx 50 ewes. Could you not run a teaser to tighten them up and take a weeks holiday during lambing? What about installing a camera and having a neighbour available if you spot one lambing on the camera while you're at work? Sponging? but it's expensive.!

I was thinking about this on the way into work this morning

I am in a kinda similar situation - in that I am caught for time, and am wondering what I am going to do for lambing next Spring. Both the missus and I work full time, so no one around 8 - 6 for 5 days of the week...

Time is moving on too, wont be too long to when the rams go out as well, for a March lambing...

My plan this year is to run a teaser with the ewes as Antrim suggests, and then put in the ram for 2 weeks only. Raddle him often enough, so you can see how he is doing.
Take 2 weeks holidays (or as much of the 2 weeks as I can get)

I know twould be risky, but I think it might work out (I was going to do this before, but I wasnt brave enough, and chickened out when it came to taking the ram out)

I only have 50 odd ewes, and if all didn't go in young, and I reduced numbers a bit, wouldn't worry me too much.

I might also bring them in a bit earlier than normal, so they are in the shed, and I can look at them morning & evening.

What do ye think?

Sorry for kinda de-railing the thread a bit Galway...
Would you be able to do something similar do you think? Do you have a shed you could bring em into?

Sami23

Username John wrote: »

I was thinking about this on the way into work this morning


My plan this year is to run a teaser with the ewes as Antrim suggests, and then put in the ram for 2 weeks only. Raddle him often enough, so you can see how he is doing.

Sorry but what do you mean by a teaser, it is a strong castrated lamb and what effect does it have on the ewes regarding getting them in lamb. I know it probably obvious but I don't understand ?

galwayhillbilly

Sami, a Teaser is a vasectomised ram, a wether probably wouldn't work as he doesn't have the hormones to get the ewes in the mood. I have never tried this.
I have tried the ram effect by having the rams in an adjoining field and it will get the majority lambed within the 3 week cycle and you will probably have a peak in week 2. When you are dealing with small numbers it is a big risk to pull out the ram after 2 weeks, You might want to be running a few rams to reduce the risk. My ram didn't perform well this year and if I pulled him out after 2 weeks I would have a lambing ratio of about .5 as it stands I only had a ratio of 1 this year I had 1.5 in my first year (beginners luck). I suppose if you have the rams well raddled and just sell off anything that isn't tipped after the 2 weeks, before the breeding season is over and maybe buy a few store lambs with the proceeds.
Up to this year the majority of my stock was old horny ewes If I sold them off after only 2 weeks with the ram I would get nothing for them in the mart, I have some nice young x bred ewes now, so if they weren't tipped they would get me a decent price. If I was to do this I would probably go the sponge route. I am sure the other method works well too but I would need to keep it to a week rather than 2 weeks if possible

AnFeirmeoir

hillbilly skip the lambing and buy store lambs?
Sell in spring if hogget price good. Sell as breeding hoggets in sept if not.

john, put ewes to an easy lambing ram for 6 weeks , take your 2 weeks holiday at start of lambing and let the rest lamb themselves outdoor

galwayhillbilly

AnFeirmeoir wrote: »

hillbilly skip the lambing and buy store lambs?
Sell in spring if hogget price good. Sell as breeding hoggets in sept if not.

john, put ewes to an easy lambing ram for 6 weeks , take your 2 weeks holiday at start of lambing and let the rest lamb themselves outdoor

I was thinking along the same lines I have neighbour who has cattle in sheds for about 6 months of the year due to the heavy ground and he buys store lambs to keep the grass down, they get v little ration and he usually turns a profit.
If I sold all in spring I'd have to invest in something to keep the cash for next years lambs together and I'd need an interest for the summer. Also I am in AEOS and for species rich grassland I have to have something grazing those parcels (not allowed to cut off it) 2 years left on that one

Like John I could lamb outdoors and head off to work too, I have a relatively easy care flock but whereas I am prepared to accept the laws of nature and the survival of the fittest (You will eventually end up with a highly evolved easy- care flock IMO)my better half see's this as neglectful and unnecessary cruelty and for any system to work we both have to be happy with it