The post Ballinrobe Open Sale appeared first on Irish Texel.

Following on from their recent success at the Irish Premier sale in Blessington, it was Chaylee & Lorinne Greene making the headlines once again – this time with Greenstar Alonzo, a full ET brother to the €17,000gns Greenstar Alfie, sired by Tophill Wall Street and out of a Duncryne Uber Cool ewe. This one was purchased by a syndicate of Donegal breeders led by James McGrath, Collar Rock Texels for €2,100gns.
Not to be outdone by his daughters, John Green’s Larahirl flock also produced the goods when he sold Larahirl A-Team, a Millar’s Windbrook son, for €1,850gns to Aiden Loftus’ Deelvale flock from Co. Mayo. The high quality of rams on offer was also evident when John sold the Male and Overall Champion on the night, Larahirl Yours Truly, sired by Tamnamoney Walter, for €1,180gns whilst two further Larahirl shearling rams, also sired by Walter, sold for €1,220gns and €1,100gns.

Reserve Champion on the night was obtained by John McLoone’s Glenties based Tullyard flock with his first prize winning ram lamb, Tullyard Achilles, sired by the €8,000gns Gailey Yesterday purchased by John at last year’s Blessington sale. Out of a homebred Sportman’s Superstar sired ewe, he sold for €1,400gns to the judge, Adrian Liggett. It was also a night to remember for Mervyn & Anna Boal when their sole entry, a shearling ram sired by Claybury Warrior, sold to Dessie Graham, Laghey, Co. Donegal for €1,280gns. The last ram to break the €1,000gns barrier was from John McGee’s Muckish flock when his 2nd prize shearling ram, Muckish Yard Stick, sired by the 2014 All Ireland Champion Strathbogie Uno, sold early in the sale for €1,000gns to Lee McKinney, Co. Donegal.

Following on from this sale The Donegal Texel Breeders are holding their annual harvest show and sale of Pedigree Texel Rams and Ewes on Friday 15th September in Raphoe Livestock Mart. A large number of the 100 rams catalogued will be Sheep Ireland Recorded. Show at 5pm and Sale at 6.30pm.
A full sale catalogue can be downloaded from the Irish Texel Sheep Society’s website or by contacting David McKane on 00447769 258 976.

Other leading prices (all gns):
John McLoone, Tullyard – €660; J&C McHugh, Greenhill – €820, €800, €680; Malachy Byrne, Ballymagowan – €820; Shane McHugh, Figart – €810, €760, €750, €720; Willam Doherty, Hillcrest – €850, €800, €760 (x2); Peter McLaughlin, Isle – €620; Seamus McGrath, Clarecarrick – €760; Niall Brennan, Grange – €640; Stuart McKeague, Claggan – €780, €660; Stuart Parke, Glenkeerin – €640; McHugh Bros, Speenogue – €700; Noel Gallagher, Agri-Care – €600; Rodney McLaughlin, Clara – €980, €700, €600 (x2); John McGee, Muckish – €850, €720, €600

The post Donegal Texels August Show and Sale – Raphoe appeared first on Irish Texel.

FLOCK MANAGEMENT

The flock is run on 58 acres owned and 15 acres rented. The ewes start lambing on the 18th March and 90% of the lambing takes place within 17 days. Ewes are housed before lambing and, 4 – 5 days after lambing, they turned out to the fields. All triplet ewe lambs are marked at birth and when lamb sales start in August, if any of these marked ewe lambs are in the first or second draw, they are the ones that are retained for breeding Two years ago was Connies first time to retain Texel X ewe lambs and, from his experience so far, they make excellent mothers and their lamb crop is as good as the rest of the flock averaging two lambs each in 2008/2009.

LAMB SALES

Taking place each year, from August to December, selling to a local butcher in Macroom, Michael Twomey, who accepts lambs up to 25kg carcass weight which Michael states is the beauty about Texel X lambs. They have excellent muscling and do not go over fat at high weights.

RAM SELECTION

When Connie goes about buying his Texel rams, he has two options. First is his local Texel Sheep Society Sale which is held in Miltown, Co. Kerry and second is a visit to some local pedigree Texel breeders to buy his rams privately. In the last two years, he has paid extra attention to performance, recording figures LMI with specific attention to the growth rate index and he feels he has been well rewarded by the quality of lambs born with higher growth rates than he was used to. In future Connie says “he will use the new recording figures from Sheep Ireland (Lambplus) which is in it’s first year replacing the old LMI scheme. You can judge the ram for shape, muscling and correctness but it’s great to have the figures to let you know how his progeny will perform on the ground when you are buying rams”.

MAJOR ADVANTAGE OF USING TEXEL RAMS
•lambs have a great will to live, suckling quickly after birth, and they can handle harsh weather conditions like the spring of 2009. Hardiness: Texel cross
•cross lambs finish as quick as any other breeds. Excellent thrivers: Texel
•lambs remain a lot cleaner through out their lives compared to other breeds on the farm. Clean Lambs: Texel cross
•ewes make excellent mothers and also have a good litter size when compared to other ewe breeds on the farm. Super mothers: Texel cross

hardiness and the higher prices that can be obtained for their leanness and excellent muscling” according to Connie.

Connie runs a flock of Suffolk

X and Belclare X ewes, these ewes would also have some mountain cross (scotch) in their breeding also. Three years ago he decided to use Texel rams on his flock to see if the lambs were any hardier at birth han the breeds he was already using. He could not believe his luck when the first crop of Texel lambs were born on his farm. They were up and suckling a lot quicker than he was used to, and also, after turn out to the fields, which takes place usually around 4 days of age, the survival rate of the Texel X lambs outside this year was 100%, even at suck heights above sea level.

CONNIE

The post Texels are the key to survival… appeared first on Irish Texel.