Store Lambs

kk.man · 14-11-2019 11:27am

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 · 14-11-2019 11:29am

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 · 14-11-2019 11:55am

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 · 14-11-2019 12:25pm

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 · 14-11-2019 12:32pm

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 · 14-11-2019 11:43pm

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 · 14-11-2019 11:48pm

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 · 16-11-2019 7:22pm

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 · 16-11-2019 7:40pm

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 · 16-11-2019 9:03pm

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.

kk.man · 16-11-2019 11:07pm

Green farmer wrote: »

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.

I've plenty of grass here too. I put in store lambs after Christmas to finish off what's left.
My dry ewe lambs won't be going in but I found the bit of meal they get in January and February pays off. Hoggets get a great start towards my first year when they got nothing.

RobinBanks · 24-11-2019 10:24am

Hi All. What weight do you send lambs to factory or Mart. I weighed my ewe lambs yesterday. They range from 39-52 kg. About 6-7 in an around the 50, more than half around the 45 and a few light ones that haven’t thrived well

Dickie10 · 25-11-2019 2:02pm

hi guys , do many of u put meal in creep feeders for lambs ad lib? lost two lambs with two different meal batches lately , I thought there was too much barley in one so switched then got done again with meal with less barley

Dickie10 · 25-11-2019 2:03pm

feeding morning and evening instead now

wrangler · 25-11-2019 2:05pm

Dickie10 wrote: »

hi guys , do many of u put meal in creep feeders for lambs ad lib? lost two lambs with two different meal batches lately , I thought there was too much barley in one so switched then got done again with meal with less barley

Did you do Post Mortem, do you know it was the meal

AnFeirmeoir · 25-11-2019 4:26pm

Does feeding silage to lambs outside pay off this time of year?. Lambs in high 30s kg . Grass scarce but ive loads if bales.

Robson99 · 25-11-2019 4:52pm

wrangler wrote: »

Did you do Post Mortem, do you know it was the meal

Was the ration a sheep ration ?,? could there have been cattle minerals in it or copper ??

Green farmer · 25-11-2019 4:57pm

AnFeirmeoir wrote: »

Does feeding silage to lambs outside pay off this time of year?. Lambs in high 30s kg . Grass scarce but ive loads if bales.

I've some lambs knocking around. Still drafting off grass,but its slowing. Once that's gone I might put the rest on the slow boat , feed silage outside and let them finish naturally next spring. Lost my shirt mealing them outside last year, so wouldn't try that again, unless finishing them in a shed.

wrangler · 25-11-2019 5:12pm

Green farmer wrote: »

I've some lambs knocking around. Still drafting off grass,but its slowing. Once that's gone I might put the rest on the slow boat , feed silage outside and let them finish naturally next spring. Lost my shirt mealing them outside last year, so wouldn't try that again, unless finishing them in a shed.

Unless they're 36kg plus they'll rob you for meal but the weather this year....meal might be the only option, I'm just after putting in my ewes a month earlier than usual

Green farmer · 25-11-2019 6:35pm

wrangler wrote: »

Unless they're 36kg plus they'll rob you for meal but the weather this year....meal might be the only option, I'm just after putting in my ewes a month earlier than usual

Ground gone very soft alright, alot of water there.

memorystick · 06-01-2020 1:40pm

Dickie10 wrote: »

feeding morning and evening instead now

How much are they eating per day?

Dickie10 · 08-01-2020 3:39pm

about 0.75 kg

kk.man · 08-01-2020 6:52pm

Dickie10 wrote: »

about 0.75 kg

If that is being fed in meals as opposed to creep it is too much IMO.
The most a give in a single feed is 0.3kgs.

Maybe I am being over careful.

memorystick · 09-01-2020 10:07am

kk.man wrote: »

If that is being fed in meals as opposed to creep it is too much IMO.
The most a give in a single feed is 0.3kgs.

Maybe I am being over careful.

I only see them once a day. Going to build up towards 25kgs between 43. That’s shy of 0.6 kg per head.

Dinzee Conlee · 09-01-2020 10:51am

kk.man wrote: »

If that is being fed in meals as opposed to creep it is too much IMO.
The most a give in a single feed is 0.3kgs.

Maybe I am being over careful.

memorystick wrote: »

I only see them once a day. Going to build up towards 25kgs between 43. That’s shy of 0.6 kg per head.

I have fed 0.5kg in single feed and I think its fine (would be nuts/pencil ration, not a straight)

I would be nervous about going over this, 25 between 43 is 0.58kg...

You could try it memory, but keep an eye on them. If its a nut you're feeding, I would imagine worst that would happen is you sicken them and they go off their feed for a while... I think...

memorystick · 09-01-2020 11:01am

Dinzee Conlee wrote: »

I have fed 0.5kg in single feed and I think its fine (would be nuts/pencil ration, not a straight)

I would be nervous about going over this, 25 between 43 is 0.58kg...

You could try it memory, but keep an eye on them. If its a nut you're feeding, I would imagine worst that would happen is you sicken them and they go off their feed for a while... I think...

I’m building them up over the last few weeks. They seem ok so far. It’s a ration.

wrangler · 09-01-2020 2:42pm

kk.man wrote: »

If that is being fed in meals as opposed to creep it is too much IMO.
The most a give in a single feed is 0.3kgs.

Maybe I am being over careful.

On our straw/concentrate system we're feeding .5kg Lamb Finisher at the moment in one feed to the ewelambs, or hoggets they are now since 1st January

Dickie10 · 10-01-2020 10:38am

im thinking of building a handy shed in next year or two where the dung stead is a 3 bay has walls and concrete floor already might through in a 100 lambs from December 1 st every year and finsh ad lib. what im at in field is much the same

kk.man · 10-01-2020 12:42pm

Dickie10 wrote: »

im thinking of building a handy shed in next year or two where the dung stead is a 3 bay has walls and concrete floor already might through in a 100 lambs from December 1 st every year and finsh ad lib. what im at in field is much the same

The economics of that is justified this year but not every year is the same in sheep. I have over 100 in a shed I did up and its a joy to work in it. They use up some amount of energy going around in a cold bare field IMO

Sami23 · 10-01-2020 12:51pm

kk.man wrote: »

The economics of that is justified this year but not every year is the same in sheep. I have over 100 in a shed I did up and its a joy to work in it. They use up some amount of energy going around in a cold bare field IMO

Would it not be costing a lot on straw to keep them bedded and clean ?

Store Lambs

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