The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Nickie on September 26, 2011, 02:20:48 pm
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On Saturday we went to our first market to sell our own livestock. Woohoo.
These were our first lambs which we'd bred ourselves. Last year we had a couple of lambs but from a ewe we bought already in-lamb. We didn't really know what to expect, but we had a great experience.
We walked away with a fist full of rosettes, including a posh multi-coloured champion rosette & we were happy with the prices reached in the auction. Only took 7 lambs as we have kept a few back for the freezer.
Learnt a few valuable lessons along the way, so would do things a little differently next time.
Sorry, bit pleased & had to share!
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Well done you! First time with homebred livestock and you came away with rosettes?! Including champion?! That's all wrong - you have to try and try for years, generations maybe, before you get rosettes!
Many congratulations - but I am intrigued and would like to know more. What breed? And could you share the lessons you learned for the benefit of us other poor stooges who've never won so much as a raffle? :D
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Wow - Well done :thumbsup: :trophy: :thumbsup:
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Thanks Sally.
I'm sure there was a huge amount of luck involved, but we have got some nice breeding ewes & we have a cracking ram (one of the lambs we had last year, so again very lucky there, but we have been told by several people that he would probably have won at Anglesey show had we taken him there).
They are Shetland sheep btw. Never entered a show before & only entered Chelford as it cost the same to show & sell as to just sell & we were interested to see what the judge would make of them. Quite a bit it would appear.
We got 1st & 3rd in the ram class, 3 ram lambs taken, the 1st went on to win primitive champion. One of the 4 ewe lambs also won 3rd in the 2011 lamb class (judge said she would have won had she not had a broken baby tooth).
We let the ram lamb down in the champion show ring as everyone else was in white coats with brushes in their hands, placing feet etc. We didn't even have a halter with us as we weren't expecting anything like this!
So, lessons learnt:
I would make sure the catelogue stated breed registration number & colour.
I would at least remove bits of dead plant from their fleeces before getting there!
Halter train & take a halter & white coat.
Go through to auction before your own sheep so you have an idea of what prices are being paid.
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well done congrats, :trophy: :thumbsup:
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Excellent, well done! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: