General sheep thread

wrangler · 14-11-2019 10:37pm

Dinzee Conlee wrote: »

I used to leave the rams with them for 3 weeks, and anything that wasn’t in young at scamming went to the factory...

Reason so short was work, and holidays. Didn’t want ewes lambing for weeks. Used a teaser ram for 2 weeks beforehand...

So you have two opposites there DJ

90% should lamb to first service when you use a teaser.
You're right, your job should be priority

Dinzee Conlee · 14-11-2019 11:30pm

wrangler wrote: »

90% should lamb to first service when you use a teaser.
You're right, your job should be priority

Oh, the job is priority - farming is only a hobby...
The numbers were never big so it was always half a hobby i suppose, but I let the most of the place a few years ago and it’s a proper hobby now...

Edit - a big reason for stopping lambing was having to take time off for lambing. It made no sense to take holidays from a well paid 8-hour a day job, to work a relatively poor paying 16-hour a day job...

kk.man · 14-11-2019 11:36pm

Dinzee Conlee wrote: »

Oh, the job is priority - farming is only a hobby...
The numbers were never big so it was always half a hobby i suppose, but I let the most of the place a few years ago and it’s a proper hobby now...

Edit - a big reason for stopping lambing was having to take time off for lambing. It made no sense to take holidays from a well paid 8-hour a day job, to work a relatively poor paying 16-hour a day job...

+1.. Same here

Buford T. Justice XIX · 15-11-2019 11:07am

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

All depends. I’ve a cousin never takes the ram away from the ewes! Most lamb from Xmas on but he’d have lambs in June too.

Others lads give them 3 weeks and that’s it. Most seem to go with leaving them in for 6 weeks.

Just a matter of what works for you. At this time of year, most ewes would be covered by the rams within 6 weeks, unless there’s other issues with the ram or individual ewes themselves

Same here, have a few ewes lambing in mid December, the bulk in the first 2 weeks of January and 3 or 4 going into February. There's 8 or 9 not showing up in lamb so I will probably cull those.

I'm hoping to have a ram paddock sorted out in a few weeks so I can remove the rams next year and put them in a paddock beside the ewes in July to start doing a bit of teasing.

Siamsa Sessions · 15-11-2019 11:47am

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

I'm hoping to have a ram paddock sorted out in a few weeks so I can remove the rams next year and put them in a paddock beside the ewes in July to start doing a bit of teasing.

Snap. I need to sort out a similar paddock here. Have an old "sacrifice" ewe with the ram at the moment in a separate field to keep him company but being able to keep them away from everything for 9-10 months of the year would be very handy.

In fairness, the same sacrifice ewe had two lambs in June this year so she saved herself being culled

I loaned the ram to a lad with one Jacob sheep, two goats, and a few llamas last year to get him out of the way between tipping and scanning. I was also thinking of housing him (it'll be them from next year on) to get them out of the way.

But having their own paddock would be most useful.

DJ98 · 15-11-2019 11:56am

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Snap. I need to sort out a similar paddock here. Have an old "sacrifice" ewe with the ram at the moment in a separate field to keep him company but being able to keep them away from everything for 9-10 months of the year would be very handy.

In fairness, the same sacrifice ewe had two lambs in June this year so she saved herself being culled

I loaned the ram to a lad with one Jacob sheep, two goats, and a few llamas last year to get him out of the way between tipping and scanning. I was also thinking of housing him (it'll be them from next year on) to get them out of the way.

But having their own paddock would be most useful.

House the rams here just for handiness and let them back out then when the space is needed come lambing

Dinzee Conlee · 15-11-2019 3:19pm

Anyone here dose their sheep/lambs with cobalt?

If so, how much and how often?

I gave mine a bolus in August, but they looked like they were lacking in cobalt there a while again again. So gave em a cobalt dose (home mixed job)

Just wondering if anyone doses theirs lambs all the time?

wrangler · 15-11-2019 3:28pm

Dinzee Conlee wrote: »

Anyone here dose their sheep/lambs with cobalt?

If so, how much and how often?

I gave mine a bolus in August, but they looked like they were lacking in cobalt there a while again again. So gave em a cobalt dose (home mixed job)

Just wondering if anyone doses theirs lambs all the time?

We give cobalt in the worm dose even though we use animax boluses, animax is supposed to give half the required cobalt per day and most grass is expected to give the rest.
but I think ours isn't doing that.
I'm thinking now that animax isn't as good as it's supposed to be, might try mayo next year
Cobalt dose only lasts a fortnight, animals can't store it so if you're dosing it has to be done every fortnight.

Dinzee Conlee · 15-11-2019 5:09pm

wrangler wrote: »

We give cobalt in the worm dose even though we use animax boluses, animax is supposed to give half the required cobalt per day and most grass is expected to give the rest.
but I think ours isn't doing that.
I'm thinking now that animax isn't as good as it's supposed to be, might try mayo next year
Cobalt dose only lasts a fortnight, animals can't store it so if you're dosing it has to be done every fortnight.

I’ve dosed now every 2 weeks for last 6 weeks, but to be honest, I don’t know if I’d keep that up long term...

I bloused with the mayo 4-in-1 bolus, and am a bit disappointed it didn’t do a better job.
Now, I knew we low in cobalt but I had hoped the bolus would do the job with the occasional top-up, but I don’t know if it is...
I think Mayo have a bolus that has more cobalt, but I haven’t looked into it yet...

Edit : you’d wonder about using the bolus, when you still have to dose every 2 weeks, especially when they not that cheap...

razor8 · 15-11-2019 5:14pm

I've lost faith in all bolus's now to, tried most of them and never convinced. dose all lambs with cobalt every 2 weeks down the neck. a lot of work but doesnt take that long to do them once there in

have all lambs gone a couple of weeks ago so i know if i wasnt using it, i would still have alot of lambs hanging around

Dinzee Conlee · 15-11-2019 9:03pm

razor8 wrote: »

I've lost faith in all bolus's now to, tried most of them and never convinced. dose all lambs with cobalt every 2 weeks down the neck. a lot of work but doesnt take that long to do them once there in

have all lambs gone a couple of weeks ago so i know if i wasnt using it, i would still have alot of lambs hanging around

Yeah, beginning to wonder myself now as well...
Dosing every 2 weeks is a pain...

Did anyone ever try to add cobalt to the water?

Also - in January, I was planning on giving another bolus to store lambs that will be going onto stubble turnips...
Anyone have any other options for minerals other than bolus?

I know you need to give iodine when grazing turnips/rape, are there other possible mineral deficiencies associated with brassicas?

Green farmer · 16-11-2019 9:02am

Dinzee Conlee wrote: »

Yeah, beginning to wonder myself now as well...
Dosing every 2 weeks is a pain...

Did anyone ever try to add cobalt to the water?

I thought about mixing it before as was cheaper, but changed my mind when I read cobalt dust in its pure form is highly carcinogenic. So, for the sake of a few quid,it's just safer to buy it already mixed. I also use endospec wormer here and that has cobalt in it, so acts as a 2 in 1 whenever I use it.

wrangler · 16-11-2019 9:14am

Green farmer wrote: »

I thought about mixing it before as was cheaper, but changed my mind when I read cobalt dust in its pure form is highly carcinogenic. So, for the sake of a few quid,it's just safer to buy it already mixed. I also use endospec wormer here and that has cobalt in it, so acts as a 2 in 1 whenever I use it.

Cobalt is necessary to maintain vit B12 levels, in New Zealand they use one long acting vitamin B12 injection every six mths. It's surprising we can't get it here.
Save a lot of messing.

https://nz.virbac.com/products/trace-elements/smartshot-b12-plus-selenium

razor8 · 16-11-2019 10:57am

wrangler wrote: »

Cobalt is necessary to maintain vit B12 levels, in New Zealand they use one long acting vitamin B12 injection every six mths. It's surprising we can't get it here.
Save a lot of messing.

https://nz.virbac.com/products/trace-elements/smartshot-b12-plus-selenium

Was told by my vet that it will be available next year over here under a different name but same product

Mixed reports on it as well

Green farmer · 16-11-2019 11:00am

wrangler wrote: »

Cobalt is necessary to maintain vit B12 levels, in New Zealand they use one long acting vitamin B12 injection every six mths. It's surprising we can't get it here.
Save a lot of messing.

https://nz.virbac.com/products/trace-elements/smartshot-b12-plus-selenium

Would make a lot of sense. Are we not allowed it here ? Its labour Saving solutions like that, which allow them to scale up to to thousands of sheep

wrangler · 16-11-2019 12:15pm

razor8 wrote: »

Was told by my vet that it will be available next year over here under a different name but same product

Mixed reports on it as well

Guys in NZ last year were saying that the straight product was the best, the selenium added was a bad job or even any mineral added to it,
Even though that's what I linked to, your last line reminded me of that information

Anyway you get teh gist

390kid · 20-11-2019 1:21pm

Anyone at the farmers journal sheep demonstration in Coothill last night?

Lambman · 23-11-2019 2:07pm

Got a new pup a month ago wondering when do people start training properly? Asked a few trailing men and they said they wouldn't look near it till 9 months for proper training. Probably will send it off till get trained as it's very well bred and seem like an intelligent pup very biddable till a raised voice and when off the lead never leaves your side even from it was 8 weeks. Did anyone ever try tying a pup onto a trained dog so it will learn the commands that way or would it just annoy both dogs and put them off?

wrangler · 23-11-2019 2:29pm

Lambman wrote: »

Got a new pup a month ago wondering when do people start training properly? Asked a few trailing men and they said they wouldn't look near it till 9 months for proper training. Probably will send it off till get trained as it's very well bred and seem like an intelligent pup very biddable till a raised voice and when off the lead never leaves your side even from it was 8 weeks. Did anyone ever try tying a pup onto a trained dog so it will learn the commands that way or would it just annoy both dogs and put them off?

I'd let the dog decide when to start. taking into account not to put him in a situation where he'd get hurt.
I've had them working at 5mths and I've had dogs that showed no interest until much older, even a year old.
I don't think I'd tie him to an old dog anyway. If he's very lively put a twenty foot rope on him and it leaves him easy caught, all you have to do is stand on the rope when he's passing, it also slows them down

memorystick · 23-11-2019 5:59pm

Stupid question. Do sheep races have to be fixed to the ground if they’ve a pen at each end? Sick of catching store lambs on my own to dose and inject and mark twice.

DJ98 · 23-11-2019 8:53pm

memorystick wrote: »

Stupid question. Do sheep races have to be fixed to the ground if they’ve a pen at each end? Sick of catching store lambs on my own to dose and inject and mark twice.

What type of race have you got memorystick?

wrangler · 23-11-2019 9:37pm

memorystick wrote: »

Stupid question. Do sheep races have to be fixed to the ground if they’ve a pen at each end? Sick of catching store lambs on my own to dose and inject and mark twice.

If the race is pinned to the big pens and the big pens don't move thats all you want.
Two ewes trying to get in together will move it if it's not secured

Lambman · 23-11-2019 10:06pm

Ay good idea Wrangler was doing a bitta reading up on training there obviously sit and stay is the main ones you teach before anything else and when u throw toys or a ball use the commands as till which direction you throw it come by for left away for right and let the dog get used till them least i can do all this for now without putting her off or getting hurt. Have her with me everyday she'll run up till the sheep and run back till me not showing no real interest in them as yet just curiosity I'd say.

memorystick · 24-11-2019 12:01am

DJ98 wrote: »

What type of race have you got memorystick?

Pallets and tinkers gates and get them tight in a corner but it’s a pain in the hole.

https://www.donedeal.ie/sheep-for-sale/stockmaster-r90-red-line-sheep-race/22265880

Was thinking of getting something like this. Do I need to bolt these to the ground? They’d be perfect for me with a big pen at each end. Only store lambs. Thanks

Cracked screen. See below

memorystick · 24-11-2019 12:05am

https://www.donedeal.ie/sheep-for-sale/stockmaster-r90-red-line-sheep-race/22265880

wrangler · 24-11-2019 12:06am

Lambman wrote: »

Ay good idea Wrangler was doing a bitta reading up on training there obviously sit and stay is the main ones you teach before anything else and when u throw toys or a ball use the commands as till which direction you throw it come by for left away for right and let the dog get used till them least i can do all this for now without putting her off or getting hurt. Have her with me everyday she'll run up till the sheep and run back till me not showing no real interest in them as yet just curiosity I'd say.

Never had a sheepdog that'd chase a ball, a few hens is good crack for a pup that's keen

Ard_MC · 24-11-2019 3:51pm

Lambman wrote: »

Ay good idea Wrangler was doing a bitta reading up on training there obviously sit and stay is the main ones you teach before anything else and when u throw toys or a ball use the commands as till which direction you throw it come by for left away for right and let the dog get used till them least i can do all this for now without putting her off or getting hurt. Have her with me everyday she'll run up till the sheep and run back till me not showing no real interest in them as yet just curiosity I'd say.

Have a lovely wee bitch pup here at the same stage here. Wouldnt put to much pressure on her with work till least 10 months.

Have her sittin and lyin and a good recall. But cant get the stay command progress yet!

Siamsa Sessions · 24-11-2019 3:55pm

Is it 2 weeks or 4 weeks pre-lambing people give the booster vaccine?

wrangler · 24-11-2019 3:58pm

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Is it 2 weeks or 4 weeks pre-lambing people give the booster vaccine?

4 -6 weeks

Siamsa Sessions · 24-11-2019 4:44pm

wrangler wrote: »

4 -6 weeks

Thanks - trying to get organised here and my mind went blank

Hard Knocks · 26-11-2019 7:48pm

What address do you send the pink slip to for Farm to Farm movement
Is it the one on the envelope (Celbridge Kildare)?

wrangler · 26-11-2019 7:53pm

There was TRu Test clock stolen off a scales in wexford if any one is offered one

Siamsa Sessions · 26-11-2019 8:02pm

Hard Knocks wrote: »

What address do you send the pink slip to for Farm to Farm movement
Is it the one on the envelope (Celbridge Kildare)?

Check with local Dept office. I send mine in there but might be different for different counties. Or different depending on who you talk to! So, better to check

Tileman · 26-11-2019 8:03pm

Hard Knocks wrote: »

What address do you send the pink slip to for Farm to Farm movement
Is it the one on the envelope (Celbridge Kildare)?

To your local dvo . Just google the address that covers your county. Only a few of gem now.

DJ98 · 28-11-2019 2:55pm

How much meal would rams want to keep them ticking over for the winter?

Siamsa Sessions · 28-11-2019 3:19pm

DJ98 wrote: »

How much meal would rams want to keep them ticking over for the winter?

We give them nothing here as long as they have a pick of grass. They get a fistful of cubes for a few days when removed from the ewes, but that's to keep them content and close to the shed as much as build up their condition.

wrangler · 28-11-2019 3:24pm

DJ98 wrote: »

How much meal would rams want to keep them ticking over for the winter?

We gave them half a kilo/day each last year and they were fine, There was five on an acre and grass seemed to be growing all winter.
I'm going to do the same again this year, they might need a bit of straw for roughage as I don't think grass'll be growing as good this year.
I'd be watching condition all along but they can afford to lose a bit if they;re in good condition now, they pick up condition very quick once grass starts to grow in april.
If I had any doubts Id increase to a kilo for a while,I use a lamb finisher meal or an intensive lamb, something without magnesium or calcium

wrangler · 28-11-2019 3:26pm

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

We give them nothing here as long as they have a pick of grass. They get a fistful of cubes for a few days when removed from the ewes, but that's to keep them content and close to the shed as much as build up their condition.

What sort of stocking rate/acre would that be at.

Siamsa Sessions · 28-11-2019 4:52pm

wrangler wrote: »

What sort of stocking rate/acre would that be at.

Roughly a ram to the acre between now and March

wrangler · 28-11-2019 5:13pm

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Roughly a ram to the acre between now and March

They don't need much.
We should have a lot less rams but cant stop OH from buying them, There's a few ould ones from the original flock here too, we've four now, two will be finishing next year

Ard_MC · 28-11-2019 8:49pm

wrangler wrote: »

We gave them half a kilo/day each last year and they were fine, There was five on an acre and grass seemed to be growing all winter.
I'm going to do the same again this year, they might need a bit of straw for roughage as I don't think grass'll be growing as good this year.
I'd be watching condition all along but they can afford to lose a bit if they;re in good condition now, they pick up condition very quick once grass starts to grow in april.
If I had any doubts Id increase to a kilo for a while,I use a lamb finisher meal or an intensive lamb, something without magnesium or calcium

Same as that here. Be in a 2 acre field tho out of the way.

DJ98 · 28-11-2019 10:33pm

Ard_MC wrote: »

Same as that here. Be in a 2 acre field tho out of the way.

Rams here are housed uo until the start of lambing, shifted out then to make room for ewes and lambs

roosky · 28-11-2019 11:12pm

Hi all,

I bought a few feed barriers off leam Agri in Fermanagh but they are made by o donnell in tip.

My issue is that there is €300+ of vat to claim back but I can’t claim it because it was paid in the North and the uk vat number won’t work with revenue.

Does anyone know how I could get around this or is it a lost cause !

TIA

Ard_MC · 28-11-2019 11:39pm

roosky wrote: »

Hi all,

I bought a few feed barriers off leam Agri in Fermanagh but they are made by o donnell in tip.

My issue is that there is €300+ of vat to claim back but I can’t claim it because it was paid in the North and the uk vat number won’t work with revenue.

Does anyone know how I could get around this or is it a lost cause !

TIA

I'd say it's a lost cause to be honest.

wrangler · 28-11-2019 11:46pm

Ard_MC wrote: »

I'd say it's a lost cause to be honest.

You should be able to get vat back, if you were registered for vat you can get it back from any where in the EU Iknow a oerson that gets vat back on diabled and he's not registered...... your accountant will know any way

roosky · 29-11-2019 1:19am

wrangler wrote: »

You should be able to get vat back, if you were registered for vat you can get it back from any where in the EU Iknow a oerson that gets vat back on diabled and he's not registered...... your accountant will know any way

Unregistered farmer unfortunately.....might be a dear lesson !

Lambman · 29-11-2019 7:18pm

Anybody scanning yet? Fella that keeps a few sheep for his young boys and gets lend of my ram b4 I need him scanned today 16 doubles 2 singles 2 empty. Never asked him but pretty sure he's early enough scanning so them 2 could be in lamb. Was a good scanning for him all hoggets and 2nd lambers Suffolk x

wrangler · 29-11-2019 7:42pm

roosky wrote: »

Unregistered farmer unfortunately.....might be a dear lesson !

There it is discussed on another forum. your supplier should've been more helpful

http://www.forum4farming.com/forum/index.php?threads/reclaiming-vat-in-northern-ireland.17788/

arctictree · 02-12-2019 12:30pm

Lads, how long do ye keep the Rams tight for? 2 days enough? Thanks

orm0nd · 02-12-2019 6:55pm

arctictree wrote: »

Lads, how long do ye keep the Rams tight for? 2 days enough? Thanks

usually a day here

General sheep thread

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