[lizzypeg]

im looking into swapping my few x breed ewes to Wiltshire horns in the future as iv decided I want to go down the shedding sheep route...iv had shetland in past who shed but didn't like their flightiness..

im in kent...are any of you local as id like to meet some first.

also are they good for meat sheep I just breed a few for my own/familys benefit...

[Tim W]

Look on the society web site for breeders in your area

I've had a flock of between 80 and 200 for the last 18? years ---they have good meat and ok growth rates
They are not good mums in a commercial situation but in a small flock where you may be inclined to pay more attention to detail they will do you fine

I also keep polled shedding sheep and they are much more productive (30% more lambs raised and better growth rates) ---they taste just as good and don't have those damn horns which can be a problem

[lizzypeg]

hi

the polled shedding sheep sound even better as I am put off by the horns as mine graze with me ponies.
il only have 4 max so theyl get plenty of one to one attention.
are the polled shedding sheep a bit like easy care?

[langfauld easycare]

cant comment on wiltshires but check out www.easycaresheep.com

[darkbrowneggs]

I kept a flock of Black Welsh Mountain for over 20 years but had to sell them when I could no longer handle them myself.  Got a "helper" who offered to look after any sheep for me and bought Wiltshire Horn as I thought it would help not having to shear/dag them


My god - are the ever big!!!!  I called them ships not sheep.


I feel they are more like goats than sheep, but if you can deal with big sheep they might be ok for you.  They were quite willful and intelligent  - which can also  be a plus or minus when dealing with sheep


The chap that was supposed to help disappeared after a few weeks and I had to sell them on as there was no way I could have helped them if they were in any trouble.


If you had a small flock and handled them well ( and kindly) from an early age I think they could become quite companionable. 


I think they had not had a happy life before coming to me..... I sold them back to their breeder, and although they would always come to the call for me (lild's digestive biscuits), they took one look at her and headed for the bottom paddock..... I couldn't get them in at all till she had gone home!!!!!!


She did "easycare" as well but they didnt look as though they shed that well to me.

[Ladygrey]

im looking into swapping my few x breed ewes to Wiltshire horns in the future as iv decided I want to go down the shedding sheep route...iv had shetland in past who shed but didn't like their flightiness..

I had a few wilts horns and they are farrr too flighty, so I changed to shetlands... lol

[SteveHants]

Easycare types are probably the way to go if you don't like big sheep with horns.


I can't comment on flightiness though - a dog will gather wilts. I'm not friends with any of my sheep.   

[Crofterloon]

I have had Wiltshire's for the last 6 or 7 years.
I can honestly say they can be hard to round up if they are not handled much, but not compared to Shetland's which seem to be escape artists, they are easier.
With any sheep I have found a very small amount of dry feed will tame the animal.
I have no experience with easycare sheep but I am sure they will be much the same.
 
What I like about the Wiltshire is it finishes on grass reasonably quick and I know people who cross them with Beauchon, beltex and texel with good results.
As someone said earlier to Wiltshire Horn society web site will show members in Kent and I an sure they will let you see the sheep and answer any questions.

[Yeoman]

Wilts do show less of a tendency to flock together but a handful of dry food will literally have them eating out of your hand in a week or so.  Chasing them round the field is best left to sheep dog trailers!
Very friendly and remarkably intelligent.
So it depends what you're looking for.  If they are on a fast trip to the freezer you may not welcome some of the attributes which make you like them!
Regarding the comparison between the Wilt and the Easycare.  I have a few Easycare that I'm looking after at the moment and they seem to show many of the same temperament characteristics.  Not surprising really as they are quite closely related.
You can get a list of Wilt breeders off their website.  The breeders are listed by county so you will be able to find someone local to you. 
 

[devonlad]

We started with a few wilts some years ago and have still got some pure breds plus some we have crossed with a Lleyn. For meat we prefer the crosses as they just seem "meatier". as for handling, couldn't be easier- especially the pure wilts. we do handle them a lot and they are very used to us, which I think  helps hugely. For feet trimming we don't need to flip them over, just pick up one foot at a time -horse style. When we first had them we had little in the way of sheep handling equipment so needed to "tame" them to stand any chance of getting close to them. whilst we are now better kitted out it still makes the foot trimming, drenching, lambing business so much less of a hassle if they are happy to be around us. Our neighbour keeps a flock of Lleyns and whenever he has a full on "shepherding" day I help him out and it is a nightmare, dogs barking, shouting, sheep wrestling, exhausting nightmare. Last week we drenched all ours and checked feet prior to tupping. it was absolutely silent, calm and delightful.
AlI I have to do is whistle and they will follow me wherever I go. if we need them in for drenching for example I just stand at the field gate and whistle and they come running and follow me into the barn. At our small level- 12 ewes and some of this years lambs (plus both going out to work full time) it is vital that the sheep are easy to deal with. We are very fond of our girls and have worked hard to strike a good relationship with them. if I sit out in the field on a summers day they all crowd round me pushing to get a head scratch. HOWEVER they only are like this for my wife and I, any one else appears in the field they leg it- just like proper sheep !

[mab]

im looking into swapping my few x breed ewes to Wiltshire horns in the future as iv decided I want to go down the shedding sheep route...iv had shetland in past who shed but didn't like their flightiness..

im in kent...are any of you local as id like to meet some first.

also are they good for meat sheep I just breed a few for my own/familys benefit...

I've recently acquired some easycares from a big flock and I find them very flighty compared to my very tame shetlands - I guess flightyness is down to the shepherding they're used to more than the breed. The easycares are getting better with regular contact & bucket training but doubt they'll every be as tame.

[SteveHants]

Even when I only had 50 sheep and no dog, I couldn't get them to jump in a pen after a bucket, wilts, lleyn or any crosses thereof - was driving them in all  the way (without too much trouble I hasten to add).

[darkbrowneggs]

Maybe its numbers - I only had half a doz or so Wiltshires  and when they got to me they were wild as hawks.  As I said I only kept them for about 9mths, but by the end they would come to call, eat from my hand, though gingerly and were beginning to respond to my whistles.


I have never had a sheep dog, but had two whistles I used when moving the sheep.  One for - move away from me, and a different one for come to me, its surprising how quickly sheep will learn.  Also I always tried to get them to associate the barn with food and shelter before I started doing anything of a more interferring nature with them


My original BWM flock would go in the barn at night and each ewe enter the correct lambing pen for the night.  Those that were out in the day would often go back into the barn to lamb if the weather was not good.


I think when you have more that around 20 or so they start to panic each other and once they are in panic mode they can't think clearly (probably like me    )