Scanning

foxylock · 10-01-2014 10:47PM

paddysdream wrote: »

A number of dry ewes can be due to many reasons.Also poor scanning results ie lots of singles cannot be blamed on any one single reason in many cases.

Think I posted up my results from the earlies and maincrop earlier in the thread.
Know that with young ewes ie 1st and 2nd crop ones ,its hard to get a big crop of lambs unless you have a lot of belclare in them and even then it doesnt always work out.

The trade off is that they are much better able to rear what they have,keep condition better and you will get longer out of them.
To get a big crop of lambs you need a decent percentage of older ewes in my opinion.That has its own drawbacks.

Never dosed ewes with minerals as believe that without a blood test showing up a amajor lack then its a waste of time and money.

To cut down on empties severe culling is necessary ie if not in lamb as a ewe lamb then maybe a chance as a hogget but after that no keeping them regardless.

Theres the readymix lorry so will have time tonight to reply tonight.!!!

Not too cut up about the singles to be honest, majority are hornies and spend a bit of time on the hill. Fed up about the empties, but have decided to move em on anyway. Was looking at them today in the field, they're in great nick.... ah well. My first year scanning and the benefits are plain to be seen, I won't be wondering when these ladies are going to lamb or blaming the fox!!

grassroot1 · 10-01-2014 11:44PM

Were the ewes mated on the hill or on inbye fields? I thought that oxytet was only used for enzotic abortion. I think if you are keeping ewes toxovax is a must, abortion is very disheartening for man and beast

foxylock · 10-01-2014 11:51PM

grassroot1 wrote: »

Were the ewes mated on the hill or on inbye fields? I thought that oxytet was only used for enzotic abortion. I think if you are keeping ewes toxovax is a must, abortion is very disheartening for man and beast

Most of the ewes were on grass all year, but brought about sixty hoggets off the hill, flushed em on grass and sent to the ram then. They were in super condition.

paddysdream · 11-01-2014 12:42AM

foxylock wrote: »

Most of the ewes were on grass all year, but brought about sixty hoggets off the hill, flushed em on grass and sent to the ram then. They were in super condition.

You are scanning 1.25 or so.Dont know the first thing about mountainy sheep but with a lowland flock containing that many hoggets then that scanning rate wouldnt be too bad.Remember thats about the national average.

All you hear people talking about is scanning 1.9 or better and you feel like an idiot when yours come in at 1.6 or less.But the drawback with a high scanning /lambing rate is that it usually contains a lot of trebles,quads and worse.These are the lambs that are most likely to either die,take up an inordinate amount of time and still be the last to finish.
Very few ewes will rear 3 lambs successfully.

As regards the dry ones;too much condition at mating can be as bad if not worse than thin sheep.
Minerals etc make a marginal difference ,if any at all.To me its just expensive coloured water!

Some sheep will just never go in lamb for various reasons and maybe its just one of those years where you get 3 years supply of them in one.

Username John · 11-01-2014 01:42PM

Hi Foxylock,

Sorry to hear you're disappointed. I know the way you feel...

In 2011 I scanned 1.4
2012 - 1.7, was very happy
Then this year, 1.5 - disappointed, as you feel yer going backwards...

I am not sure why the low scan rate again this year. i thought last year more fluke drenching and mineral buckets helped last years scan come up a bit... But I don't have an answer in why the lower rate this year...

All you can do is try to keep em all alive... Which is often easier said than done...

DMAXMAN · 11-01-2014 09:12PM

just scanned here yesterday. 162 ewes;8 empty 49 singles 95 doubles 10 trebles. fairly happy except think empty level a bit high

farming93 · 11-01-2014 10:29PM

I didnt get to scan this year and my ewes are gone too far to scan now. They are all in excellent condition and I am assuming that a few LLeyns could have twins or triplets as they had last year. They will be lambing from the 25th of February and are on grass and in excellent condition (almost too fat). Should I start feeding them meal even though they dont seem to need it as Im worried that they could either be too fat at lambing if I feed them or that they could get twin lamb disease if I dont feed them soon?

sea12 · 11-01-2014 10:40PM

DMAXMAN wrote: »

just scanned here yesterday. 162 ewes;8 empty 49 singles 95 doubles 10 trebles. fairly happy except think empty level a bit high

Good results there. Best of luck with them.

Username John · 11-01-2014 11:31PM

farming93 wrote: »

I didnt get to scan this year and my ewes are gone too far to scan now. They are all in excellent condition and I am assuming that a few LLeyns could have twins or triplets as they had last year. They will be lambing from the 25th of February and are on grass and in excellent condition (almost too fat). Should I start feeding them meal even though they dont seem to need it as Im worried that they could either be too fat at lambing if I feed them or that they could get twin lamb disease if I dont feed them soon?

That's about 6.5 weeks away...
Do people count 10 days in for 'time before lambing'
So when they say to start feeding 6 weeks before lambing, in this case it would 8 weeks away?

As I was in a position similar to this lately (where ewes were in young and I didn't know what they were carrying) I fed em oats and soya from about 2 weeks before they were due and made sure they had access to mineral blocks. And I think it all worked out ok.
But I have Suffolky type ewes, and was afraid of very big square headed single lambs...

Nekarsulm · 12-01-2014 02:04AM

housed the twin and the one triple today. four weeks from start of Lambing. they are in fierce condition, no meal yet only an energy mineral lick with them. they were a lot thinner this time last year, that's for sure .

grassroot1 · 14-01-2014 11:25PM

Scanned 28 today mix of 12 ewe lambs and 16 ewes broke down as 6 singles 18 twins and 4 triplets. Happy enough with that

AnFeirmeoir · 15-01-2014 09:55PM

grassroot1 wrote: »

Scanned 28 today mix of 12 ewe lambs and 16 ewes broke down as 6 singles 18 twins and 4 triplets. Happy enough with that

That's very good . Getting 12 lambs weaned from your 12 ewe lambs would be satisfactory . Your looking good for a higher rate than this

razor8 · 16-01-2014 11:20AM

Scanner man changed from normal one tomorrow, anyone use a peter lawless and what's he like?

supersean1999 · 16-01-2014 11:57PM

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Left a message for him and been calling since the weekend, no answer or call back

75 days now since I let the ram out, what's the ideal period of time, I want to know which ewes are carrying multiples.

Will bollox my plans up if I can't get this done.

How did scanning go,

Conmaicne Mara · 17-01-2014 12:15AM

supersean1999 wrote: »

How did scanning go,

Scanner would not return my calls, voice messages, or texts. Tried to contact him for about ten days straight. His voice message box filled, then emptied again so I know he got my info. Fella I know called me today saying same lad will be scanning for them in Feb, which will be too late for me anyway. To be honest, even if it wasn't I wouldn't let him near my sheep now if he'd do them for free. That nonsense grates on me. I wanted to give him money. Sent him a final text a couple of days ago letting him know what I thought of his business manner.

Nekarsulm · 17-01-2014 12:31AM

Is he a private lad or with the Farm Relief?

J.O. Farmer · 17-01-2014 12:33AM

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Scanner would not return my calls, voice messages, or texts. Tried to contact him for about ten days straight. His voice message box filled, then emptied again so I know he got my info. Fella I know called me today saying same lad will be scanning for them in Feb, which will be too late for me anyway. To be honest, even if it wasn't I wouldn't let him near my sheep now if he'd do them for free. That nonsense grates on me. I wanted to give him money. Sent him a final text a couple of days ago letting him know what I thought of his business manner.

That's poor form from him. Our AI man doesn't answer the phone half the time but if you leave him a message he'll get to the cow. I know it's slightly different in that the window is shorter but the principle is the same.
Round here our scanner works for farm relief and I was talking to him at one stage and I had to book through them even though he was only 2 miles down the road and with our small numbers he'd fit them in sometime.
Is there farm relief out your way. They put it in a book and you pay them after.

Conmaicne Mara · 17-01-2014 09:53AM

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Is he a private lad or with the Farm Relief?

I don't know, got him recommended word of mouth, was supposed to be the bees knees in accuracy.

J.O. Farmer wrote: »

That's poor form from him. Our AI man doesn't answer the phone half the time but if you leave him a message he'll get to the cow. I know it's slightly different in that the window is shorter but the principle is the same.
Round here our scanner works for farm relief and I was talking to him at one stage and I had to book through them even though he was only 2 miles down the road and with our small numbers he'd fit them in sometime.
Is there farm relief out your way. They put it in a book and you pay them after.

No never heard of FRS out here. I just have a small flock but it would have been better to say I hadn't enough for him or too far away and he'd have to charge too much or something, that would have been sound.

supersean1999 · 17-01-2014 02:58PM

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Scanner would not return my calls, voice messages, or texts. Tried to contact him for about ten days straight. His voice message box filled, then emptied again so I know he got my info. Fella I know called me today saying same lad will be scanning for them in Feb, which will be too late for me anyway. To be honest, even if it wasn't I wouldn't let him near my sheep now if he'd do them for free. That nonsense grates on me. I wanted to give him money. Sent him a final text a couple of days ago letting him know what I thought of his business manner.

I Know Who your on about . A nightmare to deal With. . I Let rams out 6th Nov and scan on 14th feb apx every year. Never a prob. Earlier sheep ram out 18th oct scan 20-25 jan

razor8 · 17-01-2014 11:27PM

Scanned Today

165 Lowland Ewes

9 Empty
30 Singles
114 Twins
12 Trips

178% Were 185% last Year

52 Hornys

3 Empty
21 Singles
27 Twins
1 Triplet

150% up from 142% Last Year

50 Ewe Lambs

3 Empty
24 Singles
23 Twins

140% was 143% Last Year

Overall very happy, not too many triplets.

surprised to have 9 empties in the ewes, some were young and were in good condition.

supersean1999 · 18-01-2014 12:08AM

razor8 wrote: »

Scanned Today

165 Lowland Ewes

9 Empty
30 Singles
114 Twins
12 Trips

178% Were 185% last Year

52 Hornys

3 Empty
21 Singles
27 Twins
1 Triplet

150% up from 142% Last Year

50 Ewe Lambs

3 Empty
24 Singles
23 Twins

140% was 143% Last Year

Overall very happy, not too many triplets.

surprised to have 9 empties in the ewes, some were young and were in good condition.

I think i remember a Scanner man saying to me 5% is average.

sea12 · 18-01-2014 12:10AM

razor8 wrote: »

Scanned Today

165 Lowland Ewes

9 Empty
30 Singles
114 Twins
12 Trips

178% Were 185% last Year

52 Hornys

3 Empty
21 Singles
27 Twins
1 Triplet

150% up from 142% Last Year

50 Ewe Lambs

3 Empty
24 Singles
23 Twins

140% was 143% Last Year

Overall very happy, not too many triplets.

surprised to have 9 empties in the ewes, some were young and were in good condition.

Allot of twins in the ewe lambs. Practically 50%. What's the secret.

razor8 · 18-01-2014 10:56AM

sea12 wrote: »

Allot of twins in the ewe lambs. Practically 50%. What's the secret.

I would be happier with a lamb a piece for first year.

I keep decent records and only keep ewe lambs off ewes that consistantly have twins or triplets.

Will run them seperate from others and lambs will probably be creeped from birth so that ewes don't stunt and go in lamb next year

rancher · 21-01-2014 07:59PM

Scanned the rest of the adult ewes yesterday, worked out at 1.76 lambs to the ewe put to the ram....bit disappointed, most of the two year olds that had lambs last year are only carrying singles.
Twenty two triplets and seven empty in 346 ewes.
I knew when the hoggets were going with the ram that they weren't as good as usual...very short of grass last May/june.
Scanning 120 ewe lambs in a fortnights time...one a piece will be enough for them

Conmaicne Mara · 21-01-2014 08:03PM

rancher wrote: »

Scanned the rest of the adult ewes yesterday, worked out at 1.76 lambs to the ewe put to the ram....bit disappointed, most of the two year olds that had lambs last year are only carrying singles.
Twenty two triplets and seven empty in 346 ewes.
I knew when the hoggets were going with the ram that they weren't as good as usual...very short of grass last May/june.
Scanning 120 ewe lambs in a fortnights time...one a piece will be enough for them

If I remember right the grass only started growing in June.

Bleating Lamb · 22-01-2014 12:13AM

Bleating Lamb wrote: »

Scanned today......got away before the brutal weather arrived.
Happy with result, scanned 59 ewes,of which around 15 were dry lambs last yr.
25 Singles
28 Twins
3. Triplets
3 Dry. Ram there till fortnight ago so might get a late lamb or two.

Got rest of ewes scanned today,57 in total,no first time lambers in bunch and as you will see result better than first scan.
11 singles
38 twins
5 triplets
3 dry
All ewes in same shape going to ram.
PS- one of 5 carrying triplets is a 2 yr old cheviot that had twins last yr....be great if every ewe was like that:)

Sheep breeder · 25-01-2014 01:38AM

Con how many sheep have you to scan in total,we usually have 3 scannings for each batch and the last batch we load them and bring them to a group scan in one place or to where the scanner says to bring them as this time of the year he is flat out at sheep and cows.

Johnsey · 25-01-2014 09:51AM

Scanned during the week: group of 130 ewes
63 twins
53 singles
3triplets
9 empty
Disappointing enough only works out about 1,45
Another batch of 63
Don't know what the count was yet but only two empties so will try get a count today
Batch of 45 ewe lambs
29 singles
3 twins
12 empty
Happy enough with these but most empty ones are ones I thought were the best , biggest strongest of the batch

Farrell · 25-01-2014 01:35PM

Have any of you started lambing, is the scanning accurate?

Conmaicne Mara · 25-01-2014 02:54PM

Sheep breeder wrote: »

Con how many sheep have you to scan in total,we usually have 3 scannings for each batch and the last batch we load them and bring them to a group scan in one place or to where the scanner says to bring them as this time of the year he is flat out at sheep and cows.

Just 30, very small flock due to a lot of pointless bureaucratic shyte.

Humour is gone off me now for it, time is passed anyway for detecting numbers I think. Will arrange it better next year with someone decent and reliable.

Scanning

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