I have a busy month ahead. This week I am weaning the spring lambs. They have access to creep feed, are with their mothers on pasture during the day. This week I am weaning them as the youngest is twelve weeks. I have been weaning at eight weeks, but decided to try and wean at twelve to see if I get faster gains after weaning. I weaned the first few lambs born in this group at twelve weeks, the lambs were weighing between 70 and 75 pounds at twelve weeks. Since we have the summer heat of 90 degrees or more during the day, I decided to leave the younger lambs on their mothers until twelve weeks. We are keeping all the ewe lambs. The ram lambs will be sold when they reach 125 pounds. Lambs have slower weight gain in the heat of summer, due to them being too hot to want to eat.
I divide my ewes into several breeding groups. Next week I will put a ram in with the fall ewe lambs I kept. This group is small, six ewes. Considering the heat, the ram should be able to cover six ewes in two months time.
July 4 starts the lambing of the older ewe group. I have twelve ewes in this bunch. Some have already started to build udders. They show they have lambs growing.
I also have two registered fullblood Dorper rams I am fitting to sell.
Yes, the next month is going to be busy. But busy leads to money.
Hope your sheep are productive and doing well.
Granny
Granny's Homestead 