The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: piggy on August 08, 2010, 08:50:18 pm

Title: Balwen sheep
Post by: piggy on August 08, 2010, 08:50:18 pm
I have just bought 2 balwen wethers picking them up next week,they are so pretty,do any of you keep them?
Title: Re: Balwen sheep
Post by: jacob and Georgina on August 08, 2010, 09:25:40 pm
this is so interesting to hear as me and my partner will be getting sheep in a couple of years and after lots of research have decided that balwen would be the breed we would like to have, so we will be very interested to read the comments and to hear how you get on with them, i asked a similar question b4 and it seemed some people have a problem with the small carcass for meat but this not not bother us. Have you thought of joining the balwen society they seem to be very good and have lots of things going on! look forward to hearing more from you about your venture!!! :sheep:
Title: Re: Balwen sheep
Post by: onnyview on August 10, 2010, 08:31:41 pm
Hi,

We have a flock of 20 Balwen ewes. They are great mothers, with little or no feet problems and don't need a lot, if any extra food. We conservation graze them on a world heritage site and they seem to do very well on rough pasture.

Great tasting too!

One thing I will say is that out of our 3 breeds (we also keep Hill Radnor and Llanwenog) the Balwens are always the worst to get in, they give the sheep dog grief and both our Radnor and llanwenog tup live happily together, our VERY elderly Balwen ram is in sheep borstal and cannot be kept with any other male as he fights. BAAAAD sheep!

But with 2 sheep and a bucket I don't think you'll have much trouble!

Title: Re: Balwen sheep
Post by: jacob and Georgina on August 10, 2010, 10:16:13 pm
this all sounds promising, i have heard that they usually only have 1 lamb their first time and after that perhaps 2 if u r lucky, is this correct???
Title: Re: Balwen sheep
Post by: onnyview on August 11, 2010, 03:45:14 pm
We have had a mother and daughter that have thrown twins, both had singles on the first lambing. Twins in our flock are rare.