Optimise tupping success with early condition scoring of flocks

Getting ewes in the correct body condition score will increase scanning percentage, number of lambs born and the number of lambs weaned on Welsh sheep farms.

Autumn is a critical time for managing ewes for breeding but independent sheep specialist Dr Liz Genever says preparation must begin weeks earlier, shortly after weaning.

Ewe condition impacts on ovulation and conception rates because the level of body reserves influences the hormones needed for breeding.

Condition scoring at weaning therefore gives an important baseline for how ewes should be managed before the next breeding cycle because ewes that are too thin will have poor reproduction.

During a Farming Connect Knowledge Transfer event at Llwynrhydill, Upper Chapel, Dr Genever recommended separating ewes into three groups according to body condition – thin, fit and fat – with thin ewes given priority for grazing.

Running separate groups allows the quality and quantity of intakes to be controlled.

“There is a big chunk of time to gain body condition between weaning and tupping so it can be done,’’ said Dr Genever.

The aim should be to achieve the right fat level at mating in at least 90% of the flock – for lowland breeds that’s a condition score of 3.5 and in upland breeds 3.

The industry recommendation is 2.5 for hill breeds but Dr Genever believes a BCS of 3 might be desirable.

“The targets were developed in the 70s and I think they are a bit on the lean side, I think it is fine for hill ewes to carry a bit more condition,’’ she said.

“However, it could mean a higher scanning percentage and that needs to be managed.’’

Farmers should physically feel ewes for condition and not rely on a visual assessment. This can be done by handling them in the lumbar region, immediately behind the last rib. The amount of eye muscle and degree of fat cover over the spinous and transverse processes should be assessed.

It takes between 6-8 weeks to lift fat cover by one condition score so early intervention is key. One condition score is between 10-13% of body weight – that is 7-9kg in a 70kg ewe. “If you have a ewe at body condition score 2 and need to increase that to 3.5 it means she needs to put on 13kg,’’ Dr Genever calculated.

“That’s an additional 10 megajoules a day above maintenance requirements for 10 weeks which is almost the same as a pre-lambing diet.’’

Pre-tupping preparation should include a ram MOT 10 weeks before mating as getting tups to optimum health will influence scanning percentages.

“Rams need to be in good working order when the time comes to turn them in with the ewes so the planning needs to start a lot earlier than is common practice on some farms,’’ said Dr Genever.

It also means that, if problems are found, replacement rams can be purchased and quarantined.

Tups need to be in good body condition at mating but not fat as this can impact on fertility – Dr Genever recommends a BCS of 3.5- 4 at the start of tupping.

Farming Connect Red Meat Technical Officer Elan Davies said the principal message was that farmers must plan ahead.

“Don’t leave it until just before tupping, you have to allow sufficient time to get your rams in order and to get the condition on the ewes,’’ she said.

PANEL

Lamb producer Kevin Parry plans for tupping as soon as his ewes have lambed.

“If you don’t get tupping right it impacts on everything you do afterwards, if you don’t get the lambs into the ewes at tupping you can’t do it afterwards,’’ he pointed out.

Mr Parry runs a flock of 500 Beulah Speckled Face and Welsh Mule ewes at Llwynrhydill, Upper Chapel, tupping with Texel, Beulah and Blue Faced Leicester rams.

To help manage labour requirements, he tups in three groups, the first from October 10^th and the third from November 5^th.

He aims to have Mule ewes at BCS 3.5 at breeding and Beulahs at 3-3.5. His vaccination and worming programme protects the health status of the flock.

Rams get similar treatment. “We keep a close eye on them, they are naturally fit off grass but we need them to be mobile,’’ said Mr Parry.

He single mates everything for the first cycle of 17 days.

“If it is a newly bought in ram we run him with no more than 20 ewes because we want to see how he performs, with proven rams we are happy with groups of 50 or more ewes,’’ said Mr Parry.

He sells his lambs to Kepak at 19-21kg deadweight. Ninety-five per cent achieve targets for carcase conformation and fat level.

Farming Connect, which is delivered by Menter a Busnes and Lantra, is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and Welsh Government.

Sicrhau llwyddiant adeg hyrdda drwy sgorio cyflwr diadelloedd yn gynnar

Bydd sicrhau bod sgôr cyflwr corff mamogiaid yn ddigonol yn cynyddu canran sganio, nifer yr ŵyn sy’n cael eu geni a nifer yr ŵyn sy’n cael eu diddyfnu ar ffermydd defaid yng Nghymru.

Mae’r Hydref yn gyfnod pwysig ar gyfer rheoli mamogiaid er mwyn magu, ond dywed yr arbenigwr defaid annibynnol, Dr Liz Genever, bod angen dechrau paratoi wythnosau ynghynt, ychydig ar ôl diddyfnu.

Mae cyflwr y famog yn effeithio ar ofyliad a chyfraddau beichiogi gan fod lefelau braster wrth gefn yn dylanwadu ar yr hormonau sy’n angenrheidiol er mwyn bridio.

Mae sgorio cyflwr y corff wrth ddiddyfnu felly’n rhoi sylfaen bwysig ar gyfer sut y dylid rheoli mamogiaid cyn y gylchred fagu nesaf gan y bydd mamogiaid sy’n rhy denau yn llai atgynhyrchiol.

Yn ystod digwyddiad Trosglwyddo Gwybodaeth Cyswllt Ffermio yn Llwynrhydill, Upper Chapel, awgrymodd Dr Genever y dylid rhannu’r ŵyn yn dri grŵp yn ôl cyflwr y corff – tenau, delfrydol a thew – gan roi blaenoriaeth i’r mamogiaid tenau ar gyfer pori.

Mae cadw grwpiau ar wahân yn eich galluogi i reoli ansawdd a lefel cymeriant.

“Mae digon o amser ar gyfer cynyddu cyflwr y corff rhwng diddyfnu a hyrdda, felly mae’n bosib,” meddai Dr Genever.

Dylid anelu at geisio sicrhau’r lefel addas o fraster wrth baru ar gyfer 90% o’r ddiadell – mewn bridiau llawr gwlad, mae hynny’n golygu sgôr cyflwr corff o 3.5 a sgôr o 3 mewn bridiau ucheldir.

Argymhelliad y diwydiant yw sgôr o 2.5 ar gyfer bridiau mynydd, ond mae Dr Genever yn credu y gallai sgôr cyflwr corff o 3 fod yn fanteisiol.

“Datblygwyd y targedau hyn yn y 70au ac rwy’n credu eu bod ychydig yn isel. Credaf ei bod hi’n iawn i famogiaid mynydd fod â sgôr cyflwr ychydig yn uwch,” meddai.

“Fodd bynnag, gallai olygu canran sganio uwch ac mae angen rheoli hynny.”

Dylai ffermwyr deimlo’r mamogiaid i asesu cyflwr, ac nid dibynnu ar asesiad â’r llygad yn unig. Gellir gwneud hyn drwy afael yn ardal y meingefn, yn syth ar ôl yr asen olaf. Dylid asesu faint o gyhyr y lwyn a gorchudd braster sydd dros y cambylau fertigol a llorweddol.

Mae’n cymryd rhwng 6-8 wythnos i gynyddu un sgôr cyflwr o ran gorchudd braster, felly mae ymyrraeth gynnar yn allweddol. Mae un sgôr cyflwr rhwng 10-13% o bwysau’r corff – ac mae hynny’n 7-9kg mewn mamog 70kg. “Os oes gennych chi famog ar sgôr cyflwr o 2 a’ch bod chi eisiau cynyddu’r sgôr i 3.5, mae angen iddi fagu 13kg,” meddai Dr Genever.

“Mae hynny’n 10 megajoule y dydd uwchben gofynion cynhaliaeth am 10 wythnos, sydd bron iawn yr un fath â’r diet cyn ŵyna.”

Dylai gwaith paratoi cyn hyrdda gynnwys MOT ar yr hwrdd 10 wythnos cyn paru gan y bydd sicrhau bod hyrddod yn cyrraedd y lefelau iechyd gorau yn effeithio ar y canrannau sganio.

“Mae angen i hyrddod fod yn effeithiol pan fyddant yn cael eu cyflwyno i’r mamogiaid, felly mae angen dechrau paratoi yn llawer cynt nag sydd i’w weld ar nifer o ffermydd,” meddai Dr Genever.

Mae hefyd yn golygu bod modd prynu hyrddod eraill a’u cadw mewn cwarantîn os canfyddir unrhyw broblemau.

Mae angen i’r hyrddod fod mewn cyflwr da wrth baru, ond nid yn dew gan fod hyn yn gallu effeithio ar ffrwythlondeb – mae Dr Genever yn awgrymu sgôr o 3.5-4 ar ddechrau’r cyfnod hyrdda.

Dywedodd Swyddog Technegol Cig Coch Cyswllt Ffermio, Elan Davies, mai’r brif neges oedd bod angen i ffermwyr gynllunio ymlaen llaw.

“Peidiwch â’i adael nes dechrau’r cyfnod hyrdda. Mae angen i chi ganiatáu digon o amser i sicrhau bod eich hyrddod yn effeithiol ac i fagu cyflwr y mamogiaid,” meddai.

PANEL

 Mae’r cynhyrchwr ŵyn, Kevin Parry, yn cynllunio ar gyfer y cyfnod hyrdda cyn gynted ag y mae’r mamogiaid wedi ŵyna.

“Os nad ydych chi’n gwneud popeth yn iawn yn ystod y cyfnod hyrdda, mae’n effeithio ar bopeth. Os nad ydych yn llwyddo i sicrhau bod y mamogiaid yn beichiogi adeg hyrdda, mae’n rhy hwyr wedyn,” meddai.

Mae Mr Parry yn cadw diadell o 600 o famogiaid Penfrith Beula a Miwl Cymreig ar fferm Llwynrhydill, Upper Chappel, gan ddefnyddio hyrddod Texel, Beulah a Wyneblas Caerlŷr.

Er mwyn cynorthwyo gyda gofynion llafur, mae’n troi mamogiaid at yr hwrdd mewn tri grŵp – y cyntaf o Hydref 10 a’r trydydd o Dachwedd 5.

Mae’n anelu at sicrhau bod mamogiaid Miwl ar sgôr o 3.5 wrth fridio a’r mamogiaid Beulah ar sgôr o 3-3.5. Mae ei raglen frechu a thrin llyngyr yn diogelu statws iechyd y ddiadell.

Mae’r hyrddod yn derbyn triniaeth debyg. “Byddwn ni’n cadw llygad barcud arnyn nhw. Maen nhw’n ffit ar y borfa, ond mae angen i sicrhau eu bod yn symudol,” meddai Mr Parry.

Mae’n paru pob un yn unigol ar y gylchred gyntaf o 17 diwrnod.

“Os mae’n hwrdd sydd newydd gael ei brynu, byddwn yn ei redeg gyda hyd at 20 o famogiaid gan ein bod ni eisiau gweld sut mae’n perfformio. Gyda hyrddod eraill lle’r ydym yn ymwybodol o’u perfformiad, byddem yn hapus gyda grwpiau i 50 mamog neu fwy,” meddai Mr Parry.

Mae’n gwerthu ei ŵyn i Kepak yn 19-21kg ar y bach. Mae 95% yn cyflawni targedau ar gyfer cyfansoddiad y carcas a lefelau braster.

Mae CyswlltFfermio, sy’ncaeleiddarparuganMenter a Busnes a Lantra, yncaeleiariannuganLywodraeth Cymru a ChronfaAmaethyddolEwropargyferDatblyguGwledig.