# critique this lamb



## emeraldmistfarm (Jun 10, 2012)

Can somebody please critique this lamb for me. i'd like to know if she has good conformation. All opinions appreciated. Click on the links to view the photos.
Thanks
Lauren

http://postimage.org/image/f5664sonp/

http://postimage.org/image/485az9l9z/

http://postimage.org/image/invy6ely5/

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## feed grass (Jun 10, 2012)

what breed is she supposed to be?  looks texel-ish to me, but a half breed.  

Most typically, bottle lambs are hard to evaluate.


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## emeraldmistfarm (Jun 11, 2012)

Thanks for your comment. We dont know what breed she is which is quite a problem, all in all should we show her?


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## SheepGirl (Jun 11, 2012)

The pictures aren't very good. Can you get down on her level and take a picture so we can see her straight on, rather than from the top? And then for the back view, make sure we can see her legs--with the picture you provided it's impossible to see her leg and foot structure. A front picture would be nice, too 

Are you showing her as a breeding ewe or a market lamb?


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## feed grass (Jun 11, 2012)

if she's a bottle lamb- and you intend to be competitive and win at whatever show you go to-- then I don't suggest showing her-- irregardless of her body style...

If you don't care about winning, and just want to have fun-- then her body conformation is irrelevant, and you're going to show the lamb anyways-- irregardless of what the people of this board tell you.


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## BrownSheep (Jun 11, 2012)

I think it depends on what's being shown in your area. Most areas focus on the club lamb look. Which I wouldn't say your lamb has. SheepGirl was right to say your photos make her a little hard to judge. The angle  of the photos is really the issue. From what I could make out she looked like a nice stout lamb. I very rarely show the club lambs and have shown lambs like yours in the past. If your not aiming for grand champion you'll do fine.


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## emeraldmistfarm (Jun 12, 2012)

well a show is coming up in a few weeks and theres a section for best ewe lamb other than suffolk cross. we might enter that. We'll try and get more pics of her over the days. Our area doesnt have the club lamb look. We dont intend to win,win,win just to do well such as 6th place and up. She is really friendly and we are currently training her to go on the lead at the moment.


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## Godsgrl (Jun 12, 2012)

feed grass said:
			
		

> *if she's a bottle lamb- and you intend to be competitive and win at whatever show you go to-- then I don't suggest showing her*-- irregardless of her body style...
> 
> If you don't care about winning, and just want to have fun-- then her body conformation is irrelevant, and you're going to show the lamb anyways-- irregardless of what the people of this board tell you.


Can you expand on this a bit more? Why would you not want to show a bottle baby? Not trying to be defensive, I'm just naive, and want to learn. Thank you!!


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## feed grass (Jun 13, 2012)

Godsgrl said:
			
		

> feed grass said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Most typically, when I go to enter the showring-- i try to win... 

It had better be an extraordinary super good growing lamb, or very late in the year so they young and bottle lambs have caught up.   I've shown alot of sheep in my times, and the only bottle lamb I can think of showing at this point in time was a March ewe lamb we showed at Louisville the very first year we went-- and she cracked the top 10...

But then again- I strive for something a little higher than a county fair-- course when I did that circuit-- the bottle lambs stayed home anyways...


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## emeraldmistfarm (Jun 13, 2012)

We plan to show her when she's fully grown


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## feed grass (Jun 13, 2012)

emeraldmistfarm said:
			
		

> We plan to show her when she's fully grown


almost zero shows in the US have classes for sheep over 2 years old.  You'll find some 4H shows here and there that do.  On the same note- very few shows that are state funded- have classes for crossbred sheep-- most 4H shows do.  

When that sheep is fully grown- it won't matter if she's a bottle lamb-- remember, you said *fully grown*.  In the meantime, she'll be the runt of the class, and I've yet to see a sheep show where big, _truly _didn't matter.

When you ask for opinions- and then argue with each person's-- it doesn't leave a very good tone with them...  

This will be the last post I make regarding you.


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## BrownSheep (Jun 13, 2012)

I think you'll be fine!  Go for it !


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## HankTheTank (Jun 13, 2012)

I would enter, even if it's just for fun...it's fun even if you don't win, and it'll give you good experience. I don't know beans about sheep, but she's very cute!


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## RemudaOne (Jun 13, 2012)

As has been stated in other threads, we're all different people with different goals and interests.  I think what you're doing is a great way to get your feet wet and find out what's what in the sheep showing world.  Best of luck with it, I say GO for it as well .  Hope you'll keep us posted on yours and your ewes progress.


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## Godsgrl (Jun 13, 2012)

thank you Feed Grass for explaining about showing a bottle baby.


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## emeraldmistfarm (Jun 14, 2012)

Thanks everyone we'll go for it!!! There's alot of over 2yrs of age classes here.
Ummm @feed grass when did I argue?


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## feed grass (Jun 14, 2012)

emeraldmistfarm said:
			
		

> Thanks everyone we'll go for it!!! There's alot of over 2yrs of age classes here.
> Ummm @feed grass when did I argue?


B/c every time I told you it would be a bad idea- if you planned on winning-- you said came up with some excuse to show it anyways.  Sounds to me like you had intended on showing it the entire time- regardless of what was stated as a response to your question...

Which is fine-- I've shown plenty of sheep in my days that I knew were never going to win their class- and hold it against nobody.


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