Mortality rates

kay 9

sheepfarmer92 wrote: »

Don't be too hard on yourself you'll have good years and bad years, we had about a hundred ewes aborted they're lambs one year after a toxo outbreak, remember there's more to life, I wouldn't be too hooked on the type of ewe to be honest we have 2 flocks here the biggest flock lambs indoors they are mostly bred from a base of mule/greyface ewes and are belclare and texel crosses with some NC Cheviot and Suffolk crosses which are nearly gone at this stage, these 700 lamb indoors and scanned 1.8, iv 1.7 turned out never had such a good year with them, still have 24 of them left to lamb, lost 8 ewes from them and have 10 in a paddock with no lambs they will be going for the chop next week
The other flock is made up of easycare crosses and Cheviot cross horned ewes lambing out side, due to having very little help we ended up selling half of them after scanning, kept 350 carrying twins the Cheviot horny crosses are going pretty well, the easycares are a mixed bag not sure if we'll bother continuing with them, definitely more losses with this flock and wouldn't know the numbers til they're weaned

Remember when we had toxo here in 98. That was a bad year. Can still smell it.

Green farmer

Lambing going well here(touch wood) low losses. About half ways through. All outdoors in sheltered paddocks. Big singles with swollen heads are starting to be an issue, so reducing ration and keeping a closer eye. Noticed whatever issues are there, are from older ewes or less maternal ewes. Feel the breeding maternal ewes is finally paying off.Had a terrible year last year, picked up loads of dead lambs from the paddocks after torrential overnight rains, so grateful for the uneventful year this time.

DJ98

Not a great year here either, alot if doubles ended up as singles, any singles that lost lambs I bought a pet lamb and put onto them, added expense at 25 euro a piece. Alot of the ewes this year were 2 year old, first lambing they just didn't know what they were doing, lost texel lambs too big and a good few lambs born dead, Suffolk and texels. Space was also an issue. So like others I'm glad to see the end of lambing this year. Lost very little lambs once I got them out of the shed but now face the problem of having no grass . I am already planning for next year, considering moving lambing from March 1st to begin on paddy's day, lamb horned ewes outside weather permitting and use easier lambing breeds of rams on lowland ewes such as charollais

kk.man

DJ98 wrote: »

Not a great year here either, alot if doubles ended up as singles, any singles that lost lambs I bought a pet lamb and put onto them, added expense at 25 euro a piece. Alot of the ewes this year were 2 year old, first lambing they just didn't know what they were doing, lost texel lambs too big and a good few lambs born dead, Suffolk and texels. Space was also an issue. So like others I'm glad to see the end of lambing this year. Lost very little lambs once I got them out of the shed but now face the problem of having no grass . I am already planning for next year, considering moving lambing from March 1st to begin on paddy's day, lamb horned ewes outside weather permitting and use easier lambing breeds of rams on lowland ewes such as charollais

I would go the charollais route if I stay at the job. I was buying a ram at a multi breed sale a few years back and advised me to buy one. I didn't and he is a very good sheep man.

Lambman

Have the same charrlois ram 3 years now since I bought him as a lamb used him on hoggets mostly and only ever pulled 1 lamb... They don't look like much when there born but come 12 weeks there the best lambs in the field. They take a bit off extra looking after for the first week after being born weather wise but there up and sucking in no time at all.

Lambman

Have the same charrlois ram 3 years now since I bought him as a lamb used him on hoggets mostly and only ever pulled 1 lamb... They don't look like much when there born but come 12 weeks there the best lambs in the field. They take a bit off extra looking after for the first week after being born weather wise but there up and sucking in no time at all.

Young95

DJ98 wrote: »

Not a great year here either, alot if doubles ended up as singles, any singles that lost lambs I bought a pet lamb and put onto them, added expense at 25 euro a piece. Alot of the ewes this year were 2 year old, first lambing they just didn't know what they were doing, lost texel lambs too big and a good few lambs born dead, Suffolk and texels. Space was also an issue. So like others I'm glad to see the end of lambing this year. Lost very little lambs once I got them out of the shed but now face the problem of having no grass . I am already planning for next year, considering moving lambing from March 1st to begin on paddy's day, lamb horned ewes outside weather permitting and use easier lambing breeds of rams on lowland ewes such as charollais

don’t go for a charolais if ur lambing anything outside there the coldest hoars because there so bald ! Getting rid of them this year and using beltex on first time lambers there easier lambed and hardier .

DJ98

Young95 wrote: »

don’t go for a charolais if ur lambing anything outside there the coldest hoars because there so bald ! Getting rid of them this year and using beltex on first time lambers there easier lambed and hardier .

Any ewes that would be with a charollais would be housed

OneMan37

The Vendeen are a good enough alternative to the Charollais.

sheepfarmer92

Had Charollais rams here before found the lambs to cold when born but once they get going they do fly, using a Charollais texel ram and find him very good, but can't beat the texel for this farm imo

Sheep breeder

Lambing finished and usual type of losses and that will never change, cannot live with them 24/7. But what we found over the years is try to improve on things like type of feed which is a huge factor, time of feeding ewes, taking in the ram from the ewes, quality of silage,colour on rams, powder biestings from cows and the biggest thing the lambing shed and fixing problems for the next year.

Sheep breeder

Young95 wrote: »

don’t go for a charolais if ur lambing anything outside there the coldest hoars because there so bald ! Getting rid of them this year and using beltex on first time lambers there easier lambed and hardier .

Pick a charollais with head cover and a beltex easier lambed!!. Good to see how the beltex do over the summer with the big lung capacity they have and grow into huge weight. Had a beltex once and never again little pigs that were always blowing under any movement and the ram a very poor worker.

Green farmer

Sheep breeder wrote: »

Pick a charollais with head cover and a beltex easier lambed!!. Good to see how the beltex do over the summer with the big lung capacity they have and grow into huge weight. Had a beltex once and never again little pigs that were always blowing under any movement and the ram a very poor worker.

Some lads are trying charley/ beltex cross rams

Young95

Sheep breeder wrote: »

Pick a charollais with head cover and a beltex easier lambed!!. Good to see how the beltex do over the summer with the big lung capacity they have and grow into huge weight. Had a beltex once and never again little pigs that were always blowing under any movement and the ram a very poor worker.

They’ll be fit for factory at the low 40kgs and beltex we have here covers just as much ewes as the charlois and they were in the same mob ! But ya need to send straight to factory selling live is no good !