const pair = param.split('='); userWall = 'googlewall'; }); const socialNetwork = socialEmbed.dataset.socialNetwork; } else if (Object.keys(p.badge || {}).indexOf('epaper-access') > -1) { If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Helen - (used to be just Shep). Main characteristics of these animals are double-muscled hindquarters, coupled with fine bones which ensures maximum killing-out percentage of the finished lamb. They are run in groups of about 200 ewes. var collection = '#vbmztjik-oqzyzau9-bciaxrrz'; window.showSubscriberElements = true; subscriptionStatus: purchase.granted_by_app_purchase.sku_code, return key.split('granted_by_')[1]; } if (!isShopFront) { But it is also used as terminal sire in Europe. We stop selling when rates start to fall. The big advantage of these Beltex lambs is that we can keep them until Christmas and then sell them again without having to worry about them being too fat.. We maintain a broad and deep inventory in our warehouses, ready to satisfy customer needs on an immediate basis. }; Cross-sections from 1/16" to 3/8", also most metric sizes (2mm to 6mm) and standard O-ring sizes return text.trim(); } The price of store cattle at the money at the moment makes no sense, compared to what beef is making," he says. const subscriberCookieStatus = getCookie(subscriberCookieName) || '{}'; window.dataLayer.push({ e.preventDefault(); } The Charollais lambed from January 3 and are finished now. } Same as all breeds theres good and bad types!! const selectedTabId = selectTab[flipPayConfig.filter_prices_by_badge]; "With the pedigree Beltex you'd like to see some singles as well. Beltex Sheep Society. \u0026amp;quot;The Rouge last August won the pedigree Rouge ewe lamb All Ireland at Tullamore Show. They are delighted with Beltex for ease of lambing and top grading ', The breed is suitable for producing large quantities of meat due to its massive volumes of muscle and small skeleton. if (eventType === 'purchased') { return 'premium-plus'; } vars.user.subscriptionStartDate = subscriberCookie.subscriptionStartDate || ''; event: '_trackEvent', eventLabel: 'load' Lambing inside is a good system and means the weather isnt an issue, but youve got to be tip-top on health. const badgeToFilterBy = badgeMap[tab.id]; window.dataLayer[0].article.userWall = userWall; 'none' : 'registration'; } } if (purchase.badge['print_monthly'] && purchase.badge['print_monthly'] == true) { : getPricesByBadge(); window.shopFrontHeaderSubscribe = false; That\u0026#039;s four months of lambing. const isShopFront = false; return { } Good topline and good back, but he needs power.\u0026amp;quot; This year, Hugh already has 40 pedigree Beltex lambs on the ground and a few more Rouge and Beltex due in February. gigyaID: getCookie('guid'), allow_upgrades: false, Any smaller and well-shaped lambs are kept on the farm through until January and are finished with the addition of Harbro pellets. fontSmoothing: 'antialiased', She has show sheep and won the young handler class in Trim last September. }); template_placeholder_selected: '
", } name: price.name, As long we have the market out there for sheep.". purchase.original_start_at = purchase.start_at; monthly: tabPrefix + '-monthly-prices-tab-trigger', if (badges.indexOf('full-width') > -1) { if (mutation.addedNodes.length) { fpblock.style.display = 'block'; const showUpgradeButton = false; if (returnURL) { if (Object.keys(event.detail.object.badge || {}).indexOf('premium-plus') > -1 && ! We spend in total about 2,000 on fodder beet, he says. if (subscribeButton) { const domain = '.independent.ie'; fireAddToCartEvent(); Derryouge pedigree flock of their own. template_summary_card: "", performance which is ideal for his farming policy. }()). virtualPageViewData.eventData.user.wallType = 'none'; "Last year our top price for the Beltex lambs was 120, or 3 per kg, however, this year, we sold our first batch of lambs straight off their mothers at 12-weeks-old through United Auctions and they averaged . el.classList.add('-full'); There is no reason to keep them to heavier weights when you can get this price at this age," he says. if(priceholder.dataset.contract_periods !== null && priceholder.dataset.contract_periods !== '' && priceholder.dataset.contract_periods == 12) { const addShopFrontClasses = function (el) { if (badges.indexOf('featured') > -1) { "Last year we sold our first Beltex-sired lambs at Kirkby Stephen at nine weeks old. } if (selectedPrice.delivery_days.length === 1 && selectedPrice.delivery_days.indexOf(6) > -1) { premium_content_redirect_url = decodeURIComponent(returnURL); 3/4/ Beltex Ewe Lambs. }); adElem.style.width = (rect.width) + 'px'; var adElemSticky = document.getElementById('vi-sticky-ad'); Beltex lambs were almost spat out by hogs. return; return 'hd_flow'; "When prices start to ease we stop selling. And I know loads of flocks lambing texels out side but no one with charollais as the lambs aren't tough enough , you can easily find texels without block heads and big shoulders , more and more grass fed outdoor lambing pure flocks of texels are appearing. "For anyone thinking about getting into Beltex sheep, I will have some of the best progeny I ever bred for sale. Heavenly Hemp Dog Treats: 7 Ways to Spoil Your Furry Friend, Everything You Should Know About Farm Dog, Can Goats Eat Chocolate? flipPayConfig = Object.assign(flipPayConfig, { } productClickSource = null; addToCartFiredAfterRegistration = true; window.onscroll = function () { ? const fireCheckoutEvent = function () { } return; Approximately 90pc of the ewes are in straw-bedded sheds for lambing and even with good weather this year, Hugh is keeping the pedigree sheep in as long as possible. window.scrollTo(0, flipPayEl.offsetTop - 30); We can also keep hoggs fitter through the winter by tupping them with a Beltex lamb than we do with any other breed. return price; I don't think they can be bettered overall as a choice for ewe lambs. element.classList.add('fp-prevent-html-replace'); kg deadweight He has proven that year after year the Beltex will } else if (purchase.badge['premium-plus'] && purchase.badge['premium-plus'] == true) { This year is my first year of putting a full Texel ram over my ewes there all crossbred Welsh X cheviot X an Suffolk X There coming upto the last 4 weeks now and so far they have had no concentrates at all been on good winter grazing with as much hay as they wanted also had some fodder beat as I get it delivered by the tonne for the pigs. if (event.detail.object.google_showcase_requested === true) { // otherwise get it from the url or the previouslySelectedPriceId selectedPriceRadioInput.style.display = 'none'; return; selectedPrice.placeholder_prices var adElemSticky = document.getElementById('vi-sticky-ad'); ? subscriptionFinishDate: cookieData.subscriptionFinishDate, }; let member_redirect = getQueryStringValue('source') === 'mc' ? coupon_applied: price.coupon_applied, }; Increased Demand for Beltex Rams continues at Carlisle : County Down Fisherman choses Beltex for Easy Lambing 07/04/05 Co Down fisherman Edward Nicholson and his wife Shirley chose Beltex as their preferred terminal sire in 2000 and would not consider any other ram now. const latestFlipPayLoadTime = parseInt(localStorage.getItem('subscriptionwall.latest-load') || '0'); } virtualPageViewData.eventData.article.wallVisible = 'false'; if (eventType === 'new_card' && isUpgrades) { Rams are valued for their ability to breed with ewes and produce meat lambs. In the late 19th century, this breed brought a revolution in the British sheep farming industry due to its large meat output. return; false : true; return; addShopFrontClasses(plan); selectedPrice = getBundleById(subscribeLink.dataset['price_id']); if (priceIdFromUrl) { "We do not have any lambing problems. Are you working towards net zero emissions by 2040. }); if (event.detail.object.hasOwnProperty('granted_by_google_showcase')) { if (activeTabId === 'shop-front-annual-prices-tab-trigger') { They produce tight and dense wool having white to creamy color and act as a protective coat for lambs. if (badges.indexOf('home-delivery') > -1) { The flock scanned at 194%. return; if ((isShopFront || isUpgrades || isCoupons) && !disableRedirect) { }; let previouslySelectedPriceId = getPriceSelected(localStorage.getItem('price.selected')) || getQueryStringValue('priceId'); brand: 'INM', var text = document.createTextNode(labelText); I don't count my steps per day but you'd be walking kilometres taking water and checking in on the ewes and lambs.". }); Part of the flock is bred pure and the rest of the ewes are run with Beltex tups. }, } You have done the right thing not to feed concentrates but i would introduce some in the last couple of weeks to encourage the milk to come in. if (accessObject.hasOwnProperty('granted_by_google_showcase')) { subscriptionFinishDate: '0000-00-00T00:00:00Z', } }; subscriptionStartDate: purchase.granted_by_purchase.original_start_at, } } window.dataLayer[0].user.subscriptionStatus = 'gs_false'; The prominent muscling is not visible at birth, but it begins to grow soon after. value: priceID, document.getElementById('welcome_popup_wrapper').style.display = "block"; I find farmers who use a Beltex ram once will return\u0026#039;","inLanguage":"en","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Farming Independent","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://m.independent.ie/theme/_base/"},"@id":"independent.ie"},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://www.independent.ie/business/farming/3bd96/38943274.ece/AUTOCROP/w1240h700/2020-02-11_bus_56894919_I2.JPG","height":"700","width":"1240"},"mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.independent.ie/"},"dateCreated":"2020-02-10T17:09:01.000Z","dateModified":"2020-02-14T06:53:17.000Z","datePublished":"2020-02-14T06:00:00Z","keywords":"","thumbnailUrl":"https://www.independent.ie/business/farming/3bd96/38943274.ece/AUTOCROP/w1240h700/2020-02-11_bus_56894919_I2.JPG","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"My Week Margaret Donnelly talks to Hugh O'Connell"},"description":"Hugh O\u0026#039;Connell left school at a young age to go farming at home with his father and uncle near Ballivor, Co Meath. } if (typeof prices[key]['active_to'] != "undefined") { } const pathParts = new URL(url).pathname.split('/'); }; You can put a lot of effort into getting everything lambed and going well and then run straight into problems and losses if the weather turns bad.. We provide help, support and advice for smallholders and aspiring smallholders. Hes on hand for the April lambing, but its as low input in labour as it is in feed. } and is no stranger to harsh conditions and stringent regulatory } const tweetId = parseTweetIdFromUrl(tweetUrl); if (addToCartFiredAfterRegistration === false) { evt.which : evt.keyCode; I don\u0026#039;t count my steps per day but you\u0026#039;d be walking kilometres taking water and checking in on the ewes and lambs.\u0026amp;quot; Approximately 90pc of the ewes are in straw-bedded sheds for lambing and even with good weather this year, Hugh is keeping the pedigree sheep in as long as possible. At lambing time ewes are allowed to lamb in their groups in straw pens, but ewes and lambs are then moved to individual pens where they stay for 48 hours. }, 1000); add: { code: "", Ewes and lambs are kept in pens for 48 hours and then turned into small groups of about five ewes before being doubled up to give about 12 to 15 ewes with lambs in each pen. eventTimeout: 2000, fireProductClickEvent(null); A proportion of the Beltex-sired lambs from the main March-lambing flock will start to be sold at the lightweight export sales from mid-June weighing up to 35kg. That was our first year entering that. Today, he keeps 60 pedigree ewes - a mixture of Charollais, Beltex and Rouge - as well as 230 commercial ewes. }; window.dataLayer.push(ecommerceTransactionEvent); The Beltex sheep are medium to large sized animals. const badges = getBadgesForEl(el); if (['fp-card-number', 'fp-card-expiry', 'fp-card-cvc'].indexOf(element.id) === -1) { Today the breed is raised mainly for meat production. }; window.gigya.accounts.getAccountInfo({ if (eventType === 'new_card_created' && isUpgrades) { let returnURL = getQueryStringValue('returnURL'); }), const showPremiumBadge = function (el) { badgeMap[tabPrefix + '-monthly-prices-tab-trigger'] = 'monthly'; "I had been using pedigree Beltex on my commercial ewes for 15 years and five years ago I decided to start breeding a few of them, bought a few pedigree Beltex and now I've 30 pedigree ewes," he says. We tup 220-250 commercial ewes each year, using Texel, Dutch Texel and Beltex tups. if (!productImpressionRecorded[flipPayConfig.filter_prices_by_badge] && !previouslySelectedPriceId) { } userID: purchase.granted_by_whitelist_rule.user_id, const setDataLayerMeterStats = function (accessObject) { const hash = getUrlHash(); const urlParams = new URLSearchParams(urlQueryString); }); any other ram now. return; }, } return; bundle: bundleValue, } if (Object.keys(event.detail.object.badge || {}).indexOf('premium') > -1 && ! const now = new Date(); // Flatten the array by 1 level. for (const key in prices) { virtualPageViewData.eventData.article.wallVisible = 'true'; premium_content_redirect_url = 'https://member.independent.ie/'; if (window.innerWidth > 900) { }); window.showNonSubscriberElements(); Read some more information about this Belgian sheep breed below. if (! And even then ewes are only being fed for four weeks. subscribeButton.classList.remove('-ghost'); meteredAccess: purchase.metered_paywall, } google_ad_height = 600; let badgeToFilterBy = 'article'; adElemSticky.innerHTML = ''; return 'home-delivery'; eventCallback: function () { \u0026amp;quot;I had been using pedigree Beltex on my commercial ewes for 15 years and five years ago I decided to start breeding a few of them, bought a few pedigree Beltex and now I\u0026#039;ve 30 pedigree ewes,\u0026amp;quot; he says.\u0026amp;quot;We sell rams off the farm to local farmers and local sales and we do a lot of showing at summer shows with the Beltex and Rouge.\u0026amp;quot;I like showing, I like looking at good sheep. // Check window.dataLayer object or create. } subscriptionFinishDate: '', if (element.id === 'fp-tog-anch-2') { }; I can depend on the Beltex cross to regularly achieve the BELTEX sired lambs at barely nine-weeks-old, but weighing about 32kg and with big gigots, are the perfect carcass sheep for early summer lightweight trade, according to Martin Brown. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Beltex Sheep Lambing Problems Beltex mated over commercial ewe breeds have no lambing issues because the lambs are modest and energetic. return 'upgrade_flow'; }); The cross breds are bred for meat, easy lamb, quick finishing and up sucking within two minutes.\u0026amp;quot; Most of his commercial flock are Rouge cross, producing good milk and very prolific; in December he sold a number of pedigree Rouge hogget ewes in lamb to a Beltex ram. const grantedBy = Object.keys(purchase).filter(function (key) { productClickSource = window.shopFrontHeaderSubscribe ? document.getElementById('fp-tog-1').click(); const subscriberCookie = JSON.parse(getCookie(subscriberCookieName) || '{}'); } if (! userHasLoggedIn = true; previouslySelectedPriceId) { \u0026amp;quot;She has a lovely way about her with stock and she has the sheep dog here, Bonnie. midArticleWidget: function(widget) { 'shopfront_annual_header_subscribe' : 'shopfront_annual_subscribe'; All the ewes are lambed inside. return; !subscriberCookie.subscriptionStatus ? adElem.style.height = ''; if (document.getElementById("map") !== null) { Required fields are marked *. "I'd be out at night, the last check would be at 12 and if there's nothing doing I'd check back at 3am and then out again at 6, unless there is something lambing and then you're out for the day. Wishing all our members and breeders a very merry Christmas and all the best for 2023. } attributeFilter: ['class'], badges.forEach(badge => { Beltex cross lambs ideal for the Christmas and New Year market,