Saturday evening, after work, I moved the sheep. I had planned on doing it Sunday but the forecast look awful so I decided that doing it at 9 on a Saturday night was better than doing it in the rain!
I've moved them all onto my smallest field. The plan being that they'll eat this off and get the field fairly bare within a week or so.
I'll then separate out the lambs to wean them. The lambs will go off to another field with loads of grass and the ewes will stay on the bare field, having minimal food will allow them to dry off, hopefully without getting mastitis in the process. Doing this will mean I then start to sell the lambs to try and bring some money back in off them (instead of it going out) and then I can think about getting the ewes into condition for tupping - I also need to buy a tup fairly soon as well!
Would you like Lambert for your girls he is very handsome and comes when called a Texel Suffolk cross :-)
ReplyDeleteCity girl here had to look up tupping . . . I have learnt something new today :-)
ReplyDeletePat
I have not had to actually separate the lambs for weaning yet. Our ewes seem to manage that on their own. I been keeping count the last couple of weeks and it appears only three of our ewes are allowing the lambs even a quick try at some milk these days. I think the girls are ready for sheep college or something. Now that being said I will separate them a couple of weeks before market day just so the lambs get used to being on their own a bit more. Makes em easier to control.
ReplyDeleteI always feel a bit guilty around market day and also slaughter day though. As the lambs age they really begin taking on personalities and think just hanging around being curious is all they will do forever. They romp around and play without a care in the world until........
Hopefully things are looking up and the sheep will start to pay for themselves shortly, good luck Kev.
ReplyDeleteAre you feeding the lambs sheep nuts Kev? Hope you make a good profit on the lambs.
ReplyDeleteHope you get a good return on the sales of your lambs, and good luck with getting a ram. We were without a ram for a year, and our ewes got very dull looking and dispirited because of that, but then we bought a young Jacob male for them. They perked up immediately he arrived!
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