The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: SallyintNorth on September 13, 2013, 12:06:17 pm

Title: Finally....
Post by: SallyintNorth on September 13, 2013, 12:06:17 pm
The brown one is mine, all three will run in the commercial flock and be tupped this year by a Dutch Texel.

Title: Re: Finally....
Post by: Bionic on September 13, 2013, 12:11:29 pm
Lovely looking sheep. Is the fleece any good for spinning?
Title: Re: Finally....
Post by: ZaktheLad on September 13, 2013, 12:24:42 pm
I'm not a fan of horned sheep, but do like the look of these  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Finally....
Post by: Rosemary on September 13, 2013, 12:30:17 pm
They're lovely :-)
Title: Re: Finally....
Post by: Mammyshaz on September 13, 2013, 12:38:54 pm
Very nice. Love the mix of fleece colours  :spin:  :knit:
Title: Re: Finally....
Post by: SteveHants on September 13, 2013, 04:34:56 pm
Damn - I could have sworn a 'funny looking' little flock by the road near me were Icelandics. Now I'm not so sure...
Title: Re: Finally....
Post by: SallyintNorth on September 13, 2013, 05:46:36 pm
Lovely looking sheep. Is the fleece any good for spinning?

Hoooohhh yeah!!!!!   :excited: :spin:

Should be double-coated; outer is tog, inner is thel (or the other way about, never can remember), mixed is lopi.  Thel (inner) very very soft, felts very very easily; outer is very hardwearing.  Think Icelandic jumper!  :idea:  Felted slippers!   :excited:  Ooooh, lots of uses!    :spin: :excited: :knit:
Title: Re: Finally....
Post by: SallyintNorth on September 13, 2013, 05:47:34 pm
I'm not a fan of horned sheep, but do like the look of these  :thumbsup:
Exactly what himself said when we saw our first last year at Lanark.  Good strong ewes, hardy as heck.   :fc:
Title: Re: Finally....
Post by: SallyintNorth on September 13, 2013, 05:49:13 pm
Damn - I could have sworn a 'funny looking' little flock by the road near me were Icelandics. Now I'm not so sure...

These are particularly fine specimens - big strong girls.  They are actually 7/8 Icelandic, 1/8 Berrichon.  So the ones you see could be Icelandic, depending on how different they are...  If you post some pics we can try and work it out  :eyelashes:
Title: Re: Finally....
Post by: SteveHants on September 13, 2013, 07:04:49 pm
Damn - I could have sworn a 'funny looking' little flock by the road near me were Icelandics. Now I'm not so sure...

These are particularly fine specimens - big strong girls.  They are actually 7/8 Icelandic, 1/8 Berrichon.  So the ones you see could be Icelandic, depending on how different they are...  If you post some pics we can try and work it out  :eyelashes:


That might involve crashing my car.... ;D


But these are all brown, similarly horned though. I know its not much of a description, I only get a good look at them in a traffic jam.
Title: Re: Finally....
Post by: SallyintNorth on September 13, 2013, 08:57:56 pm
Steve, the ones you are seeing wouldn't be Castlemilk Moorits or Manx Loaghtans, would they?

Top pic is a Castlemilk Moorit, 2nd a Manx ewe with her Shetland X lamb.  You can get Manxes that are shaped like the Castlemilks, same horns too, but the all-over dark brown of my Manx in this pic.
Title: Re: Finally....
Post by: mowhaugh on September 13, 2013, 09:35:11 pm
lovely!
Title: Re: Finally....
Post by: SteveHants on September 13, 2013, 10:17:05 pm
Steve, the ones you are seeing wouldn't be Castlemilk Moorits or Manx Loaghtans, would they?

Top pic is a Castlemilk Moorit, 2nd a Manx ewe with her Shetland X lamb.  You can get Manxes that are shaped like the Castlemilks, same horns too, but the all-over dark brown of my Manx in this pic.


No - they are much more 'heavy set' than those, more like the first pic, but it makes sense if they have Berrichon  in. Some of my woolshedders have a bit in, and some have Friesland - I'll post a pic of a Berrichon 'throw out' you can tell by the pink noses....
Title: Re: Finally....
Post by: Fleecewife on September 14, 2013, 12:03:25 am
Most likely Manx Loughtan which can be quite sturdy and there's plenty of them about.
 
Sally - I love the sheeps  :sheep: :sheep: :sheep: 8)  in fact I'm quite envious  :wave:
Title: Re: Finally....
Post by: bloomer on September 14, 2013, 08:07:23 am
one day i need to come up with an excuse to go visit sally and have a look at all her different sheeps!!!
Title: Re: Finally....
Post by: SallyintNorth on September 14, 2013, 08:35:14 am
No excuse needed, especially if accompanied by spinning children  ;D