[moony]

Hebrideans were our first sheep. Don't get me wrong, they still get the same problems as other sheep, but they are in our experience much less prone and are more forgiving to the novice. Best advice though is just look at what your neighbouring farmers have and get them. They will have them for a reason. Best bet is to try and buy some draft ewes or possibly hoggs off them. They will be used to the area and if you buy the older ones will be adapted to the conditions and should be easy lambers - otherwise they wouldn't still be there.

[pharnorth]

Might be easier to ask which sheep not to keep as everyone has their favourite and perhaps it is more about which would or would not cope with your conditions.  I started with Coloured Ryelands a year ago as I wanted polled, coloured and 'easy' sheep and these ticked all the boxes. I wanted polled to allow flexibility with electric fencing as I also keep angora goats and they monopolise the stock fenced fields. Like you I wanted to cross graze with horses. I am very pleased with my choice, lambing was great fun even for the sheep I think!

[Tamsjute]

Ok, lots more great advice.
Am narrowing down a little now.....
Looking over the fences seems to be a real mixture. A lot of Texels and Black face crosses around, a field full of Shetlands on the corner (although they seem to have a few problems and appear to be dying off due to owner not being able to attend to them as he would normally do as his elderly wife has dementure) Also I'm told the next farm has Jacobs which the owner used to show along with his Shetlands in his younger days.
As I said before there were Jacobs here - the previous owner was a bit of an animal rescuer and refused to castrate lambs as she felt it was cruel. Apparently the place had Jacobs all over the place (probably inbred!) and they eventually died out naturally - I believe someone interviened to take out the tups and left just wethers so no more breeding went on.

[roddycm]

I think when you look over the fence you will see different breeds depending on who your neighbours are. Commercial framers will have commercial breeds and then you may get a smallholder who breeds more traditional breeds etc. When i lived in Dorset I was surrounded by Dorsets, Texels, mules, suffolks etc etc and then I had one neighbour who bred Manx and Portlands and another who had zoeys... And I had black welsh. Just get a good hardy breed that you like the look of, you have to look at them 365 days of the year so its pretty important you really like them! When you go to buy your foundation stock make sure you go for quality animals and you will be a happy camper or shepherd

[Kimbo]

...ooooh! Portlands!! WOW: lovely

[Herdygirl]

I have Portlands and crosses of them on my farm, not mine I hasten to add.  I wouldn't have them given.  I spend more time with these few than the whole of my flock, bad feet, prone to fly strike, indifferent mothers.  Give me my Herdwicks anytime.

[waterbuffalofarmer]

I just had a thought why not buy the Shetland sheep? off your neighbour, plus you could rent his land from him too, he might like that? 

[zwartbles]

Zwartbles any time : look good and easy to manage !


http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/113337009/zwartbles-and-zwartbles-cross-lambs-for-sale.html

[Remy]

It's probably wise to go for sheep who are best suited for your type of land, and that you like the look of - so hardy primitives or hill sheep?  I have no experience of them but do have a soft spot for Shetlands and they can be very pretty colours  .  Not sure how they would cope on my lush lowland pasture though!  Might also be better to have something that will come to you and not be too flighty, as it can make life difficult when you need to gather them in for whatever reason.  Bucket training really does make life easier!


I started off about 7 years ago with six orphan commercial crossbreds given to me by a sheep farmer, I knew nothing about sheep at all  .  So was thrown in at the deep end, but have never regretted it!


I now have an eclectic mix of all sorts!  I have a lot of commercial types, and mainly breed lambs for market but love Gotlands, Zwartbles and Herdwick for their colour so have a few of these in my flock  .  I've also had a few different breed tups and find it fascinating to see what I get each year from different breeding!


My Gotlands are sooooo friendly but I've found their crossbred lambs can be ridiculously flighty.  They are also prone to foot problems, on my land anyway.  My Herdwick was a total nutcase, was always looking for an escape route and if she couldn't find one would run over your head  .  BUT she has always been the most fantastic mum, and she has mellowed somewhat in her older age  , I'm very fond of her.  Most of the Zwartbles I've had have been very friendly.  I have purebred Charollais who vary in their characters, some friendly and some not!  But all have calmed down as they've got older.


If you want really friendly sheep, try and get some orphan lambs to bottle feed - if you can find the time!!

[sabrina]

I have more or less decided to a get a few lambs in September to run over the winter. Will go on grazing that the ponies come off until the Spring. Now i have had Ryelands and Jacobs in the past for breeding. What sort of price can I be expected to pay for either of these, if I can find any near me that is.

[irenemcc]

We are smaller scale commercial farmers with experience of several breeds including Scottish Blackface, Cheviot, Lleyn, Suffolk, Shetland and Hebridean to name just a few. Of them all the Hebrideans have proven to be the easiest to deal with. We have crossed them with a cheviot tup and got lambs that are growing on very well. They lambed very easily, lambs have a lot of get up and go, despite my original worries, they are the only breed to have stayed where put, feet are good, short tails so strike less likely. Fleece not as good as others but all depends what you are looking for. One thing I would recommend is steer clear of Longwool  breeds until more experienced.

[Kimbo]

Sabrina we have just paid £50 each for our Ryeland boys who we are growing for the family freezer. We are also using them to follow the ponies. They are quite chunky boys too. We are very pleased with them.

Re the OP's question: Weve had our Ryelands for a week now and we aren't disappointed with our novice choice. We herded them up today without much trouble into our little home-made corral. I was then able to catch each one quite easily, put a halter on, tie him to the fence while I checked him over and dagged him (even very carefully on his "gentleman's tackle"! ) . I was able to check all their feet too. No wrestling. No escapees. And not too much sweat for the shepherd!
So , so far, Id say our very short experience of Ryelands is a good one.

[Tamsjute]

I have now chosen and put a deposit on 3 Jacob lambs, 2 ewes and a wether, who will be arriving later on this month. Very excited!
My little girl of 2 and a half years has chosen names for them - Mr Tumble, Balamory and Josie Jump, lol. I doubt there are any sheep in the world with those names 

[SallyintNorth]

I wish the youngsters in our family would come up with such interesting names!  I actually avoid asking them for name suggestions as all they ever come up with is the name of their current boy/best friend, who of course they have fallen out with the next time they come... 

[waterbuffalofarmer]

My pet lambs were called this year (cause last yr we forgot to name them) Jeff, Greg and Genevieve (Jenna for short). So far we have had a ram lamb named Arthur negus a ewe lamb named fluffles, cause of the wool, and another ewe lamb named brandy, she had a sibling called napolean. all my buffaloes are named sensible names though. I have a young bull named after an Italian x welsh boxer called Calzagi.