The Wiltipoll is a prime lamb wool-shedding breed developed in Australia. They are a polled breed (no horns) bred for the production of prime lamb. Every birth is accounted for and recorded, so if a lamb goes missing it is searched for and usually found unless a fox has taken it. Both parents are full shedding and nice natured. Sheep Stories. We will mark these lambs in a few weeks, but for now, we were happy to let them be (and give their mum’s a treat of some oats). One fellow here is a first cross lamb from last spring. In our Wiltipoll flock based on Gee Tee bloodlines 99% of ewes score a 1 or 2. A bag of lamb milk replacer; once opened, keep it in sealed gallon jars. However, understanding the lambing process can help you understand when a ewe is ready to give birth and when it may be necessary to lend a helping hand. It sheds its fleece annually, between Spring and Summer (ie generally after lambing), and its fleece is of no commercial value. Wiltipoll male sheep August 2019 drop Prime condition Pickup Castlereagh, 1267367582 November 15, 2013 the sheep farmer Permalink. In other words the lambs with tail left on were not under the same level of discomfort as those tailed and castrated. This can be rectified under supervision in the shed providing it is recognised in the first 24 hours. A Spring Creek Sire has produced the top price ram at Mid North Wiltipoll Sale for the last 2 years. Adoption 12th October All sheep will be registered: Ewes $500 Female Sheep, can be used for breeding. Purebred Ewes - no ewes or ewe lambs are available as we are building up numbers following a heavy selling season last year. At elmorespark we breed wiltipoll sheep for the hobby farmer to buy. M. EST 2012. Figure 3: Lamb survival percentage increases as birth weight increases. High fertility and ease of lambing . Thank you. For example, a ewe may reject one of her twins. While our observations are anecdotal, some New Zealand data suggests the discomfort may be significantly reduced by not docking tails. Figure 6: Castrating male lambs with a ring but not tailing them seems to significantly reduce the pain/discomfort incurred as indicated by lower plasma cortisol concentration (right). It’s one of the reasons why we usually wean lambs at 12 to 14 weeks of age. ... a 'prime lamb' breed of sheep which is an australian invention, ... with our small numbers of ewes lambing, we actively work towards avoiding any losses due to predation or weather extremes. Humphrey the lamb. Reproduction 1st and 2nd cross ewes make excellent prime lamb mothers producing plenty of milk with high lambing percentages. They have been farmers their whole working life and have experienced the droughts and flooding rains! Castration is necessary for two reasons: if ram lambs are not castrated they may mate with their siblings once they reach puberty at 40 – 45 kg live weight. Every summer some thunderstorms occur which ensures the year round green perennials are growing green feed. Kersbrook South Australia, SA 04 08822952 wiltipoll.id.au Wiltipoll, the easy care wool shedding sheep Ready to start lambing in 2 months If you wish to purchases these Ewes you must … The breed. Mothering instinct is very strong. And is careful her maiden ewes are kept on a strict feed intake so lambs do not get too big before birth. As well, in our flock management, the shorter the lambing period the better as we drift lamb, that is, as ewes lamb they are shifted out of the lambing paddock into a separate “lambed ewe” flock within about 18 hours of birth. landcare. Suited to wet and dry conditions . We score MBS 1 to 5, with 5 being a ewe which runs away from her lambs when they are approached by the shepherd to be checked for wellbeing and moved into the next paddock. Normally priced from $880 to $990. It showed that the lamb castrated with a ring but not tailed had a peak plasma cortisol concentration less than half that of lambs that were tailed and castrated at the same time. Rams were then given oaten hay and some lupin and barley supplement. This coincides with our visual observations of male lambs behaviour at marking since we stopped the procedure in 2016. The shorter the lambing period, the narrower is the range of weaning and lamb selling weights; this is a help when marketing lambs. We provide the entire flock with sufficient high quality pasture during the last six weeks of pregnancy to ensure optimum lamb birth weights and ewe vitality. Home » Blog » Posts Written by: the sheep farmer. Is it safe for mums to be joined again this year 2018? (Below) Some of our purebred ewes. Puberty is more weight related than age related. Exceptionally high lambing percentages are consistently achieved even during drought. The Wiltshire Poll (Wiltipoll) is a little out of the ordinary. That means fewer ewes to manage and feed with more prime lamb to sell. If we don't have available the category you're looking for, we may be able to source them for you. inclusive. Reproduction 1st and 2nd cross ewes make excellent prime lamb mothers producing plenty of milk with high lambing percentages. It enables the mums to look after themselves and regain weight without their lamb(s) constantly trying to suckle. They don’t require crutching or shearing and usually don’t suffer from fly strike which makes them a useful breed for small holdings without shearing sheds. Ram lambs are now 6 months old and will be available later in the year. The breed is big framed, strong, hardy and resilient. When sold for meat they are best sold over the hooks as the quality of the meat is lean and they dress out well. He had been raised as a poddy by the boys, but we had always told them that his job (every animal has a job on a farm) was to feed us, and he was now ready. ... “They have a lambing percentage of … I raise Wiltipoll sheep, a wool shedding breed of easy care sheep. Your email address will not be published. Ram lambs are now 6 months old and will be available later in the year. The Wiltipoll sheep breed suited our needs as we don’t have a stand ( for shearing) or shearing shed and it is a genuine self shedding breed, perfect for the farmer with limited acreage or the beginner hobby farmer. We decided leaving them on is simply recognising that tails are a natural appendage and means eliminating one painful stock husbandry procedure that is no longer required. Wiltipoll ewe joining and lambing management on Moffitts Farm. This ram has dark skin and hardy, dark feet. Mellor a & K.J. We cannot overemphasize the importance of a sheep gestation table especially to a serious sheep farmer, breeder or keeper. With a sheep gestation table or chart, sheep breeders would find it very easy to determine when their pregnant ewes would likely give birth to their lambs. Eureka Wiltipoll ewes can be lambed, grow out their lambs to a lean prime lamb carcass of 25-28kg within a time frame of 5 months (on pasture only), shed their fleece (no need for you to shear or crutch before lambing) and the lambs don't need any treatments other than vaccinaton and drenching. Wether lambs are often available for those purchasers wishing to have some low maintenance "lawn-mowers" on their property, as pets or to grow out for your own ready supply of meat. Ewes will not be transported during their last few weeks of pregnancy. Thanks for the question. As we improve our small flock of polled Wiltshire (sometimes called Wiltipoll), we seek to build a hearty, healthy flock of fully shedding, hornless sheep that lamb on pasture in our part of Minnesota. 1st cross ewes will breed all year round. The only negative we know for tails is discrimination in sale yards. Drift lambing also keeps us informed about fox predation. This breed of easy care sheep are wool-shedding sheep perfect for any farm. Note the MLA pasture ruler is two rulers taped together, a single ruler is not long enough. The ewes have a strong mothering instinct and are protective over their lambs. Events. LINKS. At around 40kg live weight ewe lambs reach puberty and begin their oestrus cycles. We don’t want our ewe meat lambs to become pregnant. ... September. Wiltipoll Sheep Barley Grass and other Pasture management. Wiltipoll Ram Lamb. At elmorespark we breed wiltipoll sheep for the hobby farmer to buy. Ewes deficient in selenium can be given a shot two weeks prior to lambing, while animals low in iodine can also benefit from a supplement. Also they are identified as twins or singles. The 2000 New Zealand Veterinary Journal article (48:2, 33 – 43), “Acute castration and/or tailing distress and its alleviation in lambs” by D.J. “The Dorpers do really well on it and compared to the Wiltipoll I started with am getting much better and more consistent lambs.” She has also had the vet out to one ewe and got some good hands-on advice and now manages lambing herself. WiltiPoll shedding can vary - they need a lot of culling in the breeding process to get rid of the wool gene which came with the poll gene. Purebred Rams : adult rams have now all been sold. After two years we found there was no problem with tails from a management point. Home. In 2014 we started a trial to find out if leaving tails on lambs would create any management problems. Kars Pastoral Company's flock of 300 registered Wiltpoll ewes are run on 320 acres at Martindale Strathalbyn, Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia. Shedding sheep: Marty Beckett checking his Wiltipoll ewes on the point of lambing, which are protected by the Alpaca. Vaccinated, tagged and drenched. These include: Since 2016 the ram effect has continued to ensure a tight lambing with an average over the years of 95% lambs born in the first three weeks of the five week lambing period. Due to this process, the energy of the sheep is directed into meat and milk, not wool. By employing year round green perennial grasses in our pastures, we use rotational grazing to help ensure ewes are on a rising plane of nutrition prior to and during joining. The Wiltshire Horn is one of the world’s oldest surviving sheep breeds. Sheep Gestation Table / Chart. Your email address will not be published. 25-30 Registered 1 1/2 Year Old Ewes. 30 Registered Older Ewes Mainly 4 Years Old. Lambing and weaning. Ewes lamb easily with a high percentage of multiple births. Ideal for organic lamb production We will have small numbers of pure Wiltipoll lambs available soon. WELCOME TO HOWES CREEK HILLS. The wool is simply shed and falls to the ground. “The Dorpers do really well on it and compared to the Wiltipoll I started with am getting much better and more consistent lambs.” She has also had the vet out to one ewe and got some good hands-on advice and now manages lambing herself. This scoring system was devised in New Zealand and is a means to select ewes with the strongest mothering instinct. About the Wiltipoll: Full wool-shedding . The Horn Wiltshire was crossbred with the Poll Dorset in Australia last century by Annie Hughes to produce the Poll Wiltshire (or Wiltipoll) and commercialised in New Zealand by Tim Gow. The sheep are vaccinated annually. We aim to sell ewe lambs for meat processing at around 45 – 50 kg so mating is potentially possible before they reach this live weight if male lambs were kept entire. Wiltipoll sheep may weigh up to 125 kg (276 lb) under reasonable conditions. The Wiltipoll sheep has been produced by crossing the Wiltshire Horn with a polled breed such as the Merino or Border Leicester and backcrossing the progeny with the Wiltshire Horn successively a further four times, whilst selecting for polledness and wool-shedding. Wiltshire Horns, obviously, have horns. ELMORES PARK WILTIPOLLS we breed self shedding sheep in Korumburra, South Gippsland , Victoria. Hamilton has a high number of days per month with bad wind chill and the worst months are July and August, Figure 1. Ram lambs are now 6 months old and will be available later in the year. A couple of bay leaves lain on top before you seal will help prevent weevils. Wiltipoll sheep don't need a lot of chemicals or a lot of intervention, but having the following few items on hand when lambing is a good idea. Tails on other breeds are only removed because of management issues mainly associated with shearing and crutching but also with internal parasites which may cause animals to scour and accumulate dags. Development was started with Wiltshire Horned ewes and expanded with Border Leicester, Perendale, Poll Dorset, and Poll Merino genetics. Putting a ram into a flock of ewes with lambs at foot can be risky if the ewe lambs for most breeds reach about 40kg live weight or more. It's run more like a hobby farm where sheep have an easy life and a wide range of healthy foods to eat. The Wiltshire Horn is one of the world’s oldest surviving sheep breeds. Hello.I was wondering if you had any Wiltipoll Ewes for sale and prices.Cheers Lorna Murphy, Hello Lorna, All lambs were bred at Marrabel, SA and predominantly lamb in August to September with weaning in early December. 36. Our sheep are easily handled and fed a combination of natural pastures and fodder to ensure excellent growth, fertility and lambing. Ram $450 Entire Male (Stud for breeding) About Wiltipoll Sheep . #sanctuarylife #viclambrescue These commercial (not stud registered) ewe lambs are priced at $200 plus GST and have growth rate data and pedigree available. I knew our girls were close to lambing, but it must be a cruel twist of nature to lamb in the worst possible weather.