Likely to be overstocked?

Hi all at LSB,

First timer here today and wondering how everybody is getting on getting rid of stock with winter coming. I still have most my lambs as got caught out with the arrival of the virus. I am concerned that I will need to take them through winter which is also a concern as I do not have enough hay to feed them and know they don't normally fair well on hay. Have tried both nuts and barley with limited success in getting the little loves to eat them, where their mothers climb into the bucket if you let them.
Any advice would be appreciated.

About us we are just north of Dunedin on pretty rough land lots of rocks and gorse, 12 hens, 40 ewes, currently 50 lambs. Great views.

Cheers,
Bob.

Get in touch with any or all of your local stock agents and find out if the works are open yet. Sale yards are still closed. Then, if no joy there, try trademe. Livestock sales can still go ahead (as essential industry) as long as some rules are abided by. Purchasers have to pay on line, and there is not allowed to be any close contact with truckee or purchaser. Look up their rules to clarify in case I read this differently.

I feel we are overstocked on weaners but waiting for a month to see the grass grow from this rain and warmth. Stock should start moving along (we hope) in the next couple of weeks, which should take the pressure off the works etc.

Can you get an agent out to assess in the meanwhile if they are ready for the prime market or store? Also if ready for the prime, do they need shearing first? I only mention this as the last time I sent prime in, we lost value because the agent said they needed to be shorn and the works fellas not keen on woolly ones... I didn't think they were all that bad at all.

Thanks for your replies, both.

Contacted local agents but both are busy trying to sort stock from large farms straight to works and limit travel.
Freezing Works down here are operating on approx 50% production so has the potential to cause significant snarl up in a month or so as grass growth slows in the south.

Will try a few contacts to sell direct but most are in a similar situation. Does anyone have any advice on feeding lambs supplements and how to get them started? As mentioned first option is to try and get a few away but also should plan for maintaining more numbers than usual.

We run a number of R2's (cows) down the back with sheep. Have noticed an increase of those (sheep) chasing us as we feed silage out each day to the cows. So they are certainly eating that...

Hi Bob, i would try and purchase a seales winslow molasses block for sheep, and put that in the paddock, a few meters from the trough, put a bit of the barley on that daily & see how they go. We have 8 ewes & get 16-20 lambs yearly & raise about the same amount of orphans from a neighbour. I sell them all privately or trade with a neighbour for hay/ baleage/ wheat/ barley etc. I would find your local facebook lifestyle farming page & put up a brief comment about 'have X amount of prime woolly lawn mowers available, please private message for more info'. Fb don't like 'selling' posts, but there are ways around it. I tend to price them a bit over what id like, then say that anyone who purchases 6 or more (for example) will get a better deal. The other option, is let any friends know that you have some to offload & ask them to call anyone they may know who could take them. Some people will travel a fair distance for a certain breed/ amount of animals/ price will come into it of course. Could you give us a bit more info about their breed/ weights/ when lambing was? Im in South Canterbury & know people in Oamaru/ Palmerston who could ask around.

Hey Violet farmer
Cheers for the advice. The grain on the salt lick seems to be working already... and I had a previous buyer ring and was looking for some stock out of the blue.

Hopefully will sell about half what I have and happy to keep the rest through the winter.

My lot are a bit of a blend of Suffolk / Texel and Romney. With working a couple of jobs often taking what is available. Shore them all ,drenched and gave B12 on last Saturday and are looking better for it today. Mind you they didn't thank me for it on Tuesday when it was about 4 degrees and hailing. Sometimes gorse can be your friend.

Anyway thanks again and hopefully crisis averted for this year.