Ewe lambs? How reliable are yours?

[sheepy]

Hi
Autumn has just started here and I put out my new EF ram Frank with some 50% EF ewe lambs, the ewe lambs are all well grown, 45 kgs and are 6 1/2-7 months old, but so far in 6 weeks only one has been marked (I used a raddle), I'm so disappointed There are some other smaller ewe lambs (dorper xs) in with him as well and all of them are marked I really need these lambs, what can I do? Should I take the ram out on schedule, wait a month and put him in with them again? Should I feed? I also have a EF ram lamb I put in with 16 older ewes (he's 6 1/2 months old), I've seen him mounting the ewes but I wondering if he'll be successful, how do you find rams lambs performance?
Please help
Sheepy

[sheepish]

Putting the ewe lambs in with cycling older ewes might help to get them going. Being a bit older might help too. We usually breed our Rideau ewes to lamb when they are about 13-14 months old and then about 90-95% catch.

[Ross]

I'd rather keep my ewe lambs open until they're at least a year old. Then they have a lean frame and weigh in around that 45-50 kg range.

[eieiomom]

In the past, my EFx ewe lambs that were large enough didn't go in with a ram until they were at least 8 months old, lambing at no earlier than 13 months.

I really prefer not to breed them the first year since the ewes seem to grow and keep their condition better if bred after a year old.

[sheepy]

If I wait until they're 12 months old to breed it will be end of winter/spring, so they are less likely to go in lamb If I had enough ewes I would leave them until next year to breed, but I'm meant to be milking them and I don't have any others to milk. I'll leave it a month or 2 and put the ram out again. The ewe lambs all weigh 45kgs or more.
Sheepy

[Somerhill]

I don't have experience with EF crosses, but I do have some data on Bluefaced Leicester/Cheviot crosses. (mules)
I ran some percentages on 40 mules that we kept for at least 5 years. The ewe lambs were bred to lamb a 12 months of age.
I had 105% lamb drop on these 40 ewe lambs. Very few did not lamb at 12 months, and a few had twins. At age 2, they went to 160%, and their lifetime average was 176%.
This was in a grass based system, lambing on pasture in late April/early May. The ewes were flushed on fall grasses, and received no grain before or during lactation. You'd probably get a higher lambing % using grains or planted annuals, improved pastures, etc.
The ewe lambs were good mothers. They were usually more flighty and nervous about their lambs; cleaning them until you thought they'd lick the white off, constantly rushing about thinking they'd lost their lamb, running away when we'd go out to check and process the newborn, etc., but over all, settled in and raised their lambs successfully.

Lisa at Somerhill
www.somerhillfarm.com

[eieiomom]

Sheepy,

As Lisa mentioned, the variety in breed type can also make a difference.
Lower % Friesians can be easier keepers and it would be fine to breed those who are large enough, exposing them at 8 months old. You mentioned yours are only 6-7 months old. They should settle when a little older. They do need to be fed well since they are still putting energy into their own growth (the ram lamb too).
However, if they are triplets or quads and are on the smaller side, you might want to hold those back and not breed them the first year.
My experience with the higher % Friesians is that they need grain to keep up their condition and do not do well only on pasture.
However my Lincolns and crosses are very easy keepers and can maintain their condition just looking at grass, LOL.

~Deb

[sheepy]

Thanks My pure EFs are all doing well on just pasture so far, I plan to grain feed in late pregnancy and lactation, they do have good pasture! I'll wait a month or 2 and put the ram back out, fingers crossed! They are nearly all singles and twins. I do hope the ram lamb breeds the ewes, he's my only black ram and the ewes his with are all coloured too-I can't wait for those babies!
Sheepy