[NewLifeOnTheFarm]

Can someone give me some pros and cons of each? I was all set on Ryelands, but have been offered some shetlands. A brief look online and the shetlands seem just as suitable, more hardy for north east Scotland, and I like the look of them too.

So really, just after a few people who are in the know to point me in the right direction!

Thanks

[bj_cardiff]

I've not kept either breed but I know I'd be more likely to buy Rylands because of their size and I suspect if your selling lambs for meat the Rylands will get a better price, as will pure bred ewes IMO

[landroverroy]

 As a smallholder you basically need to keep a breed that best appeals to you, as whatever you keep is not going to make your fortune.
 I've kept both shetlands and ryelands, and my incredibly tiny preference would be the shetlands because they've got more personality. OK that's not much of a reason, but as I said - you need to get some pleasure from the animals themselves. Neither are the best commercially, but you'll get a very saleable lamb from either by crossing with a meat ram. I used a Suffolk and easily got most of the lambs up to 36kg  - even the shetlands. If you're planning to keep them pure then a pure Ryeland wether is worth more than a pure Shetland.   

[mojocafa]

Shetlands

I have had ryelands, but rehomed them 

[Bionic]

Never had shetlands but I love my Ryelands. They are very placid and don't try to escape

[Rosemary]

I've never kept Shetlands but I do keep Ryelands and do like them. We run 15 ewes (usually) plus followers; breed pure; wean about 200% lambs; kill top lambs at 6-7 months off grass, usually 20kg dw and sell the lamb in boxes locally. We get about 2.5kg fleece form each which we've started having processed into knitting yarn and we have the lambskins tanned.

I find them easy to keep; they have good feet and I've found them to be healthy; probably not as easy lambing as Shetlands but good mums - never had one walk away from her lambs.

Culled four ewes - 2 aged 9, one 7 and one 5 - and got back the most amazing mutton. All sold except one leg that I've squirrelled away fro us.

They suit us because I don't want to be running tup lambs over winter. Plus the terrific meat and fleece.

[Anke]

Shetlands for your location if you have got the space to rear the lambs until hogget - good mutton at age 3 as well. Lamb easily outdoors (here - Scot Border - in mid April). Hardy and good feet (usually). I have both pure-bred and crossed with Texels - you need to make sure to have a Texel with not too large a head/broad shoulders - they can have lambing problems. Never had to assist at lambing when pure-bred.

White ones sell better for meat, they are just a touch bigger than the coloured ones. Reasonable money from WMB for white fleeces, but the weight/fleece is less than for larger breeds.

[NewLifeOnTheFarm]

Thanks for all the advice. I need to have a good think.

I think one of the issues for us too is initial cost. Trying to weigh that up soon along with everything else!

If I got ryelands id be looking at getting 2 ewes with lambs in summer, and growing flock from scratch. I think im worrying about this, are the numbers too small? Has anyone else started with so few?

Thanks

[SallyintNorth]

I always say get three rather than two, if you can.  Then if something goes wrong, you don't have an only sheep. Although if you're buying with lambs at foot, it's not such an issue. 

Starting with two ewes with lambs at foot, especially if one or two of those lambs are ewe lambs, you will be amazed at how quickly your flock grows and you are having to decide which ewe lambs to keep on and which to sell!  It's slow for the first year or two, but once the ewe lambs lamb themselves, flock size grows exponentially. 

Shetlands are most usually not tupped as lambs, but I did tup some of mine as lambs and they all did brilliantly, apart from one who didn't hold. 

I suspect that any individual is either the sort of person who loves the placid, cuddly teddy bears that are Ryelands, or is the sort of person who loves the chutzpah of the big-character-in-a-small-package that is a Shetland. 

Both produce excellent meat and lovely fleece you can use.

One does hear of the occasional lambing difficulty with Ryelands, and much more rarely - almost never for pure bred Shetlands - with Shetlands.

If your land is limited then you may not want to be running Shetland lambs on over winter.  Ryelands should be able to fatten in one season, if your grass is reasonably good.  Personally I would ring all male lambs and not have the worry of entire males, even with a breed fhat should fatten in one summer, but some people wouldn't bother to ring Ryeland tup lambs.

Shetland tips are horned, and male lambs therefore are also horned.  Baby horns can get damaged, caught in stock fence, etc, and can be prone to getting struck by flies when damaged, so do create a bit more work.

[pharnorth]

I started with 2 Ryeland ewe lambs and 3 in lamb ewes. 3rd lambing this year, now have 13 including a ram and a ram lamb.  Had to assist with a couple of lambing first year- pick a ram that doesn't have a wide forehead.  Nothing complicated just an easing out of the lamb. Probably easier than horned if you need to use electric fencing/ co graze with horses? 

[Imafluffybunny]

I have both ryelands and a few shetlands. I much prefer the ryelands, easy to handle, catch, move around etc. My shetlands are flighty, escape if not in a very well fenced field and much harder to generally deal with.
I do get lovely lambs for the freezer however from the shetlands crossed with my ryelands tup!

[shotblastuk]

I looked after a friends Shetlands for a few months when he lost his land. Must say glad to see the back of them. flighty things almost impossible to contain bad influence on my Cotswolds. Anybody who opts to keep Shetlands needs to ensure their fencing is up to scratch and some (wouldn't recommend electric fence system for them). Never again caused me no end of problems.  

[plt102]

We have Shetland. I do agree they can be escape artists but are so friendly and full of character and mine are super tame and easy to round up. They are also small and easy to handle and some will self rue early in the season so no problem with fly strike and no need to shear. The lambs do grow slowly and we keep them for at least 18 months before the freezer. The meat is great though and they are superb mothers with very easy lambing. Good luck!

[mcd]

What are people's experience with a finished Ryeland carcase? Can they provide a nice commercial 20kg R4L off grass at around 6 months? I heard they can get fat quite quickly but would like to keep them over the summer and send away in the autumn.