The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: mmu on September 19, 2011, 11:30:01 pm

Title: Southdowns here at last
Post by: mmu on September 19, 2011, 11:30:01 pm

Our new Southdowns arrived today, 4 ewe lambs and a tup, or ram, depending which side of the border you live.  Will try to put photos of them and Oxfords up soon!

Title: Re: Southdowns here at last
Post by: andywalt on September 20, 2011, 08:05:25 pm

yes id like to see them !! where are your photos??

Title: Re: Southdowns here at last
Post by: mmu on September 21, 2011, 06:09:54 pm

They're still in my daughter's phone, and she's not here just now!  Hopefully we'll get them done over the weekend if we have time.  What line is your Southdown ram?

Title: Re: Southdowns here at last
Post by: mmu on September 22, 2011, 10:48:56 am

Pics of Southdowns.  Sorry they're fuzzy, but this is as close as we can get at the moment, plus it was a grey day.

Title: Re: Southdowns here at last
Post by: andywalt on September 22, 2011, 03:22:34 pm

they look lovely little chunky monkeys are you breeding to produce meat or breeding for the breed?

well done

Title: Re: Southdowns here at last
Post by: mmu on September 22, 2011, 11:14:28 pm

Both really.  They are the breed I grew up with in Sussex, so I've a great interest in breeding particular old lines.  They are a good meat breed when bred pure, they were once so prolific, because butchers really liked them. Then things went crazy with the demand for great big joints etc., and they fell out of favour until the arrival of bigger rams from France among other places.  I would like to have a go at showing them to see if we can encourage some interest, although I don't know about the ram, as he's not quite what I would have wanted.