Store Lambs

Albert Johnson

390kid wrote: »

Albert Johnson wrote: »

Sorry didn't get a notification about your reply and only seen it now. Drumshanbo wouldn't really be a town for fat lambs, be mostly stores and ewes/hogget's. The fat lamb's would usually go to Dowra, Ballymote or Elphin where there's more factory buyer's. Having said that 47kg ewe lambs made €97 (gone for breeding) and the comrade rams 49kg made €93 (Galway type lambs with wooly heads).

Ye there seems to be lots going through dowra I wouldn’t have thought there would be many for them there. Have a few nice ewe lambs that would suit breeding just not to sure where to go with them yet

It depends on the weight of the ewe lambs. Anything over 40kg doesn't always sell that well in Drumshanbo but it depends on who's there on the day. Ewe lambs will be in demand from now on, there's a few older lads that run dry hogget's and buy replacements each week as they sell this year's crop. Well matched bundles of 5-10 ewe lambs usually attract a premium over slaughter price.

memorystick

What are light store lambs making?

Lambman

Maybe 5 over €2 a kg for less than 35kg

Lambman

Maybe 5 over €2 a kg for less than 35kg

Green farmer

Lambman wrote: »

Maybe 5 over €2 a kg for less than 35kg

And add another €5 again for ewe lambs

Ard_MC

At a sale last night, thought trade was back a bit compared to 2 weeks ago.

Albert Johnson

Ard_MC wrote: »

At a sale last night, thought trade was back a bit compared to 2 weeks ago.

Store's are back a bit on previous weeks but it's only a few euro a head and there still a good trade imo. The year is moving on and average type lambs are in no short supply atm, if the trade holds it's own for a few weeks then I'd be content being honest. There's a lot of lambs bought that will struggle to get money imo, especially the real longer keep types that were making €40-55 up to last week. From now until next March/April is a long time in the life of a sheep.

Robson99

Dickie10 wrote: »

those lambs i bought from kenmare ended up €68 in the yard (inc. €3/hd. transport). was about to dip them today but the rain came going to just spray them until i get a half dry day.

How are the lambs thriving Dickie ?
Have those type of stores come back anybit?

Green farmer

Was in roscrea yesterday. The run of it was, €2 a kilo plus €5-€7 for ewe lambs.

Dickie10

Robson99 wrote: »

How are the lambs thriving Dickie ?
Have those type of stores come back anybit?

Well lads , yes the lambs are doing great really seem to have thrived and some putting on serious weight by my eye, so much so that i have pulled three nice speckled faces to be put to the ram with my own replacement ewe lambs at end of october. there due there second vaccination (booster) in 3 weeks. i rang the mart manager Dan on monday evening to put in another order for 80-100 more , he said the trade seems to have eased a bit . i told him to go for 33-36 kg average id hope they will only be around €70/head. i have 19 ram lambs of my own on ad lib intensive lamb nut. around 12 are fit now probably go next week , the others should be fit within fortnight. there eating 1.5 kg /day on average some prob eating more others less

RobinBanks

Hello all. Looking for recommendation on minerals for store lambs. I happened to have a bottle of growvite in press when i bought lams last month and i was thinking of leaving out lick bucket for them.

Just wondering would it be a waste of money. Do they need minerals and if so what would be a good one to use?

Dickie10

Here’s an up dated pic of stores

Dinzee Conlee

RobinBanks wrote: »

Hello all. Looking for recommendation on minerals for store lambs. I happened to have a bottle of growvite in press when i bought lams last month and i was thinking of leaving out lick bucket for them.

Just wondering would it be a waste of money. Do they need minerals and if so what would be a good one to use?

I'll be giving the store lambs here this bolus tomorrow. Our place is very low in colbalt, and I felt last year they were lacking, so going to go with these.

https://www.agridirect.ie/product/all-guard-sheep-and-lamb-bolus-4-in-1

Dickie10

bought another 41 stores from Kenmare yesterday unfortunatly had to go to Sallins at 3:30 am to meet the haulier as he wasnt really prepared to drive another farm with only 41 on board a big truck , anyway they seem good value €68.50 for 34kg average

memorystick

What’s the trade like for stores? Any recommendations on type and weight to will be sold before March 17.

memorystick

Bought lambs today. They seem like value but you never know.

kk.man

memorystick wrote: »

Bought lambs today. They seem like value but you never know.

They do look like value. I like baltinglass to buy at. I haven't been there for a few weeks. They would have been cheaper today than when I was there.
What breeds were they? Rams?
Have they fallen in price given where the fat trade is?

Albert Johnson

memorystick wrote: »

Bought lambs today. They seem like value but you never know.

I wish you luck with your purchases, I'm assuming there ram lambs at those prices. It's hard to comment about value without seeing the stock but if there nice even lambs with no little sprats of lads mixed through them then there not overly dear imo. The year is moving on and my biggest fear from now on is buying older poorer lambs that haven't made the grade all summer rather than genuine store's. From what I've seen of late the €2 a kilo will buy bundles of ram lambs but most of these have a few handy or poorer lambs mixed through them that can put an extra few euro on there better comrades from the start.

Green farmer

Only finish my own lambs here, but feel the ram lambs are easier finished then ewe lambs. At least they’ll get to the weights. Nothing worse keeping ewe lambs too long, only to kill out light

razor8

Green farmer wrote: »

Only finish my own lambs here, but feel the ram lambs are easier finished then ewe lambs. At least they’ll get to the weights. Nothing worse keeping ewe lambs too long, only to kill out light

How sales going this year green?

memorystick

All ewe lambs. Nice white face (not Chevy type) from Louth. Last lot mix of Suffolk and Hampshire. I’ll get photo later.

memorystick

Settled in

Green farmer

razor8 wrote: »

How sales going this year green?

Going ok. No issues to report, luckily. Sending a load away every week or two and the grass is still growing. At around €4.60, prices disappointing.

memorystick

Stupid question. Which thrive better? Ewe lambs or wethers? There was a batch of horny blackface ram lambs there yesterday. 30kgs for €50 I think. Looked like a few quod to be made out of them but I’d say they’d rogue.

kk.man

memorystick wrote: »

Stupid question. Which thrive better? Ewe lambs or wethers? There was a batch of horny blackface ram lambs there yesterday. 30kgs for €50 I think. Looked like a few quod to be made out of them but I’d say they’d rogue.

IMO ewe lambs do better thus they command a higher premium when buying. Weather may have been recently squeezed and take longer to do. Ewes get fat cover easier.

Those horny ones are value but that be a gamble if they strayed and more hardship than they are worth.

Dickie10

lads fencing? dont know how anyone even thinks of having sheep without decent fenceing.

Robson99

Dickie10 wrote: »

lads fencing? dont know how anyone even thinks of having sheep without decent fenceing.

A small bit of meal each day compensates for a lot of fencing here

farming93

Bought 11 cheviots 41 kg for 80 each and 15 33.5 kg for 60 euro. All ram lambs.

uck51js9zml2yt

Probably the wrong place...forgive the jackeen.:)

Thinking about a few lambs for my freezer next year.
Is it worth buying and rearing them myself.
The only experience I have of lamb is putting it in the oven.

I bought a Texan X butchered for €150.
Would I save anything doing it myself or is it not worth it

Hard Knocks

Dennis Tender Fatigues wrote: »

Probably the wrong place...forgive the jackeen.:)

Thinking about a few lambs for my freezer next year.
Is it worth buying and rearing them myself.
The only experience I have of lamb is putting it in the oven.

I bought a Texan X butchered for €150.
Would I save anything doing it myself or is it not worth it

€150 is Good value

You could go to the mart and buy a fat lamb and get it butchered
It costs €30 to get a lamb killed & cut here

Generally lambs are Dearer from March to late May

Green farmer

Hard Knocks wrote: »

€150 is Good value

You could go to the mart and buy a fat lamb and get it butchered
It costs €30 to get a lamb killed & cut here

Generally lambs are Dearer from March to late May

Even at that, add the time and diesal taken to go to the mart and butcher, all for €20 !!!

uck51js9zml2yt

Green farmer wrote: »

Even at that, add the time and diesal taken to go to the mart and butcher, all for €20 !!!

So not worth it?
Must be something in it for the guy I get it off. He had 10 this year. Got it killed in October.
He has to buy, rear it, and kill it while still making a few quid in the deal.

Green farmer

Dennis Tender Fatigues wrote: »

So not worth it?
Must be something in it for the guy I get it off. He had 10 this year. Got it killed in October.
He has to buy, rear it, and kill it while still making a few quid in the deal.

If you’ve the interest and have abit of land to fatten them, then you could do a lot worse. It’s a nice hobby. But there’s loads of basic things to get right with sheep. Like spending money on fencing, dosing etc. sheep also like to die at every given opportunity. Loose one or two and then it makes the rest very expensive. Up to yourself really. Don’t want to put anyone off, but there’s a lot of easier ways of saving €20.

memorystick

How long do lads feed meal to lambs for? Hoping to sell mid-March. Was thinking of throwing a 25kg bag to 43 every day for 10 weeks. That’s around 2 ton. Or would 6 weeks be enough. They weighted between 25 and 30 kgs in early October. Would sell in mart as have a major fear of factories.

Green farmer

memorystick wrote: »

Would sell in mart as have a major fear of factories.

I’m the opposite, have fear of selling in marts and dealers taking the p*ss. Goes to show no right or wrong answer.

Dickie10

same I never go to the mart , I don't even buy in the mart in person

Dinzee Conlee

memorystick wrote: »

How long do lads feed meal to lambs for? Hoping to sell mid-March. Was thinking of throwing a 25kg bag to 43 every day for 10 weeks. That’s around 2 ton. Or would 6 weeks be enough. They weighted between 25 and 30 kgs in early October. Would sell in mart as have a major fear of factories.

If there are on good grass, and are dosed and have minerals, then you'd be hoping they'd put on .75 - 1kg a week.

That'd have them around 45 - 50kg by mid March.

I would say weigh them in Jan, and see how you're doing. I would have said 6 weeks should be enough - but it depends on how they do between now and then really...

Dickie10 wrote: »

same I never go to the mart , I don't even buy in the mart in person

Same as
I much prefer the factory, you know the price you'll get and then its all down to you as to how the lambs kill...

memorystick

Green farmer wrote: »

I’m the opposite, have fear of selling in marts and dealers taking the p*ss. Goes to show no right or wrong answer.

I factory the cattle no problem but I lack expertise at judging weights and fatness in lambs. I sold in the mart last year and my neighbour said I wouldn’t have got the same money in Kildare. He’s a good judge. I only sell one day per year. I don’t know.

kk.man

memorystick wrote: »

How long do lads feed meal to lambs for? Hoping to sell mid-March. Was thinking of throwing a 25kg bag to 43 every day for 10 weeks. That’s around 2 ton. Or would 6 weeks be enough. They weighted between 25 and 30 kgs in early October. Would sell in mart as have a major fear of factories.

I would not throw a 25kg bag in 43 at the start! That's all most 0.6kgs. Start at 0.1 and build to 0.3 and eventually go to twice a day no more than 0.3 in one feed.
I see farmers getting done in the marts with fat lambs by the agents except for an exceptional lot where butchers compete for them. Start by weighing them and draft at 50 kgs then feel the spine area near the tail and that's where you can get the fat cover. Bear in mind of the rain will ad weight to a lamb from the field. Draft a few and you can pick it up quickly. You will learn but you won't go too wrong at 50kgs.

Sami23

kk.man wrote: »

. Start by weighing them and draft at 50 kgs then feel the spine area near the tail and that's where you can get the fat cover. Bear in mind of the rain will ad weight to a lamb from the field. Draft a few and you can pick it up quickly. You will learn but you won't go too wrong at 50kgs.

Would most on here agree that lambs would want to be weighing 50kg's this time of year to kill out at 22kg or above.
I've a batch nearly ready to go but would be slightly under 50kg's avg

kk.man

Sami23 wrote: »

Would most on here agree that lambs would want to be weighing 50kg's this time of year to kill out at 22kg or above.
I've a batch nearly ready to go but would be slightly under 50kg's avg

I don't have lambs atm to go but from chatting to others they are 47kgs ish and reaching those weights.
It would depend on breeds and levels of feeding imo.

memorystick

Dinzee Conlee wrote: »

If there are on good grass, and are dosed and have minerals, then you'd be hoping they'd put on .75 - 1kg a week.

That'd have them around 45 - 50kg by mid March.

I would say weigh them in Jan, and see how you're doing. I would have said 6 weeks should be enough - but it depends on how they do between now and then really...




Same as
I much prefer the factory, you know the price you'll get and then its all down to you as to how the lambs kill...

How could I factory these? Mine were all bought and sold the one day. There the ones marked X

Dinzee Conlee

memorystick wrote: »

How could I factory these? Mine were all bought and sold the one day. There the ones marked X

I don't get you Memory - are they those your ewe lambs that are marked X? If so, you did very well.

If the mart works for you, go for it. It wouldn't suit me, so I either factory or sell from home...

kk.man

Dinzee Conlee wrote: »

I don't get you Memory - are they those your ewe lambs that are marked X? If so, you did very well.

If the mart works for you, go for it. It wouldn't suit me, so I either factory or sell from home...

That's hardly a recent report. They are no lambs making that money recently.

memorystick

kk.man wrote: »

That's hardly a recent report. They are no lambs making that money recently.

It’s from last March. The point I’m making is that I buy a mixed bag. I only have a small number and need them gone in early March. I only keep sheep for the winter to improve the grass. The mart suits me.

wrangler

memorystick wrote: »

It’s from last March. The point I’m making is that I buy a mixed bag. I only have a small number and need them gone in early March. I only keep sheep for the winter to improve the grass. The mart suits me.

Grass grew all winter last year, very different winter this year, it won't be easy to put weight on lambs on grass if this weather persists.
Last winter was great but you couldn't plan an enterprise expecting the same again, I don't know when we got a winter like last winter before

Dinzee Conlee

wrangler wrote: »

Grass grew all winter last year, very different winter this year, it won't be easy to put weight on lambs on grass if this weather persists.
Last winter was great but you couldn't plan an enterprise expecting the same again, I don't know when we got a winter like last winter before

Last winter was very kind all right...

I have a feeling this winter is going to be a nasty one...
Having said that, if it came cold and dry, lambs would manage away as long as they had grass - wouldn’t be long disappearing though if you didn’t have a big run...

Green farmer

wrangler wrote: »

Grass grew all winter last year, very different winter this year, it won't be easy to put weight on lambs on grass if this weather persists.
Last winter was great but you couldn't plan an enterprise expecting the same again, I don't know when we got a winter like last winter before

I just started feeding silage here. I looked back on my records and the first bale has been opening 16 days later this year compared to last. I've also enough grass in a separate paddock to finish lambs for another few weeks, compared to having nothing last year and mealing everything. Lambs are going again this week off grass only and all grading U, from lleyns. It's not that I'm doing anything better then last year, but I think it goes to show how much of a difference there is between different parts of the country. Amazing really how much difference 70 or so miles make !!!

wrangler

Green farmer wrote: »

I just started feeding silage here. I looked back on my records and the first bale has been opening 16 days later this year compared to last. I've also enough grass in a separate paddock to finish lambs for another few weeks, compared to having nothing last year and mealing everything. Lambs are going again this week off grass only and all grading U, from lleyns. It's not that I'm doing anything better then last year, but I think it goes to show how much of a difference there is between different parts of the country. Amazing really how much difference 70 or so miles make !!!

Well done, you deserve a break,
I presume you're still lambing in april, they must've been thriving well all year for you to have so many gone

Green farmer

wrangler wrote: »

Well done, you deserve a break,
I presume you're still lambing in april, they must've been thriving well all year for you to have so many gone

Yes, outside in April. Got a right battering last year with the drought and they never really recovered after that. I ended up spending a fortune on meal, which didn't pay for itself. So makes a change have them finishing off grass this year. Will still end up carrying a few dry ewe lambs over until next spring, but won't be spending any money on meal, other then ewes pre lambing.