Letting out the ram!

roosky

Hi all,

Its coming to that time again and I have a perdiciment.

I have a mature Texel ram and a Charollais hogget ram to tip about 80 ewes, I have 30 hoggets and would sooner tip them with the CH.

My worrys are:

1. hassel of running two flocks
2. the reduced tipping due to lack of ram compotition
3. the fear that this might put too much pressure on one ram with a big group of ewes

Running them together is the easies option but is this madness considering putting a texel on hoggets, he isnt a hard lamber but he is a texel

Username John

[*]the reduced tipping due to lack of ram compotition

I think having 2 rams can be a distraction, as one doesn't want the other getting any action, so they end up fighting a lot of the time. Whereas with one, he can just do the business 'unhindered' so to speak...

[*]the fear that this might put too much pressure on one ram with a big group of ewes

You could swap the rams after few weeks, if you were worried about this?

better call saul

Ill give you a hand, itll cost ya

Cran

roosky wrote: »

Hi all,

Its coming to that time again and I have a perdiciment.

I have a mature Texel ram and a Charollais hogget ram to tip about 80 ewes, I have 30 hoggets and would sooner tip them with the CH.


My worrys are:

1. hassel of running two flocks
2. the reduced tipping due to lack of ram compotition
3. the fear that this might put too much pressure on one ram with a big group of ewes

Running them together is the easies option but is this madness considering putting a texel on hoggets, he isnt a hard lamber but he is a texel

Get rid of the texel and get another Charlie

roosky

Username John wrote: »

I think having 2 rams can be a distraction, as one doesn't want the other getting any action, so they end up fighting a lot of the time. Whereas with one, he can just do the business 'unhindered' so to speak...


You could swap the rams after few weeks, if you were worried about this?

I have heard before that the two rams together work harder so the other lad isnt out doing him.....maybe no truth in it !

Green farmer

Hard to call. When there's two, makes sure none are missed. Keeps lambing tight. Downside is the might be both tired after a few weeks. Maybe introducing new one every 7-10 days might keep them fresh. Also I found that had a lot of singles towards the end of my lambing last year. Don't know if was because rams got tired or less fertile ewes were last to go in lamb ?

rangler1

Green farmer wrote: »

Hard to call. When there's two, makes sure none are missed. Keeps lambing tight. Downside is the might be both tired after a few weeks. Maybe introducing new one every 7-10 days might keep them fresh. Also I found that had a lot of singles towards the end of my lambing last year. Don't know if was because rams got tired or less fertile ewes were last to go in lamb ?

Crosby Cleland uses one ram on his own with 100 ewes, he claims that when the ram only gets his own scent on the ewe, he won't serve her any more than once, easier on ram and ewe, (if it works)

Green farmer

I don't know rangler , What happens if the ram starts firing blanks and doesn't try to tip the ewe a second time ?

I just see your (if it works ) bit now :-)

roosky

Don't mean to break the debate on number of ewes to a ram but what I really want to know is it mad letting the texel with the hoggets.........also what lambing rate has Crosby Cleland ???

skoger

Hoggets should have no problem lambing texel lambs. Ewe lambs might be a different matter. I'd put 40 to each ram and swap them around later. You'd only have 2 flocks for the few weeks the ram is out.

roosky

skoger wrote: »

Hoggets should have no problem lambing texel lambs. Ewe lambs might be a different matter. I'd put 40 to each ram and swap them around later. You'd only have 2 flocks for the few weeks the ram is out.

Cheers Skoger but is taking the texel/CH thing out of the equation is there any need to split the flock or the rams??

Green farmer

Splitting them helps you spot an infertile ram .

roosky

Green farmer wrote: »

Splitting them helps you spot an infertile ram .

Treu that....but If i was to put yellow raddle on one and green on the other....job done

skoger

Green farmer wrote: »

Splitting them helps you spot an infertile ram .

+1

roosky wrote: »

Treu that....but If i was to put yellow raddle on one and green on the other....job done

Just because he's infertile doesn't mean he'll not mark the ewes;)

Green farmer

I'd be looking for fresh marks after a few weeks. When I've two rams together, with different colours on them, found both would tip the same ewe on the same day.
Safer to split them with a different colour on each ram. Swap them over after 3 weeks. You'll then see who's not doing the job

sako 85

I'm personally thinking of letting an old texel ram out with my cheviot ewe lambs this year. We would normal run the ewe lambs pure or previously had a charollais.

sea12

sako 85 wrote: »

I'm personally thinking of letting an old texel ram out with my cheviot ewe lambs this year. We would normal run the ewe lambs pure or previously had a charollais.

I would never put a Texal with ewe lambs. Find them too hard on ewe lambs.

Op why don't u put 30 ewes and the 30 hoggets in 1 flock with Charolais and then the other 50 ewes with the Texal. Won't be too hard on either ram

sea12

My plan was to put the rams out with the ewes in 2 weeks for lambing 1st April. Put the rams in adjoining paddock yesterday for 24 hr ram effect. One ****er hopped the fence 3ft wire and strsnd of electric wire and had served a good few before I found him today.

So I will have a few earlier than planned lambs.

ganmo

our suffolk lads were raddled and let loose today

razor8

Let my lads out Thursday and ewes seem to be coming very quick

Cran

Rams all out here 1st November, love the day really something mad about letting so many rams same day and seeing the start of another year.
Scanned pedigrees here Saturday, scanned 1.85 with super hold rate as rams were only out for one repeat. Scanner said very good % in the earlies he's done so far.

tom_k

razor8 wrote: »

Let my lads out Thursday and ewes seem to be coming very quick

I thought this too. Have one texel ram let him into 30 ewes on Friday and he'd tipped 8 by Monday morning. Suffolk ram with 15 ewes let out same day had 4 tipped by this morning. Both tested as fertile, have had Texel ram 2 years but suffolk is new.

AnFeirmeoir

I had belclare hogget ram out for last 2 weeks and he tipped half of them.
I've swapped him now with a suffolk ram lamb and will leave him there for 2 weeks. I was thinking of letting both of them out together for the last 2 weeks to pick up any last repeats. They don't know each other, would they fight? I never put 2 rams in together before.

razor8

AnFeirmeoir wrote: »

I had belclare hogget ram out for last 2 weeks and he tipped half of them.
I've swapped him now with a suffolk ram lamb and will leave him there for 2 weeks. I was thinking of letting both of them out together for the last 2 weeks to pick up any last repeats. They don't know each other, would they fight? I never put 2 rams in together before.

Leaving them together would be taking a chance IMO, all you need is one lad burying the other in the ribs when he's rising. I would think he should have more than 1/2 tipped at this stage. What breed are they and are they ewe lambs?

AnFeirmeoir

Belclare Ewes. there were only half tipped at 2 weeks. Theres about 3/4 done now at nearly 3 weeks... slow enough i suppose. I'll just swap them again in a week so for the last 2 weeks.

razor8

Little slow alrite. I have one ram out with 96 ewes and he had 37 tipped after 6 days out yesterday

Did you give any minerals to ewes?

serfspup

AnFeirmeoir wrote: »

I had belclare hogget ram out for last 2 weeks and he tipped half of them.
I've swapped him now with a suffolk ram lamb and will leave him there for 2 weeks. I was thinking of letting both of them out together for the last 2 weeks to pick up any last repeats. They don't know each other, would they fight? I never put 2 rams in together before.

you can be sure they would fight

better to run two rams together if its a big mob of ewes for 2-3 weeks.
when the first cycle is over the repeats will be sporadic and the two rams will compete agressively to serve them
so better replace them with a fresh ram,
(a handy way to test a ram lamb or use an old ram not up to the rigors of the rush.)

cattle man

How many ewes would you expect a January born ram lamb to handle. He is 70 plus kilos. Thanks

rangler1

cattle man wrote: »

How many ewes would you expect a January born ram lamb to handle. He is 70 plus kilos. Thanks

I'd have no problem with a lamb with 30- 35

Bleating Lamb

razor8 wrote: »

Little slow alrite. I have one ram out with 96 ewes and he had 37 tipped after 6 days out yesterday

Did you give any minerals to ewes?

Jaysus Razor8 your a hard taskmaster:)...that's an awful lot of ewes to put one ram with!....most I have ever heard around here chancing with one ram would be 60.Is he fertility tested)

razor8

Bleating Lamb wrote: »

Jaysus Razor8 your a hard taskmaster:)...that's an awful lot of ewes to put one ram with!....most I have ever heard around here chancing with one ram would be 60.Is he fertility tested)

Should be no bother to him, (hopefully) he's a very active charloais with 5 stars for both material and production and in top 1% of breed at that so want to make very good use of him. He's throwing very good lambs that are Kill out 2/3% more than other rams I have. He's not fertility tested but will put another fella in after first cycle and il know within a few days by raddle marks if he worked ok, wouldn't usually use a ratio like that

So fingers crossed!!

AnFeirmeoir

One week later and more or less finished!
Belclare got the first half , Suffolk ram lamb second half and beltex working his way through a small number of ewe lambs
So I'll leave them in for another 3werks for repeats only

Feckthis

When would in-lamb ewes start to come on the market? And how much do they usaully go for??

arctictree

Feckthis wrote: »

When would in-lamb ewes start to come on the market? And how much do they usaully go for??

In lamb ewes already on done deal. Price? - Lots of factors -

Personally, I would only buy in lamb ewes if the mothers were youngish, they were scanned, and they had only a few weeks left.

arctictree

Put the ram out on the 4th to 15 ewes. Changed the raddle on Saturday. He's repeated on one, hopefully thats it....

Green farmer

Put out the rams on Sunday. Calendar marked for 20th march next year. Fingers crossed !!!

Username John

Green farmer wrote: »

Put out the rams on Sunday. Calendar marked for 20th march next year. Fingers crossed !!!

Same here

I had a look this morning, and I think I counted around 12 marked so far, but the light was poor, and the yellow raddle is faint enough.
Not sure I'll bother with more raddle, as I plan to have em all inside well before they lamb...

Connemara Farmer

My new ram is with 5 ewes since I got him, he only tipped the first of them today. Plan to bring the flock home at the weekend. Raddling him will be tremendous fun as he's mad as a bag of frogs and not afraid to run. Bribery, I have found, has little effect on him.

MayoAreMagic

Con, you could always mark all the ewes different colours and see which ones rub off on him

Throw up a picture of him if you get a chance

Connemara Farmer

MayoAreMagic wrote: »

Con, you could always mark all the ewes different colours and see which ones rub off on him

Throw up a picture of him if you get a chance

Two equally crappy photos of him here, that was the day I got him, he wouldn't stand still for one second at all. A bit shorter in the leg than I'd like, otherwise I like him. I was on the look out for a nice brecket ram, but he wasn't to be got.

MayoAreMagic

Fair play on the photos. I will have to take a few of my own. They will be clean in the wool out of him. Nice white pip on the cul too.

Hard to get a good brecked these days, lads just don't breed them.

Username John

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

Two equally crappy photos of him here, that was the day I got him, he wouldn't stand still for one second at all. A bit shorter in the leg than I'd like, otherwise I like him. I was on the look out for a nice brecket ram, but he wasn't to be got.

MayoAreMagic wrote: »

Fair play on the photos. I will have to take a few of my own. They will be clean in the wool out of him. Nice white pip on the cul too.

Hard to get a good brecked these days, lads just don't breed them.

breket?
breked?

What does that mean?

MayoAreMagic

Breked would be a ram with a fair bit of white in the face, but not a Lanark or a Kerry ram. They would still be a 100% Mayo ram. It isn't something you see too often these days but going back 50-60 years they were really common.

Connemara Farmer

MayoAreMagic wrote: »

Breked would be a ram with a fair bit of white in the face, but not a Lanark or a Kerry ram. They would still be a 100% Mayo ram. It isn't something you see too often these days but going back 50-60 years they were really common.

That's the fella. Great ram to use on hill sheep that are getting or have gone too black. But they're like hens teeth. Dad has one for years, he's being very careful with the sheep he's putting him with to keep him as long as possible.

Connemara Farmer

This is what we'd call a brecket ram.

roosky

hi all,

Original poster here!

Put the TX with 45 ewes and the CH with 30 hoggets and 5 ewes they are in two weeks sat and here are the stats....ch had a worrying slow start but not his fault...........really happy hopefully they hold



TX RAM
ewes
45
17/10/2014 4
18/10/2014 6
19/10/2014 12
20/10/2014 18
21/10/2014 24
22/10/2014 29
23/10/2014 31
24/10/2014 32
25/10/2014 34
26/10/2014 37
27/10/2014 40
28/10/2014 43
29/10/2014 44
30/10/2014 45


CH RAM
hogs
35
17/10/2014 1
18/10/2014 3
19/10/2014 6
20/10/2014 7
21/10/2014 11
22/10/2014 14
23/10/2014 16
24/10/2014 17
25/10/2014 17
26/10/2014 18
27/10/2014 20
28/10/2014 24
29/10/2014 27
30/10/2014 34



13 days and 98% tipped

Username John

roosky wrote: »

hi all,

Original poster here!

Put the TX with 45 ewes and the CH with 30 hoggets and 5 ewes they are in two weeks sat and here are the stats....ch had a worrying slow start but not his fault...........really happy hopefully they hold

CH RAM TX RAM
hogs ewes
35 45
17/10/2014 1 4
18/10/2014 3 6
19/10/2014 6 12
20/10/2014 7 18
21/10/2014 11 24
22/10/2014 14 29
23/10/2014 16 31
24/10/2014 17 32
25/10/2014 17 34
26/10/2014 18 37
27/10/2014 20 40
28/10/2014 24 43
29/10/2014 27 44
30/10/2014 34 45
31/10/2014

13 days and 98% tipped
so

Not bad going...
How long will you leave the rams with them Roosky?

Green farmer

Should have a nice condensed lambing so.

roosky

Rams will swap groups sat just incase of infertility......

Two more weeks with two rams then two final weeks with the TX on his own to mop up any stragglers......so 6 weeks in all



The CH is off on a holiday then to tip ewe lambs for a neighbour

Username John

roosky wrote: »

The CH is off on a holiday then to tip ewe lambs for a neighbour

Sure they say a change is as good as a rest

MayoAreMagic

Haven't seen one of them in a while Con. I always found them stronger and with better teeth, but maybe that was just the particular ones I had encountered. A lad with a very bright cul would turn very dark ewes too in my experience, although he wouldn't be as prolific in doing it.

Have a look around fairs where guys from the islands might sell, they used to have them like that down the years. In around Louisburgh for lads coming in off Clare Island etc, or even take a spin out there yourself some evening for a look. Strong, heavy-bodied type of ewes out there.