The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: sokel on December 07, 2013, 08:39:46 pm
-
What are the pros and cons of them ? bearing in mind we live out in the wilds with serious weather in winter
Trish keeps looking at them in Fields and would like a few but don't know anything about them.
we do have lamb chop, cassie casserole and Stewie stew who will be here for life but really would like to go down a pure breed route and Ryelands seem too be a one that attracts us
-
Well here goes, Ryelands stupid thick slow sheep with poor maternal instinct but that's my personal opinion based on my practical experience of keeping a few for a very short time as I got shot of them very very quickly. Compared to my Shetlands well there is no comparison. Full of character fantastic mothering instinct and very hardy and so many colour varieties :sheep: :sheep: :sheep: :sheep: :farmer: .
-
I do like shetlands but they are very low on our list, Trish wants something with that Ryland look ::)
-
If getting Ryelands don't cross them with (not that you would I'm sure!) , the Herdwicks I acquired look lovely but the Rye cross offspring they came with are not blessed with beauty in the looks department!!! Like a jumper that's too tight and a big nose. They remind me of , is it, Smiffy from the Beano. Still their mums love them and I'm sure the two of three who are boys will taste delicious next summer :-DD as to the sole female anyone want a Ryeland x Herdwick gimmer next year? :-DDD :excited:
-
If you want the 'Ryeland look', what about Southdown? I would certainly use a SD tup on my 'fleece flock' for lovely fleeces :spin: :knit: and a good commercial lamb. And we've talked about using one on our first-timer commercial ewes too - the fleece improvement :spin: :knit: would be an added bonus of course :innocent: - but there weren't (m)any about hereabouts ;)
-
My Shetland x Ryeland ewes have proved to be fantastic mums - easy twin lambing, milk like Friesians :cow: ::) , good natured and live on fresh air. Lovely spinning fleece and beautiful sheepskin rugs, meat is delicious. Can't ask for more although they will never win any show prizes :love: .
-
We've had Ryelands since 2007. They are docile, charming and friendly sheep. We've never had big issues at lambing although they are not as easy as the Shetland or other primitives, but they are so easy to handle, it isn't a chore. Never had a problem with poor mothering and they have always done their lambs well, apart from one gimmer who's twins needed topping up.
Good fleece, beautiul lamb; tup lambs away by six months off grass.
-
Our neighbours' ten year old daughter has Ryelands, we are in fairly rough country and they seem to do well, Emma can handle them herself, and although I personally am not keen on the look of them, they always handle brilliantly - much more solid and fleshier than they look.
-
I have Ryelands and love them. As Rosemary has said they are docile and mine would have no intention of jumping a fence (too much like hard work for them ;D )
We had lambs for the first time this year and my girls were very good mothers.
-
Just make sure your shearer knows what to expect.... there have a mighty fleece on them and it's everywhere...
I am not sure I would keep them out in the Northumbrian wilds...
-
Well we have been to visit today and we have had a long chat with the owner who is a breed member who also lives in the wilds of Northumberland ::) . She has kept them for many years and after seeing our setup and the fact they also have a stable in the field for shelter we have reserved 4 ewes and will collect them in the next couple of weeks
-
I wish you the best of luck with your Ryelands.
-
Graham, I don't think you will be disappointed :sheep: :sheep: :sheep: :sheep:
-
I am sooooo very envious! :huff: look forward to seeing some piccies when they arrive :sunshine:
-
Ryelands are very docile, easy to move around, they come to you for strokes ... I have had one Ryeland ewe - unfortunately she wasn't a good mother - she just walked off and left me deal with her lamb! But otherwise
nice, friendly teddy bear looking sheep(:
-
they taste good if that helps
but then so do shetlands....
-
The second the whole flock ran up to us and wanted strokes we where smitten big time, all 4 are coloured and we cant wait to get them
-
Can I ask who it is that you're buying from?
-
The one thing about Ryelands not mentioned so far is their feet. They are ace!! I have never had to deal with any problems at all - quite different from some other breeds in my flock. What I have done though is trim the wool around their eyes from time to time - I just think they ought to be able to see ok. Good luck with them - they will love you.
-
I am getting impatient already waiting for them to come ::) Cant wait !
-
When do you get them?
-
Congratulations Graham, I am sure they will do well for you.
Rosemary, am I misremembering, or did you have a C-section on one last year? Not to frighten Graham :o, just if there was anything to learn out of the experience ;)
-
When do you get them?
She is putting them in with her tups this week for us once they have been tupped we can collect them
-
Hi I've been thinking for awhile about ryelands that's why i was going to sell my herdwicks have you seen on preloved about the ewes from whitehaven £295-00 each I'm not quite that daft :roflanim:
-
Rosemary, am I misremembering, or did you have a C-section on one last year? Not to frighten Graham :o , just if there was anything to learn out of the experience ;)
Small gimmer ( I mean small for a Ryeland), large single lamb.
-
Hi I've been thinking for awhile about ryelands that's why i was going to sell my herdwicks have you seen on preloved about the ewes from whitehaven £295-00 each I'm not quite that daft :roflanim:
Yes I saw them :o
-
My Ryeland lambs' weight gain was astronomical compared to my neighbour's mules - conversion rates were excellent. It has to be said though - if they are so good as a breed (meat tastes good, great fleece and footrot resistant) why did they become a rare/minority one? I would say that lambing certainly has something to do with it. Lambs seem a little more "special" for the first 24- 48 hours - perhaps need more TLC than some.
:wave:
-
I think you will find that the Ryelands became rare as the trend was for smaller cheaper joints of meat which the Ryeland doesn't have and the bottom fell out of the wool market and they are not the best sheep to shear. The local sheep here are half the size at least to a Ryeland, but I know what I like best.
-
It's fashion! From George III's son paying enough to buy a small country estate to hire a Southdown ram for one season (yes, really) they fell from favour and now are coming back again. Sold two of ours to a farmer to use on Scotch Mules lambing outdoors at 1000 ft who was fed up with the thin-skinned lambs produced by the (currently fashionable) Charollais rams he was using.
-
we have Ryelands and I adore them. I find them easy to handle, mainly because they'll follow you anywhere when you've got a bucket. The meat from them is good and as Rosemary said they can go straight to slaughter at 6 months off grass. We haven't had a problem with them having poor mothering ability, all ours have been good mums. I hope you love your Ryelands, sure you will soon be smitten. Remember to post some pictures of the new additions :thumbsup:
-
Spoke to the owner on Saturday and she had put them in with the tup on Friday, by saturday morning 2 had been marked :thumbsup:
We have everything ready here for them and cant wait to get them home
-
Haven't experienced Ryelands but ever so excited for you :excited:
-
The last of the girls where tupped on Christmas day so :fc: it wont be long now
-
great news :thumbsup:
:fc: hoping to see some piccies of rylands lambs with their mums, come spring :excited:
-
You will be fed up of pics of Ryeland lambs in the spring ::)
You could always visit them if your over this way :thumbsup:
-
The girls are here :thumbsup:
They are so friendly and have been brought up around pet dogs so great for our place
-
photos or they dont exist :excited: :excited: :excited:
-
Will take some fresh ones, Took some today on my phone but when I put them onto the laptop they are C**p ::)
-
Can't wait to see the pics
-
Definitely need some pics of the girls :excited:
-
couple of pics, will get better when we get a decent day
-
They look lovely and seem very happy with all that hay :thumbsup:
-
:love: a lovely little flock. I need an excuse to drive up there :innocent:
-
I've had a Ryeland ram for the last 7 years and have had the most fab fat lambs, from my mixed flock of mules, crosses and Charollais. I lost poor Jasper last year but replaced him with another Ryeland, this one has been put to Charollais, a mule, a cross, Zwartbles, Gotland and Herdwick! So will be interesting to see what I get this year lol.