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Author Topic: Sheep in the city?  (Read 16239 times)

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: Sheep in the city?
« Reply #15 on: September 12, 2016, 04:02:43 pm »
would fattening up a couple of lambs over the summer/autumn be an option?  by the time the grass stops growing the lambs would be ready for freezer?  This should minimise the need to buy drenches/vaccines etc which can make keeping a small flock a bit more expensive.

I agree.  Even a few sheep on 3/4 acre would need hay through most of the WInter and would poach the ground around troughs and drinkers.

macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
  • Leicester
Re: Sheep in the city?
« Reply #16 on: September 12, 2016, 04:05:19 pm »
would fattening up a couple of lambs over the summer/autumn be an option?  by the time the grass stops growing the lambs would be ready for freezer?  This should minimise the need to buy drenches/vaccines etc which can make keeping a small flock a bit more expensive.

I agree.  Even a few sheep on 3/4 acre would need hay through most of the WInter and would poach the ground around troughs and drinkers.
Yes that's the thing. Also that would significantly increase risk of foot rot, unless I would pave/concrete a certain area?
Goats would do the same though
Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.

pharnorth

  • Joined Nov 2013
  • Cambridgeshire
Re: Sheep in the city?
« Reply #17 on: September 12, 2016, 04:08:38 pm »
I find my goats are no where near as heavy on the ground as my sheep. (Angora/  Ryelands). I don't think that is just down to weight though others with bigger breeds of goat may say differently

macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
  • Leicester
Re: Sheep in the city?
« Reply #18 on: September 12, 2016, 04:10:40 pm »
Hmmm....
Finding ram is dead easy where we live. You can always buy one in melton in September and sell him back in a month.
Finding a Billy goat is not as easy...
Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Sheep in the city?
« Reply #19 on: September 12, 2016, 05:21:29 pm »
I always say have two, not three.  If you have two and one dies, you need to find another.  If you have three and one dies, the remaining ones still have company.

Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Sheep in the city?
« Reply #20 on: September 12, 2016, 05:34:15 pm »
Hmmm....

Finding a Billy goat is not as easy...

Laprascopic AI has a really good success rate, but you need to find a good vet or use ABEurope (Used to be Innovis). And with some forward planning - then sponging the girls and you can go on a pre-planned day to visit nearby billy for natural service, really not very difficult. And you won't even need a male on-site.... there will be GG's near you I am sure!

macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
  • Leicester
Re: Sheep in the city?
« Reply #21 on: September 12, 2016, 07:20:50 pm »
Ok What about angora goats then? I've only seen one in real life. It was a really old Billy being sold for mutton in melton market...
Are the does big (heavy)?
Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.

pharnorth

  • Joined Nov 2013
  • Cambridgeshire
Re: Sheep in the city?
« Reply #22 on: September 12, 2016, 07:48:05 pm »
Does are about 30kg to 40kg.  The product of course is mohair so twice yearly shearing. We started with a couple of wethers as they produce good mohair but no kids. Now we have a buck and several does.  They don't often go to sales tend to be sold privately.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Sheep in the city?
« Reply #23 on: September 12, 2016, 09:01:17 pm »
And they have got terrible feet...

macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
  • Leicester
Re: Sheep in the city?
« Reply #24 on: September 12, 2016, 10:13:42 pm »
And they have got terrible feet...
U mean goats?
Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Sheep in the city?
« Reply #25 on: September 13, 2016, 06:28:31 am »
And they have got terrible feet...

Yes - Angoras. They aren't really meant to be in wet, damp Britain...., also goats (incl Angoras) will spend most of their winters inside... out of their choice. Goats don't do rain ((or snow).
U mean goats?

Dogwalker

  • Joined Nov 2011
Re: Sheep in the city?
« Reply #26 on: September 13, 2016, 06:58:02 am »
Goats will prefer to eat your hedges not the grass.
With near neighbours for goats or sheep you'll have to be carefull they don't feed the animals something inappropriate or chuck hedge or lawn mowings into the paddock thinking they're doing you a favour with extra food.
You could become a magnet for local kids wanting to pet them.

I've found my angoras are more prone to foot problems than the dairy goats but the sheep have been worse this year.
It improved having kept them in all last winter out of the rain.
Goats are more work than sheep if your going to milk them.  They don't need a buck every year though, I've one milking through a second year since kidding 2014.

pharnorth

  • Joined Nov 2013
  • Cambridgeshire
Re: Sheep in the city?
« Reply #27 on: September 13, 2016, 07:09:12 am »
Depends on your conditions. Never had any problems with my Angoras feet. The sheep feet have been far more trouble, or at least the one I got from soggy Derbyshire is. They have a field shelter they choose to go in when it is solid rain but will be out in drizzle. On 3/4 of an acre in a city you will be keeping them fairly intensively some hard standing as you suggest that is kept clean would make a big difference


Jane & Richard Suffolk

  • Joined Mar 2016
Re: Sheep in the city?
« Reply #28 on: September 13, 2016, 10:28:31 am »
Hi
Shetland sheep are great I would say get the them no shearing require as they can be pulled easily, they sometimes look untidy but there hard where a outs are you you can come and see ours anytime if your close we are in suffolk

macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
  • Leicester
Re: Sheep in the city?
« Reply #29 on: September 13, 2016, 10:39:05 am »
We are in Leicester.
Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.

 

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