The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Community => Marketplace => Topic started by: HamishMcMurray on January 10, 2011, 01:38:49 pm

Title: Free to good home - Hebridean ram
Post by: HamishMcMurray on January 10, 2011, 01:38:49 pm
Approx 1 year old (last year's lamb), 4 horned Hebridean ram. He's handsome and very healthy.

We don't want him breeding with our flock as we don't want any more sheep (although I suspect it may be too late  ::) ).

We'd rather see him go to a good home then to the abattoir. I can email pictures to any one interested.

He's in the Calderdale area of West Yorkshire and would need to be collected.
Title: Re: Free to good home - Hebridean ram
Post by: Fleecewife on January 10, 2011, 02:17:43 pm
Hello Hamish.  Is he registered, or eligible for registration?  Are his eyelids unsplit?  Can you post a pic here please?
Title: Re: Free to good home - Hebridean ram
Post by: HamishMcMurray on January 10, 2011, 02:48:30 pm
Hi

He's registered to our flock number with a tag in each ear. Is that what you mean?

Not sure what you mean about his eyelids. They don't look split to me but I can take a closer look.

The pictures below were taken in November/December so fairly recent.
Title: Re: Free to good home - Hebridean ram
Post by: HappyHippy on January 10, 2011, 05:14:23 pm
He's a stunner  ;D
Have you got a hankering Fleecewife ?  ;) ;D
Title: Re: Free to good home - Hebridean ram
Post by: faith0504 on January 10, 2011, 07:02:47 pm
now he is very handsome, i like him  :wave:
Title: Re: Free to good home - Hebridean ram
Post by: Fleecewife on January 10, 2011, 10:40:23 pm
Unfortunately we can only use registered stock here.  By registered I mean with the Hebridean Sheep Society, so we have each animals full pedigree ie a record of all the registered parents, grandparents and so on back to when Hebs were first registered with the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.
Split eyelids happen occasionally in multi-horned sheep of all breeds - Heb, Manx Loaghtan, Jacob, Navajo Churro etc.  It is clearly associated with multi horns, but the exact genetics of the condition are not yet known.  If it occurs in a female it is not too big a worry unless the eyes are badly affected, but because it appears to be hereditary to some (as yet unknown)  degree, it is not usual to use a tup if he has a split and if you are breeding for breeding stock.  The split is of the upper eyelid, so that there is a break in the smooth line - this can vary from very slight to a fully split eyelid and sometimes even marks on the cornea.   
If all looks well then that is fine - don't worry about it  :)  Hebs, especially the multihorns, are very striking and wonderful sheep so I hope you will breed up some more.