The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Raine on August 29, 2014, 09:43:40 pm

Title: Hampshire Down ram
Post by: Raine on August 29, 2014, 09:43:40 pm
 :wave:


I am was wondering if a hampshire down ram would be too large for my badger face ewes?  An ideas?
Title: Re: Hampshire Down ram
Post by: Marches Farmer on August 31, 2014, 11:54:06 am
We put our Badger Face to a Southdown every other year, to give a commercial type sheep that sells well as a store lamb.  I think most Down sheep would do a similar job - the head is narrower and the neck longer than a Texel and we've never had any lambing problems. Some lambs have a BF type fleece but most have something between the two breeds, which makes the lambs more winterproofed than using something like a Charolais.  Lambs are very vigorous and have an excellent carcase.   

Depending on where you are, how many ewes are to be covered and when you want to lamb you could try one of our hire rams.
Title: Re: Hampshire Down ram
Post by: Slimjim on September 01, 2014, 02:55:38 pm
I hope not!!! I will be trying exactly that this autumn for the first time. He will also be serving a couple of Jacob ewes too, and they are only slightly larger than my badgers.