We had about 16 lambs born from the last of August through mid September. Boy have they grown exceptionally well. I Wish more had been born. Don't know why more weren't since we run the ram year round but figure more will start about the time the ice and snow flows with our luck! Truthfully though I fiugre a spurt in babies around thanksgiving and christmas for the most part. Then our jacobs should start lambing in mid January. Anyone looking for bottle babies get your order in now so that you can get a first pick. Nancy ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info> Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2007 2:27 PM Subject: Blackbelly Digest, Vol 3, Issue 144
> Send Blackbelly mailing list submissions to > blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://lists.blackbellysheep.info/listinfo.cgi/blackbelly-blackbellysheep.info > > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > You can reach the person managing the list at > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Blackbelly digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: Out of Season Breeding (Barb Lee) > 2. Re: Out of Season Breeding (The Wintermutes) > 3. Re: Out of Season Breeding (Barb Lee) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2007 13:05:20 -0800 > From: "Barb Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: [Blackbelly] Out of Season Breeding > To: <blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info> > Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; > reply-type=original > > Thanks Mark, > I do know of some blackbelly flocks that lamb seasonally, despite > running with the ram year round. I was thinking that if a person was in > the midst of a personal breed improvement program (such as myself), that > some effort would want to be made to deliberately breed out of season > when "proving" breeding stock, just to make sure that trait was not > unintentionally lost. > > We have begun a program of breeding starting Feb 1 for July babies, > which according to your excellent explanation, does not qualify for out > of season breeding. We have numerous reasons for this timeline, but > I've never been sure just exactly what constituted "out of season." If > I wanted to prove to myself that my select breeding stock can lamb out > of season, I will have to do so deliberately at least once in each ewe's > lifetime. > > Thanks! > > Barb > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2007 15:46:42 -0600 > From: "The Wintermutes" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: [Blackbelly] Out of Season Breeding > To: <blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info> > Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > Hi Barb, > > July and August are tough months for lambing due to heat stress. You are > still doing an intense selection process for your flock using these > months. > The hotter the climate the more intense the test for lambing. Basically > many sheep cannot go to term with their fetuses due to heat. > > If you have the pasture I think you will be better off with a July > lambing. > Your slaughter lambs will be ready for peak prices after the beginning of > the year. > > One other negative for July through December lambing is ewe lambs > generally > do not give birth to their lambs until the spring following their > birthday. > So these maiden ewes will give birth closer to 18 months of age instead of > 12 months of age. But... those extra months can help the ewe lamb mature > so > there is less chance of birthing troubles. > > If you get a July born ewe lamb to give birth to her lambs at 12 months > (In > July again) I would consider that ewe VERY special! > > Mark > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Barb > Lee > Sent: Wednesday, November 07, 2007 3:05 PM > To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info > Subject: Re: [Blackbelly] Out of Season Breeding > > Thanks Mark, > I do know of some blackbelly flocks that lamb seasonally, despite > running with the ram year round. I was thinking that if a person was in > the midst of a personal breed improvement program (such as myself), that > some effort would want to be made to deliberately breed out of season > when "proving" breeding stock, just to make sure that trait was not > unintentionally lost. > > We have begun a program of breeding starting Feb 1 for July babies, > which according to your excellent explanation, does not qualify for out > of season breeding. We have numerous reasons for this timeline, but > I've never been sure just exactly what constituted "out of season." If > I wanted to prove to myself that my select breeding stock can lamb out > of season, I will have to do so deliberately at least once in each ewe's > lifetime. > > Thanks! > > Barb > > > _______________________________________________ > This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list > Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2007 17:05:47 -0800 > From: "Barb Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: [Blackbelly] Out of Season Breeding > To: <blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info> > Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; > reply-type=original > > Mark, > Western Oregon is a very temperate climate...we may get one or two days > above 90 by July, and from what I've read, 90 degrees is where the fetus > really starts suffering heat stress. I'll confess we had a bizarre > lambing season this year, but I don't think it had anything to do with > the weather. It was really a fine summer...regrets that it is over! We > also rarely suffer with high humidity and evenings always cool off, so > peak temps would be for short durations (usually!) and there is always > plenty of shade. > >> If you have the pasture I think you will be better off with a July >> lambing. >> Your slaughter lambs will be ready for peak prices after the beginning >> of >> the year. > > Yes, July is our target month. Our biggest conundrum as far as > marketing lambs is that I am totally committed to getting the lambs > finished on 100% grass (which is not entirely possible yet due to > fertility issues with the soil). We would have peak populations at the > height of the grass, and "depopulate" just before the grass runs out. > Our grass growing season virtually crashes by the end of June. Once the > lambs are "fat" they can hold their finish as long as they do not lose > weight. Our financial adviser was by recently and modestly said, "I > don't care what it costs, I just want more lamb!" That was very > reinforcing! :o) Anyway, my sheep management notions are inextricably > tangled up with my pasture management goals! I would like to lamb in > the spring, but the timing is not working out. I am hoping that I will > eventually be producing some faster "finishing" lambs so I can adjust my > lambing season accordingly. We are talking years here, no time soon! > > BTW, I have a November-born ewe lamb that quite by accident (long story) > is about to lamb! > >> So these maiden ewes will give birth closer to 18 months of age >> instead of >> 12 months of age. But... those extra months can help the ewe lamb >> mature so >> there is less chance of birthing troubles. > > Well, as long as I am in this protracted start up phase, and just > nailing down exactly what I expect to achieve over the next several > years, I am never going to be a "least cost producer"! So if I have to > feed the lambs an extra six months...particularly as the carrying > capacity of my pasture increases, it will be worth it! And I have set > aside many ambitious goals as I find I ain't so smart as I thunk I was! > :o) > > Barb > > > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > 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 3, Issue 144 > ****************************************** > _______________________________________________ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
