ALAN WEST SHEEP TOPICS
THOUGHTS TURN
Once again it is that time of year when thoughts turn towards tupping – and by the look of my tups it is a subject that is also high on their list of priorities. Noses are starting to puff up and wrinkle, they are darkening around the eyes and getting rather more pushy with each other. Testosterone is obviously well on the rise, in the tups that is. Ram preparation, for anyone intending to lamb in March, should be well underway by now. It is a process that should ideally commence some 10 weeks before they go to work, particularly when one considers that spermatogenesis takes about seven weeks, from inception to the sperm maturing; it is the sperm that are being produced now (end of August) that will be going into action at the beginning of October, so getting things wrong at this point in time can have a significant impact on next years lamb crop. The boys need a bit of TLC at this time of year and a bit of feeding doesn’t hurt, even if its only a handful a day just to keep them sweet and get them coming to a trough, providing a good opportunity to observe how things are progressing and grab any ram that may need attention. It also helps put a bit more condition on them before they go to work; some additional quality protein at this time all helps towards quality sperm production. Ewe preparation doesn’t take quite so long, but it is important to monitor body condition score (BCS) in order to ensure that all ewes (hopefully) are on or about the target BCS 3.5 when they meet the tups. Now is also the time to get other issues sorted regarding feet etc, although the question is “should any real offenders still be in the flock?” It is also time to address breeding policy; in common with much of the agricultural sector, many sheep producers retain an obsession with chasing performance. For the arable sector it may be yield/ha, while for sheep producers it is often lambing percentage. In reality the key performance indicator of a successful enterprise should be the bottom line; high yields or lambing percentages do not always equate with the latter. For many years my key performance indicator, in common with many other producers, was lambing percentage; a lambing percentage of 205%+ confers certain bragging rights at the pub. But several years ago a number of factors arose, after a particularly dry summer, that caused me to question this approach. Lamb mortality was in line with national averages, but I considered this too high, similarly with concentrate use, but probably the key factor was ewe condition at weaning and the costs of getting hard working ewes back into
TOWARDS TUPPING
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ALAN WEST Sheep farmer
> July 2020, July 2021 – July 2022?
OCTOBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET
appropriate condition for tupping. Additionally I considered ewe flock life, again in line with the national average, to be unacceptable. By accepting a drop in a lambing percentage of around 10% on average (190 to 195%), I have seen a significant drop in lamb mortality (this season scanned at 194% and 190% weaned including still births), while the approach to concentrate feeding has become more considered and focused around ewe condition and the availability and quality of forages. This includes a more strategic approach to the use of creep feed, tailored to meet the needs of both ewes and lambs. Additionally I have seen an increase in average flock life, with an associated reduction in the level of ewe depreciation. All of this, along with a determined effort to make more effective use of grass (thwarted, in some seasons by the weather), has resulted in a small drop in terms of lamb output per ewe (lower lambing % accompanied by reduced lamb mortality), more production off grass, even on permanent pasture (albeit improved from time to time by overseeing and stitching in a few herb species), more contented and healthier ewes and a significant reduction in production costs, (feed + veterinary + replacement etc). All of which has contributed to an improved bottom line and less hassle. There is still a long way to go, but movement is in the correct direction. The focus for the future is to extend the range of forages and the effective grazing season. To this end this autumn I will stitch a bit of rye and vetches into some paddocks to give a bit more of an early bite and contribution towards nitrogen demands. Over-seeding some other paddocks with a legume mix to boost the percentage of clover and legumes in the sward should also help. It would be lovely to have a fully mounted grassland direct drill, something like the Simtech Aitchison; sadly I cannot justify such an investment but relatively easy access to such a bit of kit would be a real plus. Any contractors out there? Ewe efficiency is another focus; lambing performance is about where it needs to be and for a number of years I have been using Lleyn Gold (the ability to rear 60% plus of ewe weaning weight in lambs by eight weeks) as a significant part of my
