what do you guys do to keep a lamb fresh?

[shadowran]

I have a nice speck lamb born the last of Dec that I want to have shown at our fair is Sept now the family that likes him is worried about keeping him fresh enough I know in the mid west you show older lambs but out here in Ca we show em 6 to 7 months old, also we are in the central valley where it will be 100plus during the summer. I know what I would do but I like to hear from others to see what have worked for them, we have used Og's drench before which I love and works but they didn't want use it last year.

so let me know what to tell them

[EmsoffLambs]

We are not nearly as experienced as some, so hopefully someone else will chime here too. But last year we fed a lamb and had him dialed in just right at 11 months old. He was just shy of reserve at a big show. He was fresh and hard handling. Basically we didn't push him until about the last 90 days. We actually had him on a lot of hay and just a little grain over winter between about 4 months and 8 months. He didn't grow much during this time and was very green. Then about 90 days out from the show we brought him in, got him on feed and started treating him like a show lamb. He took off and gained a good 50 lbs in that time.

With this said, we sell some lambs to Texas every year, where they show them between 10-12 months old. They have them on a show ration the entire time there. But they are tracking them to keep them from getting too fat and they aren't pushing the feed as hard as we do here either.

This year we will be trying it again, feeding an older wether. This lamb was a runty little triplet bottle lamb that wouldn't grow fast enough to get him sold. But his genetics were good. He was a May lamb and we are shooting for a May show with him. He's just been on hay and a small amount of grain over winter, but is actually looking really good. We will put him on feed here in a couple weeks and will try tracking this year I think too. We'll see how the experiment works!

[Bigiron59]

With white sheep, as well as specks . Typically ,when they begin to mature ,they are done ,Genetics is everything. If they are least buy opened up at points of shoulder, neck set is not right, or least buy tucked up in flank, they do not hold well. They just mature faster.  Particularly if they are more moderate framed to begin with.
Most of our winning specks,have been out of the Dorset rams we have used ,and Suffolk ewes.   They will tend to last longer into the year, than hampy Dorset crosses.
The bf rams on white ewes, definitely mature faster ,in my observation. .
And a white or  speck, will test your feeding ability. If you get them fat early, your  facing a very hard battle.
The specks I have sold at Midwest Stud ram sale, all went to California.    Last year's  April class winner ,into a high profile flock, can't remember the year before. Last year's buyer, said that is the  " newest rage" out There.  Good luck. A "GOOD " speck is just as hard to make , as any other good one . And and harder to feed.IMO.

[EmsoffLambs]

But Shane, would you be worried about a nine month old Speck? That is not really that old.

[Bigiron59]

Only if they are built right. Any of the problems ,I listed above, and your looking very plain at that age. It takes a pretty special one,to make it long term.  Hence the dominate year that Titus "Pure enough" has had. That shot of Johnson Trigger blood , lengthens the maturaty paternal considerably.
 If they are soft made, There gonna turn the corner plenty fast
I have some Dorset's,that would considered "extreme" in terms of design and they are more than "moderate" in frame.
I brought in a "moderate " ram, and time will tell. At 10 months and having bred a bunch of ewes ,I think he is a fat Pud.  Most specks will never have hard fat. Only soft squishy fat . Particularly if hamp cross. Just my opinions . And myself and my buddy,who duaghters were in 4- h together and showed against each other, have bred specks and whites ,that have dominated 2 counties here for several years and won of reserved state Fair several times .
Heath Williams , Minnesota breeder ,has bred a few as well. His bf flock is deep in Trigger genetics. You better have a very hard muscled tight hided Bf in that speck,if your gonna hang in the fall.  The dominant specks I seen on jackpot circuit ,mostly all had Johnson based BF sheep in them
At least up here.

[Bigiron59]

As far as feeding,less than a black face. Never lower than a 16 percent ration, likely on champion drive the whole way, and fitter 35 from mid July on.
By fall, your likey a pound of fitter 35 a day, half pound of champion drive and 1.5 of 16 .  In ways I think they are harder to feed than South Downs. My daughter had a  very good set of South Downs ,when she was showing,and will want some back when her kids are ready . She just does not like Dorset's  . I am not buying a other set of ewes, so will just buy those.  I have friends with some of the best .

[Bigiron59]

I have seen plenty of 6 month old whites and specks, that were done.  At Louisville ,the top 2 in each weight class surfaced pretty easy. The rest were just sheep. In the white and speck drives. It's very hard to keep them fresh

[Don Drewry]

Our state rules are lambs are supposed to be born after Jan 1 of the year.  The state FFA show is always Labor Day weekend (so first weekend of September), and the state 4-H show is always one week before.  A lot of our lambs that don't get killed at the state shows get shown at Askarben about 3 weeks later.  So, the bulk of the competitive lambs are with a month of the age of the lamb you want to have shown Jim.
 
I've always struggled with the concepts of Fresh and Stale, but our lambs that the judged have liked the most we usually had put on 5-10 pounds their last 2-3 weeks.  The egg drench helps with this but you can also use some of the Honor supplements.  Very important to keep the lambs hydrated.  I'll disagree with Shane on this.  It's not just genetics but there is a limit in my opinion how long you can keep a lamb near it's peak.  Rarely are the lambs I see in the June or early July jackpot shows that look the best the same lambs that are best end of August.

If it's a ewe lamb it will be harder as depending on their exact genetics they start to get broodier looking around 8-10 months age and there isn't much you can do about that.

[shadowran]

thanks for the replies  guys , if the lamb goes to our fair I will be helping to feed him because I would be their leader, we have done pretty well with specks in the past that I sold to others 2 Champions and a FFA Champion at Fresno fair but I didn't feed them I would love to see this family do well it would encourage their daughter

[Bigiron59]

Your right Don .Those "cool " looking  jack pot June lambs , are the October's from last fall. A lot of lambs are way older ,that. They are reprezsnted as.
 Feeding through summer heat ,CAN  e your friend.
I disagree with the ewe lamb "getting broody" all though about that age ,the boys are reaching Thier  potential.
I think "getting broody" is a PC term judges use, to say your lamb is common,plain ,lacks muscle ,low chest flood ECT. The really good ones look good at 12 months,24 months,5 years .
One only has to look at a group of Cabaniss or Miller yearlings, and the aged one they sell .That certainly dismisses the "getting broody" myth.

Feeding is as much an  art , as a science .
The average ,sturggles.
The good feeders, know how much, when, why, and what to feed. Most don't use a scale.

And lambs all feed differently.
 I have not seen a picture of the lamb.
A picture ,is worth a thousand  words.
,😉