The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: MichW on March 04, 2020, 05:58:57 pm

Title: Breeds that get along with Soay's
Post by: MichW on March 04, 2020, 05:58:57 pm
Hi everyone, I've been keeping a small flock of Soay sheep for about 2 years now but lately I've been thinking about adding more sheep to the flock. I was wondering whether it's possible to have another breed that would get along with Soay's and if it is what do people suggest?
Title: Re: Breeds that get along with Soay's
Post by: SallyintNorth on March 07, 2020, 05:07:18 pm
I've only just spotted your post, so apologies for not replying sooner.

Logically one might think Boreray, North Ronaldsay, something like that - also small primitive types. 
Title: Re: Breeds that get along with Soay's
Post by: Fleecewife on March 07, 2020, 06:09:38 pm
Depends what you mean by 'get along with'!  Soays are sooo cheeky.  We currently keep ours in with our Hebrideans.  When we got this Soay trio last year, as tiny lambs, we introduced them to the Hebs quite carefully.  For the first 100yds, it was the Hebs chasing the Soays, then the wee ones turned round and chased the Hebs for ten times as far, but all as a game.  Now they are totally integrated.
having said that, we have in the past kept Soays with a number of different breeds as well as Hebs: Jacobs, Gotland, Shetlands, some downland types (which stoically ignored them!), even Manx, and they coexisted in relative peace.
Soay tups though are quite pugnacious, and will disrupt an otherwise settled group of other-breed tups.