The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Clive on December 31, 2013, 08:00:46 am

Title: Book Recommendations?
Post by: Clive on December 31, 2013, 08:00:46 am: We have a small flock of Wiltshire Horn sheep. We have been lucky enough to get plenty of advice from the breeder who supplied them but I am now looking for a good book on sheep husbandry if such a thing exists. Any recommendations?

Clive
Title: Re: Book Recommendations?
Post by: Rosemary on December 31, 2013, 08:42:10 am: Tim Tyne's The Sheep Book for Smallholders is very good. I also have Kim Cardell's Practical Sheepkeeping, which I also like.
Title: Re: Book Recommendations?
Post by: lachlanandmarcus on December 31, 2013, 10:28:06 am: Echo the recommendation for Tim tynes book, also there's one on Sheep Ailments I've found gruesome but useful, and a small paperback one called Starting with Sheep. But if you only get one, go for Tims.
Title: Re: Book Recommendations?
Post by: Womble on December 31, 2013, 02:32:21 pm: +1 for Tim Tyne :thumbsup: .
Title: Re: Book Recommendations?
Post by: Marches Farmer on January 01, 2014, 11:16:17 am: +1 again. It's the book I recommend to all first-time sheep keepers that buy stock from me. Covers everything you need to know on a practical day-to-day basis without scaring you witless over the diseases and problems you're never likely to encounter.
Title: Re: Book Recommendations?
Post by: Tim W on January 01, 2014, 11:43:23 am: Haven't read Tim Tynes book but there are plenty of good books out there

and the one thing they don't tell you (and it is very applicable to wilts horn) is leave them alone sheep have been coping for 1000's of years without our interference and are usually best off without it
Title: Re: Book Recommendations?
Post by: Clive on January 03, 2014, 05:22:42 pm: Thank You all. Tim Tynes book looks to be a good bet! Thank You Tim W, good advice! The Wiltshire Horns are definitely a 'hands off' breed but we wanted to make sure that we are doing the right things like worming, hoof trimming etc.
Title: Re: Book Recommendations?
Post by: Tim W on January 03, 2014, 06:57:20 pm: The current best advice re-foot trimming is don't do it

Recent studies have shown that trimming is bad for sheep, even sheep with foot rot are best caught and jabbed and then trimmed at a latter date but only if they have very deformed hooves

If they are not lame leave them alone---I am convinced that 50% of sheep problems could be avoided by people leaving them alone
Title: Re: Book Recommendations?
Post by: SteveHants on January 03, 2014, 09:30:41 pm: Quote from: Tim W on January 03, 2014, 06:57:20 pm
If they are not lame leave them alone---I am convinced that 50% of sheep problems could be avoided by people leaving them alone

.....Only 50% Tim?
Title: Re: Book Recommendations?
Post by: Tim W on January 03, 2014, 09:51:09 pm: Quote from: SteveHants on January 03, 2014, 09:30:41 pm

.....Only 50% Tim?

The other 50% is where you find them feet up in the field!
Title: Re: Book Recommendations?
Post by: Clive on January 07, 2014, 11:42:28 am: Just a quick note to say that Tim Tyne's book arrived today and I am hooked already! Looks like being a cover to cover read!
Title: Re: Book Recommendations?
Post by: Foobar on January 07, 2014, 12:05:27 pm: Anything by Agnes C Winter too. Esp her book on lambing, and another on lameness.