The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: jaykay on September 18, 2011, 05:46:12 pm
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Ok, so I think I might get some Shetlands, when my Rough Fells have gone. I can't imagine not having sheep and truthfully I don't have the time for a pony while I'm working full-time too. But Shetlands I could handle in my own, if i could get them tame?
So - do you put Shetlands to the tup when they're 18months old, like most hill breeds or can they be tupped as lambs?
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Shetland lambs are still pretty small in their first autumn, so usually wait until they are in their second year. But I do not feed my lambs while they still have access to grass, and only little concentrate and lots of hay/haylage during the winter. They have a growth spurt in spring when the new grass comes in - and then I suddenly realise that the hoggets are as big as their mums!
I think also most poeple do not use tup lambs for tupping, as they are quite small and can be quite slow starters.
For eating they are at their best in their third summer, we keep some our (castrated) males for two winters (as companions for the tup), and they kill out at about 22 - 24 kgs. Fantastic slow roasted leg!
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I let my ewe lambs mature as I find it stands them in better sted as breeding ewes, if used to early the ewes growth can be affected depending on feed available. I have used ram lambs with no ill effect and with good results 100% fertility
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Ok, that makes a lot of sense, that's what I'm used to. Thank you :)
I suppose another advantage is that they'll eat less. I like the fact that you expect to wether some of the male lambs and keep them through, it solves the 'who will keep tup company' problem.
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If they are well grown you can put them to the tup as lambs, same as any other breed of sheep really. I had 5 of my ewe hoggs lamb in July this year (tup escaped and got into them just for a few hours) and they popped them out and reared them no problem. I'll be weaning the lambs shortly so the gimmers go back to the tup in November.
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More questions :)
To what age might I keep Shetland breeding ewes on a hill farm? For example, my Roughs would go from here at 5-shear, though they might manage another couple of years on a farm lower down.
And what would I expect to pay for Shetland gimmer lambs, shearlings and ewes? And a good quality shearling tup?
(Someone is after getting his hands on my Rough money and I am after getting it tied up in sheep again quickly, but won't manage it instantly!)
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I have Shetlands in their teens producing lambs off very poor quality grazing and looking well on it. They should last longer than other breeds but you'd have to go through them and take out any losing their teeth. I'd be surprised at Shetland ewes losing their teeth at 5 tho and their udders general are very good too.
I would expect to pay 40-50 for ewes, 30-40 for ewe lambs and my friend bought a 2 shear show winning tup recently for £80. Not sure where you are located but if you can buy from Shetland direct you'd get tough sheep, or there are special Shetland sales at St Boswells in the coming weeks (probably not all pure Shetlands, will be sheep FROM Shetland, but bound to be plenty of Shetlands among them).
You can cross them with something like a North Country Cheviot and get better lambs but they will still pop them out, the lambs are tiny at birth, even the crosses.
Shetlands are tough and simple little sheep. The only draw back with the breed is they escape for the sake of it, it doesn't matter what's on the other side, it could be moon dust, they will still escape if they can, gaps under the bottom wire or lack of rylock, you won't keep them in. Oh and you need a good dog to get them in or make sure they are very petted and follow a bag. They are greedy and quite easy to tame down. Easier than Soays or Hebs I have found.
But, if your fences are not good, get some Hebs instead. They are a bit dearer to buy but their horns will stop them escaping and you'd get a slightly better carcass from them.
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That's really helpful Corrie, thank you :)
I've got drystone walls mainly which my goat kids love to run on.....probably small sheep will too :P
I need a breed I can train to a bucket as my dogs are ex-pet Border collies and not trained. People seem to think i'll be able to do that with Shetlands? And I like the range of markings and colours they come in.
I can't find anything about Shetland sales at St Boswell - the one near Jedbergh? Do you have any more info?
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Yes the dykes will be good amusement for them ;)
Give them a ring, there are two sales coming up soon that I heard about. (Oops one was yesterday but there is one with 3000 store lambs in October too).
You will be able to bucket train them but might be easier if you had some old ewes to show them the ropes as well.
Where about do you live and how many are you looking for?
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I'm in Cumbria, nr the N Yorkshire border. I thought 10-12 initially.
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I will have various for sale once I've gone through them. Could sell some in lamb to the NCC if you were interested. Not registered tho.
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I have 5 to go, they range in ages from 18 months to about 6 yrs. 3 are registered I am reluctant to send them to auction as I am told they will end up in a curry somewhere so if anyone is interested I am in the Borders near Eyemouth.
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Hi Corrie, that's very kind of you, though I think I will probably go the registered route.
Went up to the Caledonian sale today, to look at all the different sheep. I liked the Hebrideans a lot too, if only they weren't all black (they are beautiful but you can't dye black fleece much). So Shetlands I think, but still in the process of selling the Roughs and thinking/getting organised.
My breeding flock (gimmer lambs, gimmers and ewes) went yesterday :'( To good people though and the lambs and ewes to the same place, so that was nice :) Old ladies go on Tues and tups in three weeks :-\
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My breeding flock (gimmer lambs, gimmers and ewes) went yesterday :'( To good people though and the lambs and ewes to the same place, so that was nice :) Old ladies go on Tues and tups in three weeks :-\
:bouquet: :bouquet: {{{hugs}}} :bouquet: :bouquet:
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Thank you :-*
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Hugs Jaykay and hopefully this might bring a smile -
(http://i331.photobucket.com/albums/l466/Nenamile_jack/IMAG0004-1.jpg)
I am collecting these two from Wiltshire tomorrow. I particularly wanted a fawn ewe lamb and when I heard she was called Summer and had a twin called Winter I couldn't resist them both.
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They're lovely Fron and thanks for the hugs :)
I think I like the patterned ones most, like the Foula sheep, though I like well-marked katmoget and gulmogets too :) Just learning about the genetics. Seems I will want a brown, spotted tup -hmmmm, that'll be easy to find then :D
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Thanks. I am really struggling with the genetics. The link on the Society website is great but I still need a pencil and paper and even so it seems Mother Nature can play a joker. I think I should have mainly Moorits and Fawns next year but I suspect I will find out otherwise. These two will have to wait another year though.
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Hiya, very much a novice where it comes to sheep, but we bought 6 Shetland Rams a few weeks ago, they are this years lambs, and within a week they were bucket trained, in fact when they see you they almost bowl you over in excitement ;D we got a mixture of colours inc two dark chocolate ones and then a mix of other markings/colours.
They are very cute and run witurnur two Shetland ponies like they have been friends forever :D so sweet to see them all laid down together!
We havnt had any escape yet, but we do check the fencing regularly, but we do find they always have branches and leaves etc stuck in their fleeces, they never look tidy :D
Good luck in finding the sheep you want and enjoy ;D
Blueeyes xx
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we bought 6 Shetland Rams a few weeks ago, they are this years lambs, and within a week they were bucket trained
this is very reassuring ;D
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Well I collected my erm three and as usual left that particular flock with regrets for the ones I had to leave behind. It is great when you can buy from a breeder who has put so much care and attention into the animals. And I always seem to come back with an extra one. This time it was a ewe lamb called Manila who I simply couldn't leave behind. Also learnt a lot about Shetlands in the process having been taken through the good and bad points of a large number of lambs and most of the rams, had a few of the finer points of fleece evaluation explained to me and also met Mothers and Grandmothers of the lambs I was looking at.
No Moorit Fronet rams though although there was a stunning Black Krunet boy I would have loved to take home. At least I think I have those the right way round. There were no spotted brown rams and the black ram had a white patch on his head. I will get my head round the markings one day.
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:D I'm glad to hear other people come back with more than they intended :D
I went to visit a breeder today and bought 5 moorit gimmer shearlings, a black shearling tup and a black wether lamb to keep him company. I go to collect them in a fortnight ;D
I also learned loads and what to look for :) Decided to start my flock with these very nice sheep, which had bee well handled so were quit friendly (and add colours in as and when I learn what I want)
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I love the coloured ones too....but found them very hard to send off to the abbatoir... which is why I currently have an elderly white ram for my mainly white ewes and two coloured wether companions for the ram - bred em but couldnt send em off!
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I went to visit a breeder today and bought 5 moorit gimmer shearlings, a black shearling tup and a black wether lamb to keep him company. I go to collect them in a fortnight ;D
That is brilliant news, jaykay. :thumbsup:
I don't suppose you took any snaps...? (Or will we have to contain ourselves for a fortnight? :D)
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I didn't and now I have to wait too ::) Maybe the lady will email me some :)
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if it's of any interest here is my shetland taming timeline (they're half castlemilk moorit too)
day 1 PM. vertical take off when any human is seen anywhere. i poured a couple of scoops of ewe nuts on the ground and left immediately.
day 2 AM. placed food on floor and went to edge of paddock to watch. sheep devour food.
day 2 PM. placed food on floor and stayed near, sheep wandered over slowly, then devoured food.
day 3 AM. placed a bit of food in trough, sat on bucket and held out handfuls of feed. 4 out of five eating out of my hand.
day 3 PM. get escorted to feed shed by sheep, extract sheep from said shed so i can get to the feed bin, then trodden on in haste to get to trough, all except the horned one eat out of hand.
day 4 AM. sheep at gate yelling for breakfast, constantly in the way and all trying to get into feed shed before me.
PM see above.
horny still wont eat from the hand but has hers in a bucket. the others are always climbing on me for food.
they are worse than goats! :sheep: :sheep: :goat: :sheep:
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As someone considering Castlemilk Moorits, I am delighted to hear your story colliewoman!
Mind, I've just had a neighbour today making it abundantly plain that my wild primitives all over his good dairy ground would not be very well received... uh ohhhh.... ::)
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CollieWoman - thank you very much for sharing that, it makes me feel very hopeful mine will learn to come to food - and that's all i want, to be able to 'gather' them with a bucket instead of a dog. Though i do love sheep eating out of my hands too ;D
That was a grumpy neighbour Sally! As if a few stray Castlemilks would hurt his dairy grass ::) You could always deny all knowledge and claim what he saw were deer ;)
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Looking forward to hearing more about them Jaykay. And I think the record so far this year among my friends for buying more than intended goes to my friend David who went to the Hill Radnor sale on Saturday to buy a ram and came back with 2 rams and 4 ewes declaring it was a shame to take a trailer that far for one animal.
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Fronhaul - I agree totally with your friend David - I couldn't return with an empty trailer and added a castlemilk to my shetlands - who have now been here a month and are just like Colliewoman's - they are just a delight - picked up 2 shetland ewes on Saturday and you have thought they always been here - feeding out of my hand already and tearing down the field when I go to check on the ram lambs next bit along.
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That was a grumpy neighbour Sally! As if a few stray Castlemilks would hurt his dairy grass ::)
To be fair, I'd just let rip into them for driving their sheep past Meg's ark... Don't worry, they're fabulous neighbours, we're great friends. And their fattening lambs frequently find ways onto our less hard-worked ground, as he well knows!
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the record so far this year among my friends for buying more than intended goes to my friend David who went to the Hill Radnor sale on Saturday to buy a ram and came back with 2 rams and 4 ewes declaring it was a shame to take a trailer that far for one animal.
BH's favourite excuse, that one, too.
And the other thing I've learned to interpret : "We'll just go and see it sold", means, of course, it's coming home with us (unless it's very dear.)
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My OH Allen has learnt 'I just want to go for a look' actually means 'I'm going to add a couple to the flock' - he's very understanding