Farmer Focus: Long housing period is looking attractive
© Kathy Horniblow I have learned a lot, again, in the past year. First, a twin to a Schmallenberg lamb is a runt, will hang around forever and come to nothing – even in a strong market.
Second, if we sell a bull for 7,000gns, we will still make a loss of £256 a cow.
Sadly, I also learned that even a safe looking field is not immune to a dog attack.
See also: How Texel system aims for £100 a ewe gross margin
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Just before Christmas we had three ewe lambs ripped apart and found another dead in a watercourse.
Scanning the ewes yielded some interesting data: 125 leaner ewes (sub-2.5 body condition score) had £1,500 of feed blocks for 17 weeks, with a six-week tupping in the middle.
Body condition improved by 0.5 a ewe and we scanned 20% higher than expected at 192%.
There were 200 ewes (2.75 score or more) grazing clover and grass without blocks that were rotated on some permanent pasture post-tupping, and scanned at a disappointing 182%; and 125 gimmers grazing permanent pasture in Wales that scanned at 165%.
The fittest (3.5 score) 125 ewes were tupped early on clover and grass leys from August to October and scanned at 190%.
Overall, there weren’t many triplets and a few too many singles.
Do we put feed blocks out to the later-lambing ewes to ensure they scan as close to 200% as possible?
At £10-£12 a ewe it is the most expensive way of feeding them, but is extremely convenient, and it’s convenience that is looking increasingly attractive.
We are a low-lying, wet farm, and wintering sheep is becoming tough. In 2023 we spent ages moving sheep and electric fences. Turnips have failed and a dog attack has happened.
I’m wondering whether we house all the ewes before lambing next winter for 110 days.
It seems expensive on paper, yet we produce good grass and clover silage with no bagged nitrogen and achieve good maize silage yields.
We have two 750t silage pits, with about 250t of spare capacity this winter.
This morning I mixed the feed and fed 1,000 sheep and the cattle in 1 hour 45 minutes.
If they were out grazing I would only be halfway round checking them. Housing would give us simplicity and control. Will we be better off?