The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: SheepyMcSheepFace on July 08, 2020, 08:28:32 pm
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Hi :)
I am hoping to get 4 ewe lambs (badger face torddu) at the end of the month. Im going down to visit them this sunday. Is there anything I should be looking out for? whats a fair price for them?
Im pretty sure they are pedigree and registered with the breed club (which i have tried to join but i havent heard back from them).
The main plan is to use them to help train my border collie (my friends sheep, who i was supposed to be using, are a bit too stubborn for her as she is so new to herding).
However I want them to earn their keep and not have to spend too much on looking after them. So i think I might breed them either to sell for meat, sell to people who want the breed (its fairly rare up here) or sell to people who want them to train their dog. Does this sound fesable?
Thanks :)
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If you haven't committed yet I would get some nice Mules or sormething. Badgers will test the dog too ;)
ETA Having read your post properly now... ::) Although as you are starting with ewe lambs you might get away with it. :dog: :sheep:
Torddu fleece can be nice, if there is a spinners' group nearby? :spin:
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Agree with sally not an ideal breed to train a young dog on especially being young themselves , you might end up with them trying to go over or through fences , if they have come from a place that uses a dog then they will have some knowledge from their mothers how to react . It is also going to affect the way they feel and react to you
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It may not be what is considered the ideal breed to use for dog training but neither is it by any means the worst. I have had a few badger faced for years, in with my other breeds and I have never had them jump over fences or done anything particularly awful. My old dog can manage them easily enough and so there's no reason why a young dog shouldn't be able to once she knows what she's doing.
I think also, if someone is only having 4 sheep, it's important to have a breed that appeals. Badger Faces are intelligent and full of character and easy to tame, especially when getting young ones as the OP is planning.
I can't advise on the price of pedigrees. But I'm sure if you gave the secretary of the breed society a ring that she'd be able to give you an idea.