A NEW DIRECTION FOR THE OLD RAM

[Bruce]

I M O ,the key is knowing your C.O.P. and using the season to dictate where you best return will be......T.O.R.

Yep, can't make money if you don't even know what it costs to get the product to market. You clearly have thought this through.

 

[mystang89]

we just turned the sheep out and never cranked up the mower.

How in this world did you keep them from eating the landscaping you actually wanted to keep!? We had a couple times when the sheep made it to the front yard and it's those times you saw me running out like a crazy man, eyes bulging, arms flailing. Lol

 

[Baymule]

How in this world did you keep them from eating the landscaping you actually wanted to keep!? We had a couple times when the sheep made it to the front yard and it's those times you saw me running out like a crazy man, eyes bulging, arms flailing. Lol

I guess you think I actually have landscaping. We have a few fruit trees, they had wire cages around them until they got big enough that the sheep couldn't eat the tops out of them. We don't even have lawn grass. Anything the sheep can find to eat, it's fair game. All we have done since we moved here, is build barns, fence, cross fence, clear land and try to get pasture grass growing. Notice I said pasture and not lawn? I have a big pile of rocks that will someday be used to make flowerbeds. So landscaping is on my radar, but it's pretty far out, almost off the screen.

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

Have to agree with you Bay.The area around our house is a Native meadow and in the tough feed time at the minute we have 2 groups of sheep consuming it.The trees and schrubs are ibn the main taller than the sheep can reach (even the Damara x's )which can balance on their hind legs just like a goat to reach as high as they can.The way things are at the minute we may not even have to mow the one time we usually do this year...T.O.R.

 

[Baymule]

Today the ewes and new lambs spent the day in the yard. it's probably about an acre. They chowed down on the acorns, I could hear them crunching. They found crabgrass that the recent rains revived and ate that. I don't know what all they found to eat, but they were busy at it all day, had bulging bellies when I called them to the barn.

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G'day folks,life has got very busy on the farm in recent weeks.This week another of our dams went "dry" and we are now carrying about 200 gals of water in drums for several of the groups .In spite of the ever growing dry the lambs from this years mating continue to do well although there is quite some difference in the way they are growing,but it means that we will have a very nice line of ewe lambs to take forward to join this time next year.The decision to direct different colors showing sire and dam on the ewe lambs has proven to be a "great one"and will make life a lot easier later on i am sure.

The outlook for summer rain is not "great" according to the BOM but as long as our remaining dams hold up we should be OK as the new breeds seem to be capable of holding on with the "dry feed" we have at present and still rear a lamb (or in some cases twins).The plan going forward is if we do not get rain in the run-up to Ramadan we will "lot feed" the boys for 60 days on a mix of Lupins, Rolled Barley and Alfalfa chaff at a cost of about $800.00,but the price premium should cover it OK .

A couple of pic's.1. Edgar who went to the Suffolk's is going to the Elites next joining,as you can see in spite of the "dry feed" he is holding his condition OK...2.The Elite group with their lambs at the minute.It's worth noting the difference in 2 weeks of "hot ,dry winds"......T.O.R.

 

[Baymule]

As we go into fall and winter, you go into summer. We get rains and the northern areas get snow, although we here in northeast Texas are still dry.

You are breeding a composite sheep that is suited to your seasons, weather, wet or dry. I am watching with great interest!

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G'day folks, here is an interesting comparison,2009 and today.So what changed in the last 10 years?

The management of the whole farm was turned upside down.The number of paddocks was increased by about 30%,each paddock has a "grazing budget" of around 200 days depending on the season we are faced with.There is in fact not one paddock which has less than over 95% ground cover,so when it does eventually rain our paddocks will "burst" into life as soon as it stops.This has been the key to "saving" our farm from the ravages of drought.....T.O.R.

 

[Bruce]

What changed? Well for one thing it looks like you grew a lot of rocks
I hope you get more rain than they are forecasting!

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

HaHaHa Bruce,the now photo was taken from a different angle,here is the NOW photo from the same point...T.O.R