General sheep thread

Young95

If u had access to a large area of acreage of good land could a New Zealand type of sheep farming work here ?ino it’s a odd thing to be asking but just curious has anyone ever seen der system in the flesh before? Are there inputs prices close to are cost of fertilizer etc and price they receive for there lambs ?

Dinzee Conlee

Young95 wrote: »

If u had access to a large area of acreage of good land could a New Zealand type of sheep farming work here ?ino it’s a odd thing to be asking but just curious has anyone ever seen der system in the flesh before? Are there inputs prices close to are cost of fertilizer etc and price they receive for there lambs ?

What do you mean by New Zealand type of sheep farming?

Young95

Dinzee Conlee wrote: »

What do you mean by New Zealand type of sheep farming?

YouTube it . Basically low labour . Everything lambs outside no meal fed but high mortality rates .

Cran

Young95 wrote: »

YouTube it . Basically low labour . Everything lambs outside no meal fed but high mortality rates .

Outside doesn’t mean high mortality, high mortality thing in NZ bit of a myth here.

If you use ewes that suit outdoor systems, mortality no more than indoor in most circumstances and often better.

DJ98

Have some nice looking ewe lambs picked out to keep, they are texel x, bred from a 2 star replacement ram, now going by the stars I know these shouldnt be kept but visually theses are real smart looking ewe lambs, any suggestions whether to keep or sell?

Siamsa Sessions

DJ98 wrote: »

Have some nice looking ewe lambs picked out to keep, they are texel x, bred from a 2 star replacement ram, now going by the stars I know these shouldnt be kept but visually theses are real smart looking ewe lambs, any suggestions whether to keep or sell?

How have their mothers performed over the years? Did they have single vs twin lambs, lameness, plenty milk or very little, good mothers, etc.

If the mothers are good and you need the lambs as replacements, then keep them. That 2-star ram might be a 3-star ram next year, depending on figures submitted to Sheep Ireland (could be a 1-star ram too!) If they are anyway decent at all, then management at your end plays as much of a role as their parentage.

That's my experience here over the past few years. If the ewe suits your system, then her stars--or lack of them--don't make a huge difference

Lambman

I'd trust my own judgement more than what a piece of paper tells you about your sheep.

joe35

I think 'good looking' ewe lambs will make a good price in the ring. Lambs should be kept on with good genetics. But farmers always want a good looking ewe. We had a lovely horn cross ewe here and at shearing the father was saying what a great sheep she was. She had no lamb as a hoggett, give her a chance and she still had no lamb.
We run the tip with ewe lambs so her comrades could have had 3 lambs by the time we culled her.
If in general there your own lambs and no stand out faults with their mothers than I don't see any harm in keeping them for breeding but not just cause the look good

390kid

I’ve bought a few ewes lambing early January, would I want to give them the heptavac jag soon?

Dinzee Conlee

390kid wrote: »

I’ve bought a few ewes lambing early January, would I want to give them the heptavac jag soon?

Did they get the two shots previously do you know?

We used to only give the booster shot 4-6 weeks before lambing I think, but they were ewes that had gotten the two shots before...

wrangler

390kid wrote: »

I’ve bought a few ewes lambing early January, would I want to give them the heptavac jag soon?

I usually vaccinate four weeks before lambing,
If I had any doubt about bought in sheep I'd inject them twice four to six weeks apart

390kid

Dinzee Conlee wrote: »

Did they get the two shots previously do you know?

We used to only give the booster shot 4-6 weeks before lambing I think, but they were ewes that had gotten the two shots before...

I’m not sure if they did or not. Might just give it to be sure would it be a bad job?

390kid

wrangler wrote: »

I usually vaccinate four weeks before lambing,
If I had any doubt about bought in sheep I'd inject them twice four to six weeks apart

Think your right. Might not be worth the risk

390kid

What’s a safe injection to give a ram out with ewes? He’s a bit lame on a back foot

Country lad

Not sure a out that but always give rams a shot of Alamycin la never had any problems after that's what I do anyway

DJ98

Would dung that has been lying in a she'd since last March be rotted enough to be spread onto land? All sheep dung

Sami23

DJ98 wrote: »

Would dung that has been lying in a she'd since last March be rotted enough to be spread onto land? All sheep dung

Absolutely and if he hasn't rotted fully won't it rot over the winter

Country lad

Be no problem at all

wrangler

Just after selling a five year old texel ram that I took from the ewes at 9.30 and put on Donedeal at 10.30.
He's related to all my ewes, thought it was a shame to slaughter him
That's a record for me anyway,

Bleating Lamb

wrangler wrote: »

Just after selling a five year old texel ram that I took from the ewes at 9.30 and put on Donedeal at 10.30.
He's related to all my ewes, thought it was a shame to slaughter him
That's a record for me anyway,

He deserved another few months fun:)....
Was he still in good physical shape for his new owner?

wrangler

Bleating Lamb wrote: »

He deserved another few months fun:)....
Was he still in good physical shape for his new owner?

He was a nice ram and very lively, I'd be very sorry to slaughter him

Lano Lynn

wrangler wrote: »

Just after selling a five year old texel ram that I took from the ewes at 9.30 and put on Donedeal at 10.30.
He's related to all my ewes, thought it was a shame to slaughter him
That's a record for me anyway,

doesn't have texel throat ……...the texel society should be buying him

DJ98

Running a ram with a bunch of ewes here (horned ewes), ram has been woth them 5 days and has yet to tip any, ram is raddled, had been with another ram up to this and was working away but has no interest in this group of ewes, any ideas? Only think I can think of is to buy a ram lamb and run him with him, only disadvantage to this 9s that there's just 20 ewes in the group

Hard Knocks

DJ98 wrote: »

Running a ram with a bunch of ewes here (horned ewes), ram has been woth them 5 days and has yet to tip any, ram is raddled, had been with another ram up to this and was working away but has no interest in this group of ewes, any ideas? Only think I can think of is to buy a ram lamb and run him with him, only disadvantage to this 9s that there's just 20 ewes in the group

Give it a bit more time, remember the ewe cycle is 17 days
I thought the same with mine, but the ram got them all and all lambing in Jan

Bleating Lamb

Let the rams out yesterday afternoon,raddled them with yellow,checked them this morning,each ram had two or three ewes covered which was good to see.

Young95

Any sheep men here renting land how’s the economics of it stacking up ? Is it bps payment just paying the land rent and you have the ground for nothing or are lads able to pay the rent from sheep and keeping the bps ? Just curious as I’m considering renting top class land for 150 an acre but the economics of sheep arnt looking good ? Any advice be much appreciated.

Siamsa Sessions

Young95 wrote: »

Any sheep men here renting land how’s the economics of it stacking up ? Is it bps payment just paying the land rent and you have the ground for nothing or are lads able to pay the rent from sheep and keeping the bps ? Just curious as I’m considering renting top class land for 150 an acre but the economics of sheep arnt looking good ? Any advice be much appreciated.

Is it fenced? Or adjoining your own place? Have you stock to put on it or would you have to breed/buy more?

Back of a fag-box figures: if stocking rate is 4 ewes/acre and you sell 1.5 lambs per ewe you'll have 6 lambs (95 euro avg) or 570 euro per acre output before costs.

What are your current costs per ewe? Will they rise if you have to stock/fence the new ground?

Best of luck either way but outlook for lamb/beef is not great

Young95

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Is it fenced? Or adjoining your own place? Have you stock to put on it or would you have to breed/buy more?

Back of a fag-box figures: if stocking rate is 4 ewes/acre and you sell 1.5 lambs per ewe you'll have 6 lambs (95 euro avg) or 570 euro per acre output before costs.

What are your current costs per ewe? Will they rise if you have to stock/fence the new ground?

Best of luck either way but outlook for lamb/beef is not great

Joining are land and is all fenced but the fields are big ! Breeding own replacements and be currently stocked At two ewes to the acre but will go up to three an acre . Are cost of production is low I’d say about 50 euro a head but now 100% sure

wrangler

Young95 wrote: »

Joining are land and is all fenced but the fields are big ! Breeding own replacements and be currently stocked At two ewes to the acre but will go up to three an acre . Are cost of production is low I’d say about 50 euro a head but now 100% sure

A good year here would give us €50/ewe net profit if we averaged 100/lamb, lambing rate 1.6 including ewe lambs, but it's 3years since we farmed properly.
You need some BPS to make it worth your while.
Our stocking rate was 5ewes/acre....... I wouldn't be shouting that's the right stocking rate either.
We didn't reseed but it would have been a help but not at 3ewes/acre. you'd never control the grass

Young95

wrangler wrote: »

A good year here would give us €50/ewe net profit if we averaged 100/lamb, lambing rate 1.6 including ewe lambs, but it's 3years since we farmed properly.
You need some BPS to make it worth your while.
Our stocking rate was 5ewes/acre....... I wouldn't be shouting that's the right stocking rate either.
We didn't reseed but it would have been a help but not at 3ewes/acre. you'd never control the grass

I have my own bps to put on it plus young farmer top up so I’d be hoping that the ewes could cover the rent and I’d keep all my bps payments but look I’m only guessing I’d probably fix the ph and p an k levels but no reseeding!!