Re: [Blackbelly] Breeding
Although I only breed my ewes once a year, I break the girls into two separate breeding groups. This allows me to use a different ram with each group. I breed Group 1 in November (to lamb in April) and Group 2 in May (to lamb in October). I keep the rams separate from the ewes except for the 35 days that the ram is introduced for breeding. By using two rams, I'm able to build starter flocks with the ewe lambs and an unrelated ram lamb. By lambing in Spring and late Fall, I'm able to have freezer lamb available for my customers more frequently. Also, having two groups of lambs spaced 6 months apart reduces the number of mouths that my pasture needs to feed at any one time and helps me rotate the animals on it better to keep it from being grazed down too fast. When I first started 16 years ago, I needed to make as many lambs as possible to help restore the Barbados Blackbelly breed's critically low numbers. I used an accelerated breeding program in those days that yielded three lambings in 18 months. You can see an Accelerated Breeding Schedule here: http://critterhaven.biz/info/articles/breedingschedule.htm I don't recommend this for long-term use because it is very hard on the ewes. But none of my ewes suffered from the couple of years I subjected them to it. Carol At 11:16 AM 4/7/2014, you wrote: I'm curious what is everyone's breeding schedule? Do you only breed once a year or do you try and get more lambing's from your ewes? (Lets assume your ewes condition is good) Just curious the pro's and con's to both ways. Carol Elkins Critterhaven--Registered Barbados Blackbelly Hair Sheep (no shear, no dock, no fuss) Pueblo, Colorado http://www.critterhaven.biz ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Breeding
I'm curious what is everyone's breeding schedule? Do you only breed once a year or do you try and get more lambing's from your ewes? (Lets assume your ewes condition is good) Just curious the pro's and con's to both ways. Thanks, Tiana ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Breeding
We had been leaving the ram in with the gals year around, make sure everyone was in good condition. Wanting to build the flock up. Ends up at 100 head we were pushing our pasture too much, we had to rotate too quickly and picked up some worms. We also had some real bad winter weather this year and lost some lambs even though the barn was dry. We are now keeping the ram out so that all the ewes are done lambing through the winter. We have reduced the flock, kept the best and will cull a bit more this summer. Mike On 4/7/2014 1:16 PM, Tiana Franklin wrote: I'm curious what is everyone's breeding schedule? Do you only breed once a year or do you try and get more lambing's from your ewes? (Lets assume your ewes condition is good) Just curious the pro's and con's to both ways. Thanks, Tiana ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Breeding
Because we don't favor lambing in the winter, we typically let the rams out with their chosen ewes on October 28th and see our lambing start on March 28th. On Apr 7, 2014, at 12:16 PM, Tiana Franklin tian...@gmail.com wrote: I'm curious what is everyone's breeding schedule? Do you only breed once a year or do you try and get more lambing's from your ewes? (Lets assume your ewes condition is good) Just curious the pro's and con's to both ways. Thanks, Tiana ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Breeding
Hi Tiana, We breed for late April and May lambings. The girls are willing to breed back as fast as two weeks but we do not allow it. We also have stopped breeding ewe lambs (less than 1 year old). We prefer to let our girls mature to lamb at two years of age. I know they are willing to have lambs at one year of age but we have lost to many moms and babies when the ewe is young. The late spring lambing allows the ewes to raise their lambs on pasture (provided it rains). We are aiming for twins and triplets once a year. Mark Wintermute -Original Message- Subject: [Blackbelly] Breeding I'm curious what is everyone's breeding schedule? Do you only breed once a year or do you try and get more lambing's from your ewes? (Lets assume your ewes condition is good) Just curious the pro's and con's to both ways. Thanks, Tiana ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Breeding
Mark, that's also how I plan to do mine. I have 5 lambs so far from 3 mothers. I have 3 yet to go, but none will be bred back until the fall for April/May lambs. Once a year and I don't plan to breed the lamb ewes until they are about a year and a half. This year I have 3 yearlings due to lamb and I really think they are too young to be having babies. I know there are arguments both ways but this is what I plan to do. Best Wishes, Jann Mountain Ridge Ranch and KayaKyi Kennels American Blackbelly Sheep Tibetan Mastiffs PBGVs and GBGVs mrr.mysite.com https://www.facebook.com/KayakyiPBGVsAndGBGVs AKC Breeder of Merit -Original Message- From: Mark Wintermute winterm...@earthlink.net To: blackbelly blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Sent: Mon, Apr 7, 2014 6:37 pm Subject: Re: [Blackbelly] Breeding Hi Tiana, We breed for late April and May lambings. The girls are willing to breed back as fast as two weeks but we do not allow it. We also have stopped breeding ewe lambs (less than 1 year old). We prefer to let our girls mature to lamb at two years of age. I know they are willing to have lambs at one year of age but we have lost to many moms and babies when the ewe is young. The late spring lambing allows the ewes to raise their lambs on pasture (provided it rains). We are aiming for twins and triplets once a year. Mark Wintermute -Original Message- Subject: [Blackbelly] Breeding I'm curious what is everyone's breeding schedule? Do you only breed once a year or do you try and get more lambing's from your ewes? (Lets assume your ewes condition is good) Just curious the pro's and con's to both ways. Thanks, Tiana ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Breeding
Our ewes are bagging up and look huge right now. May will be total chaos but then it will be over with until next year. We are down to nearly 100 ewes but are expecting a near 200% lambing. We will have several first time moms that will probably single or we would exceed 200%. I am not looking forward to all the tagging and record keeping... Mark -Original Message- From: blackbelly-boun...@lists.blackbellysheep.info [mailto:blackbelly-boun...@lists.blackbellysheep.info] On Behalf Of mtnrdgr...@aol.com Sent: Monday, April 07, 2014 8:06 PM To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Subject: Re: [Blackbelly] Breeding Mark, that's also how I plan to do mine. I have 5 lambs so far from 3 mothers. I have 3 yet to go, but none will be bred back until the fall for April/May lambs. Once a year and I don't plan to breed the lamb ewes until they are about a year and a half. This year I have 3 yearlings due to lamb and I really think they are too young to be having babies. I know there are arguments both ways but this is what I plan to do. Best Wishes, Jann Mountain Ridge Ranch and KayaKyi Kennels American Blackbelly Sheep Tibetan Mastiffs PBGVs and GBGVs mrr.mysite.com https://www.facebook.com/KayakyiPBGVsAndGBGVs AKC Breeder of Merit -Original Message- From: Mark Wintermute winterm...@earthlink.net To: blackbelly blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Sent: Mon, Apr 7, 2014 6:37 pm Subject: Re: [Blackbelly] Breeding Hi Tiana, We breed for late April and May lambings. The girls are willing to breed back as fast as two weeks but we do not allow it. We also have stopped breeding ewe lambs (less than 1 year old). We prefer to let our girls mature to lamb at two years of age. I know they are willing to have lambs at one year of age but we have lost to many moms and babies when the ewe is young. The late spring lambing allows the ewes to raise their lambs on pasture (provided it rains). We are aiming for twins and triplets once a year. Mark Wintermute -Original Message- Subject: [Blackbelly] Breeding I'm curious what is everyone's breeding schedule? Do you only breed once a year or do you try and get more lambing's from your ewes? (Lets assume your ewes condition is good) Just curious the pro's and con's to both ways. Thanks, Tiana ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info - No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2014.0.4355 / Virus Database: 3722/7314 - Release Date: 04/07/14 ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Breeding program
Hi Mike, We use separate breeding pens for each grouping of ewes and corresponding ram. My wife has created a massive program (not a PC platform) that seeks out the ewes that are the most unrelated to each ram used. This also leads to the lowest Wright's Coefficient of inbreeding for the resulting lambs. The program also promotes scrapies resistance by aiming for QR, KR or RR outcomes and avoiding QQ outcomes. When this program has a difficult time finding ewes for a ram it is time for the ram to move on. Currently the OPP TMEM154 results are not factored in since it is so new to our farm. I have 11 foundation bloodlines that are completely distinct from each other. The most dominate bloodlines are from Carol Elkins' Zane and St. Michael along with my original Dodge Barbados Blackbelly ram line from 2001. Every year my Coefficient of inbreeding creeps a little higher as the 11 bloodlines meld together. At some point I will have to stop using so many rams due to all my help leaving for college and careers. So far I have used 104 rams to get to where I am today. Mark Wintermute Behalf Of Mike Hummel Sent: Friday, January 10, 2014 7:07 AM To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Subject: Re: [Blackbelly] Blackbelly Digest, Vol 10, Issue 1 Thanks Mark, This is the direction that we are working towards. Do you have separate breeding lots to keep the crosses that you want from getting mixed up? On 1/8/2014 7:58 PM, Mark Wintermute wrote: Hi Mike, We normally have 150 breeding ewes and then retain the top 25% of the ewe lambs each year. The lambs are born in May and weaned in July. We sort the mature ewes in July and sell the same number of ewes as ewe lambs retained the year before. We have an 80 Acre farm on the south side of our road where the ewes reside. We have a 40 acre farm on the north side of the road where the rams reside. We have in excess of 200 lambs born in less than a 30 day period in May. We have had a severe theft problem with around 50 ewes stolen and many many lambs this year. We have had our livestock guardian dogs poisoned in 2012. We have new livestock guardians dogs, cameras, lights and the presence of the Sheriff multiple times this year. We think the thefts have stopped but we have to many sheep to go out and count to see if one is missing. Anyhow... I keep a lot of rams as my genetic vault for my farm. The rams are almost like pets and hang around the house so they are easier to protect. We do a lot of genetic testing using Geneseek out of Lincoln Nebraska. We also use GenomNZ out of New Zealand. We select for K R at codon 171 and against V at codon 136. We also have introduced the Booroola gene into the Barbados Blackbelly on our farm. The latest addition to genetic testing is the OPP TMEM154 where we have located some 1,1 OPP resistant rams for future sires. We are still waiting on additional results of the OPP TMEM154 on our mature rams. If you have not read up on research from the Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) in Claycenter Nebraska it is worth the Google! If anyone is in need of a mature ram let me know. This is the time of year I decide which rams are moving on and who is staying around. I raise polled Barbados Blackbelly but admire the American Blackbelly horns. Is anyone else doing genetic selection on Blackbelly sheep? Let me know if you are! Mark Wintermute winterm...@earthlink.net ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Breeding Comedy Show
So, I have 4 acres with many many separate pastures with gates and enclosures. I spent the morning first separating out the two ewes, pasture by pasture (I don't have a chute system yet). I wanted to pair these girls with Harpo an inexperienced but beautiful ram. They went into a pasture right next door to the rams, which were already fighting over them, and the girls were demonstrating the fact they appeared to be in heat. Mind you, I am doing this all by myself this morning. I have 5 intact rams, but they are actually not too difficult to separate out. There was a narrow 8' wide by about 30' long run between the ewe's pasture and the ram's pasture, and it had some fresh green grass in it that looked real good to eat. I set up the gate to allow all the rams into the run, through the gate, one at a time, and simply not allowing Harpo in. It worked-- since he's timid-- and was the last one trying to follow in. I then lazily threw a chain around a post, thinking the gate would stay closed juust long enough to chase Harpo in through a small shaded gate under a shed roof, and he'd go in with the girls. I forgot the famous findings of Temple Grandin and how herd animals don't like to enter shaded, scary looking places. Then things went wrong and I wish I had a camera, since it would have a good Darwin Award Video, with me starring as the Village Idiot. Harpo is being scared of where I am trying to force him to go, so he's running everywhere through a pasture but not through the dark opening to the girl's pasture. Meanwhile, the other rams start banging against the run gate, and two other rams bang the gate loose, they're no fools, and instantly run in through the shaded opening, in with the ewes. They start mounting away, as I have to secure the run gate to keep the rest of the rams from escaping... I am cussing my head off, realizing my selective breeding program has probably just been spoiled, if the girls are really fully in heat. It takes about a minute to really chain the gate well, and these guys are wasting no time. I manage to grab a more tame one, Ziggy, almost instantly, and drag him back with the rest of the guys, cussing all the while. The other, Verne, is working the girls over and staying with them as they run all over the place, mounting them every time they will stay still in between chases by me. I could only imagine he knew he was on borrowed time :-) I end up having to close everything, let the rams back out of the long run into their pasture, and re-set the gates to use the long run as a trap on my side instead, and run Verne and the girls into the long narrow run so I can separate them. It works fairly easily. At this point, I am glad I have experience with a crook. Since he little place to run, I crook him handily and end up picking him up and just dumping him over the fence into the ram pasture again. Good thing he's the smaller of the rams! Chase the girls out of the run, start the whole process over. Close off the gates to favor the ram side again. Rams still easily walk into the long run one by one, cut off Harpo again, but this time, I use BrainPower and bother to stop and chain everything up well. I guess if they lamb in 150 days to the day, I'll know there's no idea who the father is, but if they take a week or more than the normal period, it's a good chance Harpo is the father. The other two are plenty good sires, but they are not Harpo. The learning question here is: besides me being daft and underestimating Harpo's reluctance to go into a shaded, strange area--and not chaining things up safely, what sort of chute can one use for rams with large horn racks? I imagine if you measured Marley, the largest rack-ed ram, he's have 35-40 inches or so. -Michael, Perino Ranch Blackbellies ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Breeding Comedy Show
Hi Mike, I can't help with the chute question but I suggest for accidental breeding, use Lutalyse, which causes the ewe to expel the fertilized egg. Use 3cc of Lutalyse at least 11 days after breeding. Less than 8 days doesn't work. I had a similar breakout when I first started in sheep and this was a very good option. I didn't waste a year of the ewes' lives creating lambs that I could not register because I didn't know their sire. Carol At 03:36 PM 12/4/2013, you wrote: what sort of chute can one use for rams with large horn racks? I imagine if you measured Marley, the largest rack-ed ram, he's have 35-40 inches or so. -Michael, Perino Ranch Blackbellies Carol Elkins Critterhaven--Registered Barbados Blackbelly Hair Sheep (no shear, no dock, no fuss) Pueblo, Colorado http://www.critterhaven.biz ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Breeding Comedy Show
Sounds like you had quite an adventure. I am discovering that catch pens and funneling chutes are extremely helpful :-) Jann Sent from my iPhone On Dec 4, 2013, at 3:36 PM, Michael Smith mwsmotorspo...@gmail.com wrote: So, I have 4 acres with many many separate pastures with gates and enclosures. I spent the morning first separating out the two ewes, pasture by pasture (I don't have a chute system yet). I wanted to pair these girls with Harpo an inexperienced but beautiful ram. They went into a pasture right next door to the rams, which were already fighting over them, and the girls were demonstrating the fact they appeared to be in heat. Mind you, I am doing this all by myself this morning. I have 5 intact rams, but they are actually not too difficult to separate out. There was a narrow 8' wide by about 30' long run between the ewe's pasture and the ram's pasture, and it had some fresh green grass in it that looked real good to eat. I set up the gate to allow all the rams into the run, through the gate, one at a time, and simply not allowing Harpo in. It worked-- since he's timid-- and was the last one trying to follow in. I then lazily threw a chain around a post, thinking the gate would stay closed juust long enough to chase Harpo in through a small shaded gate under a shed roof, and he'd go in with the girls. I forgot the famous findings of Temple Grandin and how herd animals don't like to enter shaded, scary looking places. Then things went wrong and I wish I had a camera, since it would have a good Darwin Award Video, with me starring as the Village Idiot. Harpo is being scared of where I am trying to force him to go, so he's running everywhere through a pasture but not through the dark opening to the girl's pasture. Meanwhile, the other rams start banging against the run gate, and two other rams bang the gate loose, they're no fools, and instantly run in through the shaded opening, in with the ewes. They start mounting away, as I have to secure the run gate to keep the rest of the rams from escaping... I am cussing my head off, realizing my selective breeding program has probably just been spoiled, if the girls are really fully in heat. It takes about a minute to really chain the gate well, and these guys are wasting no time. I manage to grab a more tame one, Ziggy, almost instantly, and drag him back with the rest of the guys, cussing all the while. The other, Verne, is working the girls over and staying with them as they run all over the place, mounting them every time they will stay still in between chases by me. I could only imagine he knew he was on borrowed time :-) I end up having to close everything, let the rams back out of the long run into their pasture, and re-set the gates to use the long run as a trap on my side instead, and run Verne and the girls into the long narrow run so I can separate them. It works fairly easily. At this point, I am glad I have experience with a crook. Since he little place to run, I crook him handily and end up picking him up and just dumping him over the fence into the ram pasture again. Good thing he's the smaller of the rams! Chase the girls out of the run, start the whole process over. Close off the gates to favor the ram side again. Rams still easily walk into the long run one by one, cut off Harpo again, but this time, I use BrainPower and bother to stop and chain everything up well. I guess if they lamb in 150 days to the day, I'll know there's no idea who the father is, but if they take a week or more than the normal period, it's a good chance Harpo is the father. The other two are plenty good sires, but they are not Harpo. The learning question here is: besides me being daft and underestimating Harpo's reluctance to go into a shaded, strange area--and not chaining things up safely, what sort of chute can one use for rams with large horn racks? I imagine if you measured Marley, the largest rack-ed ram, he's have 35-40 inches or so. -Michael, Perino Ranch Blackbellies ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Breeding Comedy Show
I have a small corral, about 15' x 15', where I feed the rams, this is also where the water trough is. Even in the summer when they're on pasture I dump some grain in the feeder about once a week. All I have to do is dump a little grain in the feeder and they all come running. Once they're in the corral I just close the gate to the pasture and use the crook to catch the one I want. If necessary I open the doors into the barn and run them into the smaller stall inside. This works really well 99% of the time but there has also been a couple of comedy shows. I have the Billy Buster chute also but just got it set up and haven't used it yet. Dan -- ___ This daily digest is from the Blackbelly mailing list. Visit this list's home page at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info/ End of Blackbelly Digest, Vol 9, Issue 66 * ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Breeding young RAMS
Performance testing runs about $60. Sent from my mobile device. On Oct 22, 2013, at 7:31 AM, Elizabeth Radi lizr...@skybeam.com wrote: Tiana, Your veterinarian can check this out for you. Liz Radi Nubian goats and Katahdin Hair Sheep Nunn, Colorado 970-716-7218 idaralpaca.blogspot.com --- tian...@gmail.com wrote: From: Tiana Franklin tian...@gmail.com To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info,Ellen Brouillette ellenlyn...@yahoo.com Subject: Re: [Blackbelly] Breeding young RAMS Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2013 10:34:29 -0700 I will give you my story and see if it helps. I have 3 ewes of unknown age and purchased a ram lamb last December that was 3 months old. He has been with the girls ever since and I still have not had a lamb. I saw him breed two girls in March when he was 6 month old but the girls didn't get pregnant. Now I have a marking harness on him since the beginning of October and he has bred two of the three. He is now over a year old and I would think he should get the job done. I'm really hoping that he is not shooting blanks... On Fri, Oct 18, 2013 at 8:52 PM, Ellen Brouillette ellenlyn...@yahoo.comwrote: From what I read ABBs can possibly lamb out every 7 mouths. We had 3 ewes lamb out in Sept. when we bought them and lamb out again in April. So we know it is possible, How consistently have your ABBs done this? Our ewes are in good shape and all lambed out this spring, We are still wondering about this young ram because as I said before we have not had any lambs this fall. Arnold On Monday, October 14, 2013 1:35 PM, Ellen Brouillette ellenlyn...@yahoo.com wrote: I got rid of my old ram last winter. I have a young ram that was a year old this spring. The first I saw him breed was in August. By the looks of our spring lambs I thought he had breed some last fall. We have no lambs yet this fall. Am looking for feedback in this aria. Thanks, Arnold ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info -- Tiana Franklin ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Breeding young RAMS
Tiana, Your veterinarian can check this out for you. Liz Radi Nubian goats and Katahdin Hair Sheep Nunn, Colorado 970-716-7218 idaralpaca.blogspot.com --- tian...@gmail.com wrote: From: Tiana Franklin tian...@gmail.com To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info, Ellen Brouillette ellenlyn...@yahoo.com Subject: Re: [Blackbelly] Breeding young RAMS Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2013 10:34:29 -0700 I will give you my story and see if it helps. I have 3 ewes of unknown age and purchased a ram lamb last December that was 3 months old. He has been with the girls ever since and I still have not had a lamb. I saw him breed two girls in March when he was 6 month old but the girls didn't get pregnant. Now I have a marking harness on him since the beginning of October and he has bred two of the three. He is now over a year old and I would think he should get the job done. I'm really hoping that he is not shooting blanks... On Fri, Oct 18, 2013 at 8:52 PM, Ellen Brouillette ellenlyn...@yahoo.comwrote: From what I read ABBs can possibly lamb out every 7 mouths. We had 3 ewes lamb out in Sept. when we bought them and lamb out again in April. So we know it is possible, How consistently have your ABBs done this? Our ewes are in good shape and all lambed out this spring, We are still wondering about this young ram because as I said before we have not had any lambs this fall. Arnold On Monday, October 14, 2013 1:35 PM, Ellen Brouillette ellenlyn...@yahoo.com wrote: I got rid of my old ram last winter. I have a young ram that was a year old this spring. The first I saw him breed was in August. By the looks of our spring lambs I thought he had breed some last fall. We have no lambs yet this fall. Am looking for feedback in this aria. Thanks, Arnold ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info -- Tiana Franklin ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Breeding young RAMS
Our ewes almost always will lamb twice a year if we leave the ram in with them. We feel that keeping high quality minerals readily available along with good pasture make the difference. We live in Ohio. MIke On 10/18/2013 11:52 PM, Ellen Brouillette wrote: From what I read ABBs can possibly lamb out every 7 mouths. We had 3 ewes lamb out in Sept. when we bought them and lamb out again in April. So we know it is possible, How consistently have your ABBs done this? Our ewes are in good shape and all lambed out this spring, We are still wondering about this young ram because as I said before we have not had any lambs this fall. Arnold On Monday, October 14, 2013 1:35 PM, Ellen Brouillette ellenlyn...@yahoo.com wrote: I got rid of my old ram last winter. I have a young ram that was a year old this spring. The first I saw him breed was in August. By the looks of our spring lambs I thought he had breed some last fall. We have no lambs yet this fall. Am looking for feedback in this aria. Thanks, Arnold ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Breeding young RAMS
I will give you my story and see if it helps. I have 3 ewes of unknown age and purchased a ram lamb last December that was 3 months old. He has been with the girls ever since and I still have not had a lamb. I saw him breed two girls in March when he was 6 month old but the girls didn't get pregnant. Now I have a marking harness on him since the beginning of October and he has bred two of the three. He is now over a year old and I would think he should get the job done. I'm really hoping that he is not shooting blanks... On Fri, Oct 18, 2013 at 8:52 PM, Ellen Brouillette ellenlyn...@yahoo.comwrote: From what I read ABBs can possibly lamb out every 7 mouths. We had 3 ewes lamb out in Sept. when we bought them and lamb out again in April. So we know it is possible, How consistently have your ABBs done this? Our ewes are in good shape and all lambed out this spring, We are still wondering about this young ram because as I said before we have not had any lambs this fall. Arnold On Monday, October 14, 2013 1:35 PM, Ellen Brouillette ellenlyn...@yahoo.com wrote: I got rid of my old ram last winter. I have a young ram that was a year old this spring. The first I saw him breed was in August. By the looks of our spring lambs I thought he had breed some last fall. We have no lambs yet this fall. Am looking for feedback in this aria. Thanks, Arnold ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info -- Tiana Franklin ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Breeding Ewes
My ewes will lamb every 8 months but I don't let that happen as I feel it is hard on them, despite good feed and minerals (including selenium as it is low in my hay as per analysis). I have 2 rams and they each go with their ewes in July, then in August (depending on pastures) they all get turned out together. As they are due to lamb in Nov - Jan, the rams are removed in October and kept in ram pen (together) until next July. Donna-Marie Teseko American Blackbellies ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Breeding young RAMS
From what I read ABBs can possibly lamb out every 7 mouths. We had 3 ewes lamb out in Sept. when we bought them and lamb out again in April. So we know it is possible, How consistently have your ABBs done this? Our ewes are in good shape and all lambed out this spring, We are still wondering about this young ram because as I said before we have not had any lambs this fall. Arnold On Monday, October 14, 2013 1:35 PM, Ellen Brouillette ellenlyn...@yahoo.com wrote: I got rid of my old ram last winter. I have a young ram that was a year old this spring. The first I saw him breed was in August. By the looks of our spring lambs I thought he had breed some last fall. We have no lambs yet this fall. Am looking for feedback in this aria. Thanks, Arnold ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Breeding young RAMS
I got rid of my old ram last winter. I have a young ram that was a year old this spring. The first I saw him breed was in August. By the looks of our spring lambs I thought he had breed some last fall. We have no lambs yet this fall. Am looking for feedback in this aria. Thanks, Arnold ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] breeding age limit
Thank you, Mary and Nancy. I guess common sense says 14 is too old to produce, any longer. My girl is happy and behaving normally. And like I said, this is the first year she's not given me lambs. Last year she was the last one to lamb. Because I only have 5 ewes altogether, I have no need to get rid of her and she can live out her life as is. I'll assume max age couldn't be much more than 14, either. Rick Krach in Auburn, CA ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Breeding twice in a year
Hi all from TX, What I do is flush the ewe. That means that I feed the ewe real well for about 6 weeks before putting the ram in. But, I have found it actually better to have 3 lamb crops in 2 years. Much easier on the ewe and the human. Here in Central TX, fire ants become a concern if lambing in late spring to summer. Have fun!! Rhonda - Original Message - From: Dave Andrus andruscompan...@netecin.net To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Sent: Saturday, January 16, 2010 6:11 PM Subject: Re: [Blackbelly] Breeding twice in a year My primary question is...If you want to lamb twice in one year how soon after lambing should the ewe be exposed again? The secondary question is what advice and experiances has everyone had breeding twice in one year? TIA, Dave ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info -- Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 269.19.20/756 - Release Date: 2/4/2008 12:00 AM ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Breeding schedule
- Original Message - From: Double J Farms doublejfa...@wildblue.net To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info Sent: Friday, February 13, 2009 4:56 PM Subject: [Blackbelly] Breeding schedule How long are most folks leaving the ram in with the ewes to make sure that they have all (all = 5 to10 ewes in my case) been bred - 2 cycles (~34 days)?? John Carlton Double J Farms Spanish Fort, Alabama doublejfa...@wildblue.net ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info John, If we want to be safe, we leave them in 6 weeks. If we want to have all the lambs in a 2 week period and get it over with, we leave them in for 4 weeks. That works best for us. My husband likes to make sure every ewe is covered so he votes for 6 weeks. I like to give all the lambs shots at the same time, so I vote for 4 weeks. Becky Lannon Lone Star Farm Hockley, Texas ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[blackbelly] Breeding kissing cousins
Hello, What is your opinion on breeding sheep that share one parent. In starting my little herd, I could get a ram that was siered by the same ram as the ewes. Next question, the ram and ewes are lambs. I kind of want to wait a bit to get everyone going to give me more time to learn :-) Any concerns having a young ram? Is it better to get an older ram to see the traits he will have when mature? Thanks so much to all of you! Eileen ___ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[blackbelly] Breeding Programs
Waxing philosophical here, and not being contentious or argumentative. The ability to produce more than one litter of lambs per year is one of the priceless genetic gifts our blackbellies come equipped with. It is necessary in some production models such as accelerated lambing and is part of the genetic gold that may theoretically be used at some point in the future to correct selection errors that are sending some species of domestic animals down the poop chute. Allowing breeding only once per year may actually be selecting against this trait. Or in cases like myself, breeding only in February/March for late summer lambs... with enough time, would I create an isolated race of Blackbellies capable of breeding ONLY in Feb/March? Right now I am taking advantage of their polyestrous nature. I could be mindlessly headed down the road to eliminating it through preventing its natural expression. The opposite is true, too. If I deliberately select too heavily for a certain trait and discover later that it screws up some associated characteristic, I may never be able to un-select that previously desirable trait. How can I know? It's one of those cases of we don't know what we don't know. But it is a case in point that we can't let sentimentality interfere too much with our breeding choices. I would highly recommend reading the ALBC's conservation handbook to anybody who cherishes the Blackbelly sheep. Not for a blueprint of how to run a breeding operation, but as an eye opener how one's breeding choices affect the future of the breeds, indeed the future of domestic livestock. Being a hobby breeder doesn't mean being exempt from the laws of nature. Regards, Barb L. ___ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[blackbelly] Breeding American Blackbellies
Dear List, I would very much like to correspond privately with breeders of American Blackbelly sheep who are actively engaged in a program of upgrading their flocks, keeping detailed records and occasionally offering select breeding stock for sale. I will probably be looking for that special ram within the year, hopefully within a day or two's drive of Portland, OR, and would love to share notes with others. Thanks and best regards, Barb Lee lee @ccwebster.net (omit the space) ___ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
