Anyone raised any Texels?

[4CTophand]

Ok so there wont be any questions asked on what exactly is a Texel>? here it goes:
The Texel is a breed of domestic sheep originally from the island of Texel in the Netherlands. It is now a popular lean meat sheep in the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. The Texel is a heavily muscled sheep. It produces a lean meat carcass and will pass on this quality to crossbred progeny.

 

[Angus Cowman]

No range maggots on my place

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

People can however talk about goats now and then.

 

[3waycross]

Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep! Get yourself to the sheep forum :help:

 

[mobgrazer]

But just think of all the sheep jokes. But I don't know any that are half way clean.

 

[Keren]

Oh. My. God.

Get over it!

Do you guys not realise that sheep and cattle can work very well together in an agroecosystem. Goats work well with more traditional livestock species, too.

I did a lot of work breeding texels a few years back with ET recips and AI. They produce great carcasses; but we did have a high percentage of dystocia, higher than I would have liked, simply due to big lambs. We did a lot of cut-throat or sacrificial caesars on the recips. A few other things to consider, I found their temperament not to be the best, they were pretty fond of barging straight through you, and some of them were a little to extreme frame score wise.

Incidently, at the same time we were doing similar stuff with Finn sheep. I really like these little guys, boy they are lamb raising machines. Not the carcase of the Texel of course, we had some really nice Texel cross Finn ewes, but really not a market for them, people look at you like you are nuts. We had to be really careful when we were AI'ing the Finns; we normally give a shot of PMSG to boost fecundity - I had one ewe that had seven - yes, seven - lambs. They were born, assisted, about a month early (needless to say, not alive) and they were tiny.

 

[dun]

Do you guys not realise that sheep and cattle can work very well together in an agroecosystem.

Best use for them is bait to draw the coyotes someplace where they're easier to shoot. I always find it hard to believe that anyone would eatthe nasty stinking looking for a place to die things

 

[Keren]

Dun ... remember you are talking to an Aussie ... we live off them, and they taste great. I actually like sheep better than beef (hiding now, please dont kill me) but I like goat better than sheep. I will admit they are born looking for a way to die.

At least I dont eat lutefisk

 

[KNERSIE]

Dun ... remember you are talking to an Aussie ... we live off them, and they taste great. I actually like sheep better than beef (hiding now, please dont kill me) but I like goat better than sheep. I will admit they are born looking for a way to die.

At least I dont eat lutefisk

I don't like sheep well enough to farm with them, but I love the meat.

I think the negative attitude has more to do with the way Prince Charming has endeared himself to the rest of the forum than the forum not being willing to enter a duscussion about sheep or goats.

 

[3waycross]

Oh. My. God.

Get over it!

Do you guys not realise that sheep and cattle can work very well together in an agroecosystem. Goats work well with more traditional livestock species, too.

I did a lot of work breeding texels a few years back with ET recips and AI. They produce great carcasses; but we did have a high percentage of dystocia, higher than I would have liked, simply due to big lambs. We did a lot of cut-throat or sacrificial caesars on the recips. A few other things to consider, I found their temperament not to be the best, they were pretty fond of barging straight through you, and some of them were a little to extreme frame score wise.

Incidently, at the same time we were doing similar stuff with Finn sheep. I really like these little guys, boy they are lamb raising machines. Not the carcase of the Texel of course, we had some really nice Texel cross Finn ewes, but really not a market for them, people look at you like you are nuts. We had to be really careful when we were AI'ing the Finns; we normally give a shot of PMSG to boost fecundity - I had one ewe that had seven - yes, seven - lambs. They were born, assisted, about a month early (needless to say, not alive) and they were tiny.

Keren
This is not about SHEEP, and it is certainly not about you. We have an interloper in our midst and it is just about reacting to him.
BTW this is the CATTLE forum and tasty is definately in the taste buds of the beholder.

PS My Grandfather paid for a 14,000 acre ranch with sheep.........Then sold them and bought cows.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

"I think the negative attitude has more to do with the way Prince Charming has endeared himself to the rest of the forum than the forum not being willing to enter a duscussion about sheep or goats."
KNERSIE - you are waaayyy wiser than any one person should be!

I absolutely love to eat lamb. I have not had the opportunity to try goat meat. May get some next summer. Our local 4-H county sale had some finished goats for sale - gave them away real cheap. I told the owners, next year they should cook some meat & pass out samples to the buyers. I would have purchased one, if I had tried the meat & LIKED IT. So, they plan on having a BBQ set up & serve free samples next year.

 

[brandonm_13]

It may be a cattle forum, but I can tell you that sheep definately correlate to cattle production. Sheep and goats have been used for weed prevention for years, without the side effects that pesticides give. And for anyone that thinks they are nasty, when's the last time you saw them peeing or taking a dump in a pond, while drinking out of it at the same time? Cattle do it all the time. We just have a prejudice against them.

 

[4CTophand]

Dun ... remember you are talking to an Aussie ... we live off them, and they taste great. I actually like sheep better than beef (hiding now, please dont kill me) but I like goat better than sheep. I will admit they are born looking for a way to die.

At least I dont eat lutefisk

I don't like sheep well enough to farm with them, but I love the meat.

I think the negative attitude has more to do with the way Prince Charming has endeared himself to the rest of the forum than the forum not being willing to enter a duscussion about sheep or goats.

You just need to get over your insecurities about this forum and don't take what people say so personally-- stay on topic and you will be fine
PS your no princess either

 

[4CTophand]

Oh. My. God.

Get over it!

Do you guys not realise that sheep and cattle can work very well together in an agroecosystem. Goats work well with more traditional livestock species, too.

I did a lot of work breeding texels a few years back with ET recips and AI. They produce great carcasses; but we did have a high percentage of dystocia, higher than I would have liked, simply due to big lambs. We did a lot of cut-throat or sacrificial caesars on the recips. A few other things to consider, I found their temperament not to be the best, they were pretty fond of barging straight through you, and some of them were a little to extreme frame score wise.

Incidently, at the same time we were doing similar stuff with Finn sheep. I really like these little guys, boy they are lamb raising machines. Not the carcase of the Texel of course, we had some really nice Texel cross Finn ewes, but really not a market for them, people look at you like you are nuts. We had to be really careful when we were AI'ing the Finns; we normally give a shot of PMSG to boost fecundity - I had one ewe that had seven - yes, seven - lambs. They were born, assisted, about a month early (needless to say, not alive) and they were tiny.

Keren
This is not about SHEEP, and it is certainly not about you. We have an interloper in our midst and it is just about reacting to him.
BTW this is the CATTLE forum and tasty is definately in the taste buds of the beholder.

PS My Grandfather paid for a 14,000 acre ranch with sheep.........Then sold them and bought cows.

hey thanks for your input on Texels---- and as for the others who are negative on my post-- I don't really care about their insight as they have no interest in learning anything above and beyond what they already know , which in many instances isn't too much (we call that narrow minded fools)
by the way another good reason to do multi-species grazing is : one day real soon as the commercial wormers begin to lose their ability to work effectively and they cant control parasites anymore--- chances are they will be investing a little more brain pwer to other alternatives like multi-species grazing - until then they will remain ignorant and wont worry about anything until if affects them personally-- sometimes that's what it takes for the Narrow minded.
thanks again I will research the Finn

T

 

[KNERSIE]

Dun ... remember you are talking to an Aussie ... we live off them, and they taste great. I actually like sheep better than beef (hiding now, please dont kill me) but I like goat better than sheep. I will admit they are born looking for a way to die.

At least I dont eat lutefisk

I don't like sheep well enough to farm with them, but I love the meat.

I think the negative attitude has more to do with the way Prince Charming has endeared himself to the rest of the forum than the forum not being willing to enter a duscussion about sheep or goats.

You just need to get over your insecurities about this forum and don't take what people say so personally-- stay on topic and you will be fine
PS your no princess either

Thanks for the advice, without that I would never have survived as long as I did here.

 

[andybob]

Try putting your question on this forum, the Brits use a large number of Texel for terminal crosses;
http://www.fwi.co.uk/community/forums/3.aspx

 

[4CTophand]

I think the negative attitude has more to do with the way Prince Charming has endeared himself to the rest of the forum than the forum not being willing to enter a duscussion about sheep or goats.

You just need to get over your insecurities about this forum and don't take what people say so personally-- stay on topic and you will be fine
PS your no princess either[/quote]

Thanks for the advice, without that I would never have survived as long as I did here.[/quote]

Glad I could help you in your time of need

 

[KNERSIE]

I already gathered you know everything about cattle, good to know that psychology is another strong suit of yours. Any other talents that can help us lesser mortals out in the future? Maybe you can set up a blog so we can rather go and visit there if we need your advice?

 

[4CTophand]

Oh. My. God.

Get over it!

Do you guys not realise that sheep and cattle can work very well together in an agroecosystem. Goats work well with more traditional livestock species, too.

I did a lot of work breeding texels a few years back with ET recips and AI. They produce great carcasses; but we did have a high percentage of dystocia, higher than I would have liked, simply due to big lambs. We did a lot of cut-throat or sacrificial caesars on the recips. A few other things to consider, I found their temperament not to be the best, they were pretty fond of barging straight through you, and some of them were a little to extreme frame score wise.

Incidently, at the same time we were doing similar stuff with Finn sheep. I really like these little guys, boy they are lamb raising machines. Not the carcase of the Texel of course, we had some really nice Texel cross Finn ewes, but really not a market for them, people look at you like you are nuts. We had to be really careful when we were AI'ing the Finns; we normally give a shot of PMSG to boost fecundity - I had one ewe that had seven - yes, seven - lambs. They were born, assisted, about a month early (needless to say, not alive) and they were tiny.

One question I had for you was whether ot not you thought that the genetic traits for carcass / weight gain/ and other carcass merits were a direct result from the "sire's" genetics like (cattle for instance) and has there been any work done with crossing Texels using a different breed "sire" and a texel ewe? Would that help the lambing process and the docility and would it greatly affect the carcass merit?

Thanks in advance and I look forward to your reply knowing that the others will have little input on this question.
T

 

[4CTophand]

I already gathered you know everything about cattle, good to know that psychology is another strong suit of yours. Any other talents that can help us lesser mortals out in the future? Maybe you can set up a blog so we can rather go and visit there if we need your advice?

Everything? no --I wouldnt say that--- I dont think anyone knows everything, but I have raised cattle for a long time, but there will always be others who have a better understanding of their particular breed.