The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: andywalt on October 07, 2010, 07:53:11 pm
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Hi all
Ive got some new arrivals for another pocket of land I have been able to obtain, but until ive done some fencing they are in my garden tempararily and they are eating the dried leaves of our laurel tree....is that ok? is there any plants that are bad for sheep? appreciate any comments
thanks
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laurel is toxic and sheep love it!
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kanisha
toxic to them? should I remove them or are they ok to eat it?
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Laurel is TOXIC!!!!!! It will poison them
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rhodadendron is a killer so say from a vet he said that 11 leaves is enough to kill a cow and our shetlands ate half a bush load and killed off half the flock in no time. just be ready for the hunt on speed dial if they get that.
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s**t !!
well good job I checked, they have been here 8 hours and we put there shelter under a laurel tree, Ive just run out in the rain and dark and moved them out and put them in a penned area until the morning, so how toxic is it??? they might have eaten alot of the old leaves that are under the tree.....
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I think it will make them sick - this gives a fairly comprehensive list - http://www.ttlntl.co.uk/2/Health/poisonplants.htm
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so far so good, all look ok so far,
thats a bastard lesson to learn, hopefully they havnt eaten much of it, keep you posted
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Anything with evergreen leaves is suspicious and most likley toxic, only exception (that I know) is ivy, which I used for both goats and sheep during the heavy snow last winter. But again not the berries.
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andy mine have eaten some laurel ( ask me how I know sheep love it.) despite being behind a fence at a distance the buggers will still nibble the stuff if they can so far after five years no problems but they only have very limited access I would think yours should be ok; so far i've never had problems with any of mine but i wouldn't leave them in an area where there is fallen leaves or access to browsing on the bushes. .
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Kanisha
We have a massive tree at least 10m high, and I put a small shelter underneath it for them, how dumb am I, anyway I will get the whole tree removed now I know....... glad I checked and thanks for answering so quickly, I just hope there not all dead tomorrow morning!!!
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and how are they all this morning?
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Kanisha
All is well, but penned up in a small area, the local tree guy is coming this afternoon to see if he can remove it quickly, its been a real pain but no deaths thankfully, sigh of relieffffffffffffffffffffff ;)
Im also going to look at some oussants on sunday, you keep them dont you kanisha? anything I should look out for? any tips?
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Hi andy if you are looking for ouessants take a measure with you (I'm not kidding!)
as adults the rams should be no more than 49cm maximum height when fully grown( over three years old). my rams are all between 44cm and 46cm as adults this is because if you buy rams at the maximum height you will get a fair selection of over height lambs. my ewes average between 40 cm and ideally no more than 44cms ( ewes max height 46cms) but with a small ram i am less fussed over the ewes. .
over and above their height don't pay over the odds; many of the uk ouessants are overpriced and overrated.
they are too fine boned, fine faced and googly eyed ( no idea why the dutch favour this style. )
if you are being asked for alot of money then send me the details and I'd be happy to look over the pedigree. I've been showing at the french national shows the last four years and have also travelled to holland to see some of the dutch breeders there are some very good sheep out there but buyer beware.
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thanks Kanisha
I will take a measure on sunday, they are asking £150 each for them, I dont think that is alot for the breed so maybe they are not up to scratch, her name is Jan from margate, kent if you know her at all?
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Gosh my Shetlands were only £25 each, thats six of them for every Ouessant. They should have gold nail varnish for £150 :-))
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I think depends where you are in the country, Ive just brought some shetlands at a bottom price of £40, normally £60
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Good pedigree shetland ewes have been selling above 60 quid at the last few sales this year...
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I guess as mine arent registered they were cheap girlies cos of that. But I love them anyway and their sons taste very nice!
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Andy
The other thing that is deadly to sheep is YEW. don't let them anywhere near it. also occas they may try & eat acorns!, these aren't too good for them either. White willow will give them the squits as well
CTC :sheep:
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My goat that is just a pet eat a whole brush of the stuff 5 years ago and is still going strong and over 20. Was not happy she got in my garden mind you not many flowers left
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andy have you had sheep before. from south down through shetlands to the ouessant. you asking a lot if your new to sheep. the bog standard shetland has been selling in the 30 plus range. crosses at 45 plus. a very good year for prices. unlike a few years ago when the council had to buy and destroy thousands because there was no market. we were lucky we bought 7 coloured shetlands spotty ones for a 150. if you really want the small sheep your not going to get a lot of meat off them.
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This is my first year with sheep, Ive had plenty of experiance with cattle but this year is a big learning curve for me so I am having to learn very quickly from others not only about the sheep but all the red tape, movement forms ect, so I may sound rediculious from time to time, but I would rather ask questions and told Im silly than not ask and not know. Ie the lage laurel tree in my garden if I didnt ask Id have some dead sheep.
I am very open and willing to learn and listen in a couple of years I will be more up to the mark with a few years experiance.
thats me !! ;D ;D
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that how we all learn. having a helpful local farmer will be a good support. expect the odd dead one. we have only lost one adult sheep and that was on our second day. make sure that you now the risks in their fields. this fully grown cheviot drowned in a hole about 1.5ft square. it took two of us to pull it out.
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I have several local clients who are sheep farmers and of course the forum mob !! ;D
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Photinia is lethal too, a friend of mine lent his ram to a friend . The field bordered a row of houses. Someone threw their hedge clippings into the field and the ram died. Postmortem showed photinia. Think i've spelt that wrong but you know what i mean
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that is spelt correct, photinia, ive looked it up, looks like the rhody family>>>>