The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: plumseverywhere on January 21, 2012, 05:26:19 pm
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One of the ewes we are keeping is of unknown (to us) breeding - was wondering if I put some pics on if any of you sheep experts might be able to give me some ideas as to what she might be (most likely a cross breed? I think?)
One is her as a young lamb the other is at 10 months old (she's the one without the pink coat, haha)
Thank you in advance! We think she is pregnant so would be nice to know a bit more about her in that respect too!
(http://i1003.photobucket.com/albums/af154/itsbaaathtime/nimblelamb.jpg)
(http://i1003.photobucket.com/albums/af154/itsbaaathtime/indianimble.jpg)
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Got anything with the whole animal in?
Heads quite narrow so I don't think its pure, so I'm going to guess Lleyn x.
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Thanks SteveHants - this is the only one I can find of her whole body, she was quite young, I'd say 6 mths.
(http://i1003.photobucket.com/albums/af154/itsbaaathtime/nimblewhole.jpg)
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Well I think the ones that I could rule OUT as her sire suffolk (no black), any kind of roman nose boy, like a Leicester, so I would think Lleyn may be quite likely. Not sure about texel, but would have thought that her head would be wider and the muzzle/nose too. (Just by comparing to my Texel cross ewes).
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http://www.lleynsheep.com/gallery/northwalesopenday2011/index.htm (http://www.lleynsheep.com/gallery/northwalesopenday2011/index.htm) for comparison :)
What was/is the ram that went in?
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I'd go with lleyn.....or at least one parent was....other could be poll dorset or charollais as sometimes they come out with faces like that when crossed certainly not texel nor suffolk, not long wool nor primitive. I think she looks quite nice :)
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How does the fleece feel? Soft? Thick/dense? Crinkly? It looks a bit harsh, not short and not very dense, which would suggest not Charollais - that would give a very short, smooth, dense coat - and maybe a pinkish skin.
Dad was likely to be a purebred something, but her mum could have been a mix herself. Do you think her mother was purebred? I don't suppose you've a pic of mum?
She looks very sweet, anyway.
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She has got that lleyn look about her hasn't she? and while i was googling I thought of Dorsets too.
I have no idea about her parents because she was brought her as a bottle lamb, part of a sheep club, but I am keeping her as one of my own. Her fleece feels quite dense to me but I am a novice. I would say it is course rather than soft though. She is living with a wiltshireX so in comparison her fleece feels harder than her friends (tallulah - I didn't name them ;) )
The ram that has been in with these 2 girls is also a wiltshire X so was quite small.
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Going by the fist photo I was going to say a dorset x, so after reading the other replies I am going with dorset x lleyn ;D
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I've just googled some pictures of Lleyn sheep and have to say I can see NImble in them very clearly! I also spotted in the description below one of these images that Lleyn sheep are good milking sheep - needless to say I'm a bit excited about this (for obvious reasons"!) but having told hubby and my eldest daughter they are less so, in fact they just groaned quite loudly at the thought of me milking several goats and a sheep twice a day ;D
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I was getting exited too - I'm hoping for some special cheese coming soon!! just an idea xx
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ooh I know! I had to do some further research and while OH was sat here muttering about what a ridiculous idea milking a sheep was I mentioned that feta was sheep cheese and he's gone quiet ;)
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I believe the 'original' Lleyn was a dual-purpose sheep, they'd lamb em in feb, take the lamb away back end of april and milk em into the autumn.
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I'm a lot of a newby myself so cant add in much, but I have 5 Lleyn and they have much smaller faces - especially narrower at the forehead - and smaller ears than yours seems. Mind you mine may have a little bit of Welsh mountain in them some way back - but yours do look like they have something else in their mix too. Yours also looks a bit heftier than ours (dare I say meatier if keeping as a pet ;) ?). Very lovely she is too! Keep us posted re milking - I had not thought of that!
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Hiya FiB :wave:
yep this one is a pet! the only sheep to have ever wee'd on my lounge carpet no less ;) just the waiting game now to get her scanned and see if she'll be a mum :)
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This gives me an idea for a sweepstake.........
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errr that'll be a sheepstake then? ;D
currently have one going in the office re the number and colours of lambs and how many singles ect
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first thought I had was texel cross cheviot .. if the wool gets bulky and long that would be a clincher