The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Ladygrey on June 10, 2013, 08:44:01 pm
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I just thought I needed to let everyone know how much I am loving my shetland sheep :love:
and I am so excited to be picking up 4 more pedigree shetland ewes on the 23rd!!
I sheared my sheep yesterday and the shetlands were just so easy to shear and such lovely wool!
They are as fat as butter on the grass with no cake or anything and are even eating through the nettles, docks and thistles!
Photos are of my little 4 year old ewe "Badger" with her two month old charrolais cross twins who arent far of the size of their mum
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b316/Duckberry/IMG_62091_zpsc04e555f.jpg)
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b316/Duckberry/IMG_62051_zps218d82ff.jpg)
who else keeps this amazing little breed?
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Mee! Very impressed by those lambs!!!! People don't realise that although a small breed, Shetlands have one of the widest hips so (at 2 onwards) can readily be crossed with commercial breeds. And unlike the farmers usual ewes, they won't give two fingers to the lambs after giving birth either !
They do need decent fencing but are lovely characters and pretty low maintenance.
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how do you find them in all that grass?!
Are they the best at cleaning up weedy pasture do you think? I'm wondering if keeping them tight and mobstocking, moving every 24 hours would do wonders for my pasture?
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I've got four in with my Gotlands. Heather, Socks, Louise and Willow. Super mums. Our Shotland (crossed, not a spelling mistake ;D ) lambs are 'upandat'em' so fast and grow like stink. Already they're independant little things and stocky and strong but pretty with it. Almost as big as their mums already at seven-eight weeks old. Tough sheep too, barely any problems but a bit of foot scald last year. They'll stay out in all sorts of weather when the Gotlands have gone for shelter. They aren't as in-your-face as the Gotlands (they don't kick you for attention for one thing!) but they do come up for a fuss when they feel like it. I love having them.
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They don't clear all weeds but they're very good at clearing docks, they love them!
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Yes they certainly do love docks! they will also polish off all the nettles and brambles if they are cut first!
One of my ewes will eat whole thistles though!
The shetland cross charrolais lambs are very lively at birth and are born much more wooled than the charrolais cross on the other breeds. they are also incredibly heavy and well muscled!
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I can only echo all the positve comments ;D . Mine are not registered Shetlands so no showing for me :( . I kept back 4 store lambs Shetland x Ryeland and they were the basis of my Shetland flock. They are put to a Shetland tup each year and produce cracking lambs. Theya re great climbers though :innocent:
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I have a few shetland x ryelands aswel :) mine are about the same height as the shetlands but much much chunkyier! also much wilder which is the funny thing!
The black lamb in this photo is a shetland cross ryeland, the chocolate coloured shetland next to him is his mum, he was born on the 20th of March, so nearly 3 months old, bigger than his mum!
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b316/Duckberry/IMG_61941_zps2446656a.jpg)
to the left of the chocolate coloured shetland ewe, is a shetland cross ryeland ewe, who is daughter to the katmoget (badger faced) shetland ewe in the photo and shares the same dad as the black lamb... :thinking: confusing yes I know
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I'm loving my Shetlands too. Was very impressed with them over lambing time again, they all did a great job and no trouble since either :thumbsup:
I've just been up with them, about half eat out of my hand, including a lot of the cheeky little lambs, one of whom likes to stand and be stroked like a little dog :love:
Had them sheared on Saturday, so a great tarpaulin full of fleeces to sort for the mill now too :D
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Yes great wee sheep and so versatile
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And a huge YES from me too - top marks from me love them :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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I must say shetlands have won me over, a lovely breed and nothing like the myths banded about being nutters. Lamb easily too.
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I love my Shetland crosses too. Such a lot of character, and such beautiful fleece :D :spin: :knit: