The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Pikeman on April 01, 2013, 06:00:32 pm
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Been offered 2 ewes with lambs, I'm not familiar with this breed is anyone else?
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Em, there is a growing band of spinners on here. You should join us. I am sure you will enjoy it.
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Been offered 2 ewes with lambs, I'm not familiar with this breed is anyone else?
I'm hoping to use a cheviot (north country) on my Shetlands next year - the cross is quite popular for them crossing with a terminal sire as it has more size thna the Shetland but has the Shetlands easy lambing ability, so I will be selling the ewe lambs and eating the boys. Will also continue with pure Shetland breeding for replacements and fun of course.
Not terribly meaty either pure or crossed with Shetland but very hardy and easy. My Shetlands don't herd either, just scatter so I already have to bucket train anyway, as I don't have a dog.
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Not particularly meaty sheep but hardy and good mothers. Cross with a blue faced leicester to produce a good breeding mule. We had a few. Nice sheep to keep but like any hill breed they can jump and climb rather well.
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Four different types SOUTH COUNTRY small stocky , will fatten on very little, good mothers rather flighty , lives on green hills. NORTH country hill ( lairg ) medium sized again fattens easily , good mothers , lives on all types of hill . NORTH country border large sheep , fattens easily , ok mothers , live on good to poor lower ground . NORTH country caithness very large sheep , slow to fatten , ok mothers , live on good ground. ALL white faced ,no horns on females , good quality wool, cross well onto many breeds to improve conformation :farmer: Forgot the BRECKNOCK which is just a local variant on the SOUTH COUNTRY.
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We occasionally buy North Country Cheviots (at least I think it's those and not the Hill Cheviots - we buy the larger of the two types and I struggle to remember which is named which.) They're teeny little bunny rabbits when we buy them in August / September, and on good grass with light feeding, by Christmas or New Year they'll be away. We buy good ones, and they mature to fulfill the supermarket requirements (18-21kg max deadweight) at good grades.
We have had the odd Cheviot ewe, and they've been flighty as heck, show no respect for the dogs - so when we had some rather nice females in the batch of stores we bought one year, we decided not to even keep one. ;)
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Different strokes for different folks , 600 cheviots here and much quieter then the blackies or swales which they are replacing
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Our neighbour buys them for use in his commercial flock as he is very pleased with them. He buys Brecknock Hill variety.
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600 cheviots here and much quieter then the blackies or swales which they are replacing
Oh, aye - but that's not saying much! ;) :D