# What breed of ewe to breed for large meaty lambs?



## secuono (Jun 6, 2012)

I have Babydoll sheep, ram and ewes. I don't want to get a ram of any other breed, as there's nowhere to put him and I don't want all mutt sheep. 
What breed of meat ewe can I cross breed to my Babydoll ram to get bigger and meatier lambs?


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## SheepGirl (Jun 6, 2012)

My neighbor bred a Babydoll ram to Montadale ewes. And another member (I'm sorry, I can't think of her name right off the top of my head) bred her Babydoll ram to her Suffolk ewes. So there's no limit on size, really. But I would go with a Texel ewe because Texels are one of the meatiest breeds out there. Suffolk only trumps them because of growth rate.


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## secuono (Jun 13, 2012)

Now would those be hair or wool ewes and polled or not? I'm not finding those two on CL at all, sigh...


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## SheepGirl (Jun 13, 2012)

All the breeds I mentioned (Suffolk, Montadale, and Texel) are all polled wool breeds. If you can't find anything on craigslist, see if you can find something here or contact breeders on the breed registry's web site and see if they will sell you a commercial or registered ewe (whichever you prefer).


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## manybirds (Jun 13, 2012)

I don't have too much experiance with sheep but i have a hampshire ewe and she was 150ibs at 5 months of age. she's got a wonderful personality and her wool grows fast and thick. in the year we've had her she's had no health problems.


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## BrownSheep (Jun 13, 2012)

Both Suffolk and Hampshire are common meat breeds. If you want a ewe whose wool is still a good quality Dorset and Rambouillet would work well.


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## feed grass (Jun 13, 2012)

get a regular southdown.


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## SheepGirl (Jun 14, 2012)

feed grass said:
			
		

> get a regular southdown.


I didn't even think of that 

That would probably be the best option because the lambs won't look like 'mutts' and they would look more purebred, something I think secuono would want.


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## feed grass (Jun 14, 2012)

SheepGirl said:
			
		

> feed grass said:
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best option to me-- I would rank the downer as number 1 on my list of meaty, easy to raise sheep... and as a matter of fact is why we have some of them...


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## Symphony (Jun 14, 2012)

Yeah a Regular South down would be perfect with a Baby Doll South down.  I don't remember how many different Southdown types there are but if I recall there's the Southdown, Medium Southdown and then the Baby Southdown.


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## aggieterpkatie (Jun 14, 2012)

I've never heard of the medium Down.  I think there's only the regular Southdown and the Old English (babydoll).  I've got the regular ones and love them.


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## secuono (Jun 14, 2012)

Symphony said:
			
		

> Yeah a Regular South down would be perfect with a Baby Doll South down.  I don't remember how many different Southdown types there are but if I recall there's the Southdown, Medium Southdown and then the Baby Southdown.


What the heck is a medium southdown?? 

I'd want the other ewes to be hair sheep and polled it at all possible. $75 per sheep to shear every year is $$$. The lambs from the mixes will go straight to freezer, so those mom's won't pay their dues. The pure babydolls pay their keep by their lambs. 

I haven't seen regular southdowns either...was hoping to find some ewe lambs that aren't from a fancy breeder since they will be far cheaper.


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## secuono (Jun 14, 2012)

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

> I've never heard of the medium Down.  I think there's only the regular Southdown and the Old English (babydoll).  I've got the regular ones and love them.


Sell me a ewe lamb next year...?? lol.


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## feed grass (Jun 14, 2012)

medium downs are the super crappy, average southdowns of the large size...

To be honest, I know of about 4 breeds of ewes that have horns-- and about 100 that don't... I don't see where that can realistically be a concern...

To find cheap Southdowns- you just have to look.. i could find a ton around here- but that won't do you any good across the USA.   It also helps for you to define "cheap", cheap to me is market price-- which is somewhere in the 2-300 range.  Cheap to most people is stealing...


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## Rvrfshr (Jun 15, 2012)

feed grass said:
			
		

> get a regular southdown.


Haven't heard of this breed before.  Is this a specialty breed that you have or are contemplating?


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## kfacres (Jun 16, 2012)

Rvrfshr said:
			
		

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A regular Southdown is the normal sized sheep virtually identical to these babydolls.  They are one of the most common sheep breeds in the US- particularly a hit with young people, and females.  Depending on where you go to purchase some-- they can range from just bigger than a babydoll, to twice as big.

http://www.southdownsheep.org/


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## Symphony (Jun 16, 2012)

Yes, Southdowns are everywhere.  Just google them and you'll see.


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## secuono (Jun 16, 2012)

I don't show, so I don't want to pay show prices. Anything over $400 for an adult is too much, over $300 for an ewe lamb is too much. 
My rams & wethers sold for 150 and 200, so there is little to no market here. I do see some websites for them and they want $400 up to 800, but half of those sites are outdated by up to 4 years.


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## kfacres (Jun 16, 2012)

secuono said:
			
		

> I don't show, so I don't want to pay show prices. Anything over $400 for an adult is too much, over $300 for an ewe lamb is too much.
> My rams & wethers sold for 150 and 200, so there is little to no market here. I do see some websites for them and they want $400 up to 800, but half of those sites are outdated by up to 4 years.


I shipped 150 pound wether lambs last week-- and got $2. per pound for them.  That's $300-- and I didn't have a single cent in getting them anywhere-- they were picked up here... Argue with me and tell me that market price isn't there...  I have a group of 80 lb lambs, that' I'm thinking of selling for $2.50-- but I'm not sure if I can handle only getting $200 for them...  

How can you expect to buy anything for less than slightly above market price to use as a breeding animal??/  Robbery if you ask me, I can see why nobody wants to sell to you- you can't expect them to give their stuff away.

The Southdown breed is diverse, and I could leave my house for one day- and buy a whole 8x20 trailor load of Southdown ewe lambs for $200-$300 bucks a head-- and I can fit ALOT of 'downer lambs on that trailor.  

I sell almost my entire lamb crop each year from our Oxford ewes which have been as many as 80 ewes-- and currently number almost 50 for breeding stock.  I get very tired of the people who inquire about buying $300 ewe lambs-- I tell them go elsewhere, i'm tired of being taken advantage of; I wouldn't sell bottle ewe lambs for that...

I just bought a new Southdown ram to use on my 'downer ewes- paid $300 for him-- and he would have been a 1k sheep at any other sale...  But the Ohio sale was saturated with rams- and nobody wanted them.  I think that might be the first deal, or steal I've ever gotten in my time with the sheep.  

Sedalia is coming up- and I bet there will be 10 Southdown ewe lambs sell for $300 each or less (I forget what the floor price is- could be $250 on lambs).  There will be people there from CA like you wouldn't believe to transport them back for nothing... but hey- what do I know?


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## Cornish Heritage (Jun 20, 2012)

Chirping in here just to say if you are looking for a breeding animal then you need to buy quality. Culls are culls for a reason. We get this question with our Large Black hogs at times - some folks don't want to pay the price so we just politely tell them that we are not the right place for them & to go look somewhere else. We no longer sell any culled 'unfixed' males nor do we sell the female culls. The gilts are all raised here for meat so as to stop the backyard market.


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## secuono (Jun 20, 2012)

All offspring from the mixes will be eaten, not sold. So if the ewes are a little *ss high or something else that makes them not fit the standard, it's fine. 
This was just a question anyway, won't buy any sheep this year. 
My sheep I castrate any that don't fit the breed standard and sell as pets, buddies or natural mowers. People want to buy sheep wethers so why not sell 'culls' that are fixed and can't breed.


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## bonbean01 (Jun 20, 2012)

I understand what you are saying...you want a larger size "meat" sheep for your own use and do not want to pay show quality sheep and papers and all that.  Our neighbour is just starting out with switching over from goats to hair sheep, so we've been watching for any "deals" and the only ones we've come across are on Craig's list.  When it comes to CL, I have to wonder why the price is so low and no photo of the animal/s.  

Newly weaned lambs here sell for $2.50 a pound..on the hoof at the auction.  That might be a way to get some ewes at a lower price and raise them to breed with your ram?  I know some local hair sheep breeders in our area take lambs there to sell and they are not culls.  They only sell lambs and never part of their herd stock.


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## kfacres (Jun 20, 2012)

good ones cost the exact same to take care of, feed, and be around as bad ones-- if not less due to structural, or health problems.

Why not invest in good ones, which will producer bigger/ better/ meatier lambs, and make more profit?  Same amount of input, or less-- plus more pounds of product-- equals more pure profit.


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## bonbean01 (Jun 20, 2012)

I believe she wants lambs for her own table and not for selling for profit.

kf...your post reminds me of some wisdom my Dad gave me many years ago and it is so true...there is no such thing as a FREE animal of any sort....they all need feed and care cost just as much, if not more...than one that is sound.  Any time I've gone against that wisdom...it was a costly mistake.


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## Cornish Heritage (Jun 20, 2012)

> Why not invest in good ones, which will producer bigger/ better/ meatier lambs, and make more profit?  Same amount of input, or less-- plus more pounds of product-- equals more pure profit.


That is great advice for those of us in the "sheep business" or any other livestock business for that matter. That is why we stopped producing cross breeds here. They cost exactly the same amount to feed etc but we were making WAY less money. 

However if you are just growing for your own table than that is different. You don't need the best then although a good hardy animal is still important so as to not incur any vet bills. 

A word of caution here though - please please please be careful who you purchase from. Get those animals tested before bringing them onto your farm. What may seem like a bargain at the time will not be a bargain if the new animal brings in a disease & wipes out your entire flock. Think disease is not around? Sorry but it is. We have been hearing some "horrible" stories recently & for that reason have closed our flock. We have enough diversity here to be able to breed for years without needing fresh bloodlines. To us it is just not worth the risk. I know some of you do not have that option & need to bring in fresh lines but just make sure you do your research & pay extra to get what you are buying tested before you bring them home. Buy from a private farmer before you buy from an auction.

Liz


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## kfacres (Jun 20, 2012)

Even if you are only producing for your own table...  I see no reason not to have more pounds of product, or faster growth...

You know as I think about it, I've never heard someone claim their loin chops were too big, their ham steaks were too large, or their lamb gained too much weight in fewer days, which resulted in a faster kill time.


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## CochinBrahmaLover=) (Jun 20, 2012)

kfacres said:
			
		

> Even if you are only producing for your own table...  I see no reason not to have more pounds of product, or faster growth...
> 
> You know as I think about it, I've never heard someone claim their loin chops were too big, their ham steaks were too large, or their lamb gained too much weight in fewer days, which resulted in a faster kill time.


X2 !

We complained our stinky cornish's didnt get big enough fast enough, but we didnt complain our pig was too big. 

More pounds, faster, less money put in. Would you rather buy a  $5 20lb ham, or a $10 10lb ham? $4 for 10 chickens, or 10$ for 2 ?


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## bonbean01 (Jun 20, 2012)

Cornish is so right...a great deal may turn out to be bringing something to your healthy herd that could turn out to be a disaster.  We have never bought any sheep from an auction or on Craig's list...stick to a breeder that you know something about and take a good look at that breeder's flock first.  Could save a lot of grief and high vet bills.  Get to know your local breeders.


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## CochinBrahmaLover=) (Jun 20, 2012)

bonbean01 said:
			
		

> Cornish is so right...a great deal may turn out to be bringing something to your healthy herd that could turn out to be a disaster.  We have never bought any sheep from an auction or on Craig's list...stick to a breeder that you know something about and take a good look at that breeder's flock first.  Could save a lot of grief and high vet bills.  Get to know your local breeders.


I have to admit we bought our first 2 goats off of CL, but in all fairness both of the owners are vets (tho the dont vaccinate :?  ) and they come from the same house so they bring their own diseases with themselves, LOL


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## bonbean01 (Jun 20, 2012)

Yes, sometimes you get lucky.  We listed a ram on CL and he sold super quickly, withing the hour...we were selling him because he was dangerous and put that on the ad too...he was healthy, a proven good ram...just dangerous.  Fellow who bought him didn't care he was dangerous, just needed his ewes bred right away.  When he arrived we again stressed why we were selling him.  Had the ram not sold, he would have become hamburger.

So, sometimes you can get a deal on CL...just have to be cautious.  Hope our evil ram gave him nice lambs and then he got rid of him before anyone got hurt.  We sold him pretty cheaply.  We were completely honest about why we were selling a ram that produced beautiful, healthy rams but I'm not sure everyone is honest on there.


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## CochinBrahmaLover=) (Jun 20, 2012)

Yeah, you can get good deals, and get bad onbes. Our chicken stock came from a hactery and a guy with too many roosters, too many CHICKENS, and not enough heat. The only rooster we kept was the only one without frostbite on his comb and wattles, but he had parts of his toes missing due to frost bite. Hes a good rooster, doesnt attack but he dont like to e held. 

Glad you sold your ram fast, and stressed he was dangerous. That guy must have been desperate to get a ram!! 

Breeders are so much better. Better quality, healthier, and overall happier animals of nay sort.


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## kfacres (Jun 21, 2012)

imo looking back- the 3 and 4 and sometimes 500 dollar sheep, were a waste of money.a nd I wish I would have never bought them.  not saying I didn't get any steals and good buys-- but I sure wasted several thousand dollars on crappers b/c at the time I thought they were a good idea and a good price that you couldn't go wrong with.


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