Store Lambs

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