Caseysmom Posted December 31, 2002 Report Share Posted December 31, 2002 Hey all, I'm starting to think about improving by flock. I have Finn/Dorset crosses. Right now with one really high quality ewe lamb. Everyone else is just so-so. (we're only talking about 5 sheep here, 3 after Jan 27). Anyhow, I like the looks and size of Tunis. I also am spinning and I'd like to give myself a shot at improving my wool as well as the growth rates on my lambs (for my freezer). Does anyone have any thoughts on this? I prefer clean headed sheep. Amy Stone Fence Farm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted December 31, 2002 Report Share Posted December 31, 2002 Hi Amy, I am very partial to the Tunis breed myself. I'm not sure that you'd consider the wool an improvement -- it's very similar to Dorset wool -- not too long, medium-course. It is generally a little bit off white, perhaps ivory in color. But oh, the lambs. Tunis-sired lambs are wonderfully thrifty. They seem to put on weight on well-managed pasture and mother's milk like no other cross I've ever seen. When I've put a Tunis ram over Finn-Dorset ewes, I ended up with twin ram lambs that finished at 105 to 120 pounds at 5 months of age with no supplementation at all -- pasture and mother's milk. And the meat was the best lamb I've ever tasted. The triplets were not so good, but I think that's simply because they didn't get as much milk as the twins and therefore didn't get off to such a good start. Tunis-cross mothers are wonderfully attentive to their young, and are milky and thrifty as well. I used to have six ewes that were the offspring of Finn-Dorset ewes bred to a Tunis ram. One of them would regularly have triplets, and would generally wean about 140 pounds of lamb at 60 days. That's a productive ewe. That means that her lambs were collectively gaining about 2 pounds per day. (This was with creep feed, so it wasn't all her.) As a maternal breed, the Tunis is hard to beat. Just make sure you get the real Tunis sheep, and not the show-bred ones that look like Suffolks that someone painted red. ------------------ Bill Fosher Surry, NH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted December 31, 2002 Report Share Posted December 31, 2002 Hi Amy, I'm with Bill on this - I really like the Tunis for reasons Bill has stated. And, also as Bill stated, be sure you get the "old" type and not the Suffolk look-alikes. We maintain a small flock of Tunis, too, because we wanted to help preserve a rare American breed. Thier size makes them easy to handle. The person I share the flock with is 105# soaking wet and she can catch and restrain one alone. They are an all-purpose breed - we sell raw fleece to hand spinners, breeding stock and freezer lamb. (They look good and taste good, too!) Here are links to the Tunis Registry and the American Breeds Livestock Conservancy. http://www.tunissheep.org/ http://www.albc-usa.org/ I also have some friends who like the Tunis-crosses. Deb Iron Pheasant Farm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tucknjill Posted December 31, 2002 Report Share Posted December 31, 2002 Hey Deb, How ya doing??? Missed you at the trials lately...damn that working for a living...Sam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pipedream Farm Posted December 31, 2002 Report Share Posted December 31, 2002 Hey Deb, nice to see you have some "free" time. Thanks for helping keep us all safe and free! Are you going to have time to come down for our DIY Fun Trials? We'd love to have you. ------------------ Mark Billadeau [This message has been edited by Pipedream Farm (edited 12-31-2002).] [This message has been edited by Pipedream Farm (edited 12-31-2002).] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caseysmom Posted January 2, 2003 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2003 Thanks all for your responses. In the spring I'll be looking for a Tunis ram lamb! Amy Stone Fence Farm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted January 6, 2003 Report Share Posted January 6, 2003 Hi Sam! Hi Mark! Hope your holidays were great ones! Mark - When are the trials? Deb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pipedream Farm Posted January 6, 2003 Report Share Posted January 6, 2003 Deb, weather permitting the DIY Fun Trials are Jan 11 (NN, PN & Ranch) and Jan 25 (Ranch 7 Open). I'll email you a flyer tonight. We have very limited hard-surface parking and the trials may be postponed a week if the fields are too wet for parking. ------------------ Mark Billadeau Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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