The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: mcd on August 05, 2015, 10:26:07 pm
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I'm looking to start a native/rare breed pedigree flock which is a localish breed to the black down hills. I would also use the tup to double up on some of my commercial ewes, so which one would produce the better carcase?
I like the Dartmoor's but fear the longer wool may be more fkystrike prone?
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Not got much experience of either, but I know a few folk running exmoor mules, using the exmoor horn tups over hill sheep (not sure if its swales or blackies).
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Good on you for choosing a British rare breed!!
With regards flystrike on longwools, providing you get your shearing times right and treat as per instructions they shouldn't be any more of a problem than any other breed. (I keep a flock of Cotswolds and Wensleydales).
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That's good to know. There is definitely a market for rare breed lamb/mutton in this area. People also want to know the 'story' of their meat.
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Not got much experience of either, but I know a few folk running exmoor mules, using the exmoor horn tups over hill sheep (not sure if its swales or blackies).
An Exmoor Mule is a Blue-faced Leicester tup on an Exmoor Horn ewe.
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I love the Exmoors and the lambs are pretty decent lambs :thumbsup:
And best feet in the business, according to Richard Webber.
They are not a listed rare breed, just geographically sensitive - so if you were outside the area, I'd press you to have them. But as you are very nearby their main area, and the Whitefaced Dartmoor is a rare breed, then perhaps the latter is more needful of your support.
However... I have two longwools here for the first time and I do not find them just the same as any other sheep to manage.
I do not like Clik or Clikzin as it is so environmentally damaging, but I think, in a warmer summer, I would have no option but to use it on my black Wenseys. Crovect only protects the wool you spray, whereas Clik and Clikzin work more systemically. There is so much wool on a longwool, even only a few weeks after clipping, that I don't think I would feel comfortable relying on only Crovect in a bad fly season.
Also, being a wet farm here and very high rainfall, my Wenseys were fairly miserable all last winter, despite having been dagged hard in the autumn. I plan to take a second clip, leaving them an inch or two of wool, this autumn, and if they are still miserable this winter then I would have to keep them indoors (or in the home paddock with a stable they can use), and/or sell them to somewhere drier.
Re: your plan to use your local breed tup to cover some of your commercial ewes... If you use the Exmoor you may get horned lambs. If you use the WFD then you'll get a lot of rather course wool! Exmoor cross would look more 'normal' in the ring, I suspect, although the horns might give the game away. ;) (And the coarse wool of the WFDx would be unpopular in the ring.)
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Not got much experience of either, but I know a few folk running exmoor mules, using the exmoor horn tups over hill sheep (not sure if its swales or blackies).
An Exmoor Mule is a Blue-faced Leicester tup on an Exmoor Horn ewe.
You are 100% correct! In a sleepy state I wrote the wrong thing lol.
Exmoor horn over a swale would just be a mongrel hill ewe!
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lol, easily done!
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That is real food for thought. I am leaning towards the Exmoor's but as you said, the Dartmoor's would give me more satisfaction from the point of helping the breed. I will get in touch with some Dartmoor breeders and see what advice they give.