High cull ewe values justify rigorous culling

High cull ewe values – on average £75 a head – should be an impetus for sheep farmers to eliminate poor performing ewes from the flock this season.

Despite the expense of buying in replacements, driven by high lamb prices, there has never been a better time for good flock culling, said EBLEX sheep and beef scientist Liz Genever.

She said every opportunity should be taken to “substitute poorly performing ewes with replacements carefully selected for their quality” to maximise returns from culling.

“The combination of current cull market values and the performance benefit from removing potentially troublesome and costly-to-keep ewes means rigorous culling makes financial sense, even in flocks that are being significantly expanded.

“As a rule, it is not advisable to retain ewes showing any indication of being unable to cost-effectively rear lambs next season. And culling at, or shortly after, weaning gives the greatest leeway for sourcing the required number and quality of replacements.”

Dr Genever identified the following key reasons for culling ewes and said producers looking to maximise their returns from the market should be selecting lean, well-fleshed cull ewes at fat levels of 2-3L.

Ewes should be culled if they are:

• barren or have aborted (only keep those where the cause of abortion is known)

• known to have prolapsed

• broken mouthed or have uneven molar teeth wear

• in poor body condition (ewes that don’t regain condition a month after weaning are unlikely to do so before tupping)

• known to have udder problems, such as mastitis, slow or slack udders and large teats

• chronically lame. Ewes fall into this category if they are failing to respond to treatment or have had foot rot more than once)

• known to have had lambing problems, either in giving birth or in mothering.

“Good record-keeping and the clear marking or tagging of ewes whenever they experience a problem likely to make them unsuitable for further breeding, are important in successful culling management,” added Dr Genever.

“Colour-coded ear tags by year of entry into the flock are also a useful way of easily identifying the age of ewes without the need for mouthing.”

ADAS livestock consultant Kate Phillips said: “There are some people who keep a ewe just one year too many, but generally farmers are tending to cull them a bit earlier.

“It’s good practice to keep a nice, young healthy flock, because it’s counter productive to keep a ewe if she has problems and often farmers will find keeping them an extra year is not profitable for them.”

She said farmers were prepared to pay more for their replacements as a result of higher cull ewe rates, and recommended buying in replacement stock from a reliable and trusted source, preferably one you have used before.

Independent vet Kate Hovers said: “I expect a lot of farmers will be culling out sheep this year because of the cull price, and that’s good for the breeding flock because people will be culling out ewes that are unproductive.

“People buying replacements should be looking out for fit and healthy ewes with good teeth, good feet, well grown and with good body condition. For those breeding their own replacements, they should be keeping stock bred from ewes that have been good mothers and have had good lambs in the past.”