Baymule
Herd Master
I'm glad that your first crop of lambs did so well for you. It can only get better from here!
A NEW DIRECTION FOR THE OLD RAM
- Thread starter The Old Ram-Australia
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #272
The Old Ram-Australia
Herd Master
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2011
- Messages
- 999
- Reaction score
- 2,208
- Points
- 303
G'day folks,its been a while since my last visit.Its been about 4 weeks since our last fall of rain with daytime temps in the mid 20's c,and the pasture has kept growing but it is slowing.This morning we had our first frost at the house so that will be the end of the growth probably until early spring.
Currently we are at about 40% of our target carrying capacity so the feed on hand will carry us through until Sept we will be lambing July through Aug and the ewes are in tip-top shape right now.
In recent weeks we have had the opportunity to purchase two new lines of ewes,one B H Dorpers and the other Wiltshire horn and poll at very attractive prices a couple have lambed (ewe lambs ,both of them) and the others are showing so we expect some lambs from the new lot before our own ones start.we are looking forward to the Suffolk ones we kept as they have gone to an Australian White ram.At the sale recently there was a line of lambs W H dorper ewes by a Australian White ,they almost topped the sale for the day.So next mating we will try this X ourselves.
Here is a couple of pic's of the new ones and a photo of the ones we purchased earlier,the Suffolk ewes are about 20 months old and should lamb in about 8 weeks.
Hope you all enjoy........T.O.R.
Currently we are at about 40% of our target carrying capacity so the feed on hand will carry us through until Sept we will be lambing July through Aug and the ewes are in tip-top shape right now.
In recent weeks we have had the opportunity to purchase two new lines of ewes,one B H Dorpers and the other Wiltshire horn and poll at very attractive prices a couple have lambed (ewe lambs ,both of them) and the others are showing so we expect some lambs from the new lot before our own ones start.we are looking forward to the Suffolk ones we kept as they have gone to an Australian White ram.At the sale recently there was a line of lambs W H dorper ewes by a Australian White ,they almost topped the sale for the day.So next mating we will try this X ourselves.
Here is a couple of pic's of the new ones and a photo of the ones we purchased earlier,the Suffolk ewes are about 20 months old and should lamb in about 8 weeks.
Hope you all enjoy........T.O.R.
frustratedearthmother
Herd Master
- Joined
- May 7, 2013
- Messages
- 8,487
- Reaction score
- 16,877
- Points
- 673
They look good!
Baymule
Herd Master
You got some nice ewes. I like the way you are making crosses to get the best lambs.
- Thread starter
- #275
The Old Ram-Australia
Herd Master
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2011
- Messages
- 999
- Reaction score
- 2,208
- Points
- 303
G'day folks,So, yesterday we purchased a line of "sound mouthed " Damara ewes,they came off pretty "hard country"and some of them were the result of using a Poll Wiltshire ram over the straight bred ewes.It will be interesting to take another pic in about a month.They are all in lamb and the ram shown was "given in" as part of the purchase.I used to think the Wilti's were strong ,but these ones with lots of leg and large frame and slab sides make them a job to handle.Lucky for us they will not need much in the way of looking after,maybe a drench once a year.
In the post above the Wilti's (middle pic) in only a week are showing the improvement of the diverse pasture on offer and it looks as though they will put on enough condition to have a successful lambing with a good milk supply to get the lambs away.
I do "like" the Wilti's be they Poll or Horned as they are really hardy and will eat almost anything in the way of forage (we now have a line of about 30)but from talking to farmers I think that once the lambs "come off of the milk" they may hang up a "bit dry" for the normal trade lamb market.So the plan is the use W,H,dorpers, Australian Whites and Van Rooys to improve the eating quality of the lambs,but as with everything we are looking at about 3/4 years of trials to find out if we are on the right track.
Anyway here are the first pic of the Damaras. The free ram is at the rear, is 4 tooth and just needs a "feed".
In the post above the Wilti's (middle pic) in only a week are showing the improvement of the diverse pasture on offer and it looks as though they will put on enough condition to have a successful lambing with a good milk supply to get the lambs away.
I do "like" the Wilti's be they Poll or Horned as they are really hardy and will eat almost anything in the way of forage (we now have a line of about 30)but from talking to farmers I think that once the lambs "come off of the milk" they may hang up a "bit dry" for the normal trade lamb market.So the plan is the use W,H,dorpers, Australian Whites and Van Rooys to improve the eating quality of the lambs,but as with everything we are looking at about 3/4 years of trials to find out if we are on the right track.
Anyway here are the first pic of the Damaras. The free ram is at the rear, is 4 tooth and just needs a "feed".
greybeard
Herd Master
Do you live close to or in the area where the government will be air dropping the poison laced sausages for the feral cats?
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/austra...-by-airdropping-poisoned-sausages-2019-04-26/
They need to call these guys.....
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/austra...-by-airdropping-poisoned-sausages-2019-04-26/
They need to call these guys.....
Last edited:
Baymule
Herd Master
Aren't Damaras a fat tailed sheep? They have a long, straight top line and should drop lambs with good lamb chops, LOL. Nice flock. When you get done mixing these breeds all together and stabilize the line, you should have a composite breed that can survive anywhere on anything, lamb easily, and produce a meaty lamb.
- Thread starter
- #278
The Old Ram-Australia
Herd Master
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2011
- Messages
- 999
- Reaction score
- 2,208
- Points
- 303
G'day,GB. if only it was "that easy" to control feral cats,the damage they do to the local wildlife is enormous ,plus the fact they breed in vacant wombat holes along with foxes and rabbits.
I for one do not think its viable as the non target deaths could be greater that the cats who are notorious for their suspicion of foods offered in the wild.The regulations we have to observe when using 1080 are pages long and the detailed records we have to keep are a "pain" but it is the only weapon we have to combat their raids on lambing ewes on our place.
BM. I was reading last night about a guy who started with Damara rams and used 5 other breeds to produce a composite,but it took him 25 years to stabilize the new bred and get a predictable lambing result every time....T.O.R.
I for one do not think its viable as the non target deaths could be greater that the cats who are notorious for their suspicion of foods offered in the wild.The regulations we have to observe when using 1080 are pages long and the detailed records we have to keep are a "pain" but it is the only weapon we have to combat their raids on lambing ewes on our place.
BM. I was reading last night about a guy who started with Damara rams and used 5 other breeds to produce a composite,but it took him 25 years to stabilize the new bred and get a predictable lambing result every time....T.O.R.
- Thread starter
- #279
The Old Ram-Australia
Herd Master
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2011
- Messages
- 999
- Reaction score
- 2,208
- Points
- 303
- Thread starter
- #280
The Old Ram-Australia
Herd Master
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2011
- Messages
- 999
- Reaction score
- 2,208
- Points
- 303
G'day folks The Dorper Breed Society must have almost had a "heart attack" when they read his comments about their precious sheep breed.I certainly agree with him on the feet and containment .
T.O.R.
T.O.R.
