41

Sheep / Re: Silvernose and similar

« Last post by SallyintNorth on December 12, 2025, 11:51:58 am »

Where there's a willy there's a way 

Don't worry about the rams doing the deed, they'll manage.  Crutching just makes it easier for the tup to get all the ewes first time, which can make a big difference to him if he has 50+ ewes on 00s acres of open moorland.  But with tiny numbers, any tup will get the deed done - especially the experienced lad, who knows what he's looking for! 

42

Sheep / Re: Silvernose and similar

« Last post by Bywaters on December 11, 2025, 09:52:18 am »

Just trim up the ewes round the back end to make things easier

I'm intreagued as well - what's a silvernose?

43

Sheep / Re: Silvernose and similar

« Last post by Rosemary on December 11, 2025, 08:29:46 am »

What's a Silvernose?
I'm not really understanding your question.

44

Sheep / Silvernose and similar

« Last post by SavageU on December 10, 2025, 05:47:55 pm »

Ok, so have a few of these and probably shouldn't have bought them but anyway, here they are.

First time in with the tup this time. One experienced tup, another first timer.

Didn't manage to be organised and have them clipped in late august prior to tupping (and have just now tidied them with the Jakotis) but I did wonder with all that hair/long tail - how on earth would my ram manage to impregnante a ewe?

I've only two to tup but would like a lamb out of them.

Could I just clip in May like I did this year and maybe aim for a late summer lambing? Is that possible? Assuming they are not in lamb now obviously.

45

Pigs / Re: Butcher

« Last post by Fleecewife on November 28, 2025, 05:03:49 pm »

We used to use Jim Cairns in Law 01698 350 738.  He's a biker too so has been very accommodating.  He would fetch the carcases from Shotts and cut them as I wanted, then we would collect from the shop.

46

Pigs / Re: Butcher

« Last post by Jaymac76 on November 21, 2025, 09:20:37 am »

Just contacted Shotts slaughterhouse and they do pigs so will save a lot of travelling and money on fuel, do you have a butcher you use for the sheep that you could recommend.

47

Pigs / Re: Butcher

« Last post by Fleecewife on November 21, 2025, 12:41:17 am »

I think finding a slaughterhouse for pigs is quite difficult.  I've never seen pigs at Shotts but you could ask.  Or contact Wishaw - we don't use them because they are so big.  Shotts looks awful there but we find them good for our sheep, small.
There used to be a slaughterhouse in Galashiels which did pigs, but it closed after a wild boar seriously injured a slaughterman.
Otherwise it's further away somewhere down the M74 but I don't know where - sorry.
Hopefully someone else will come along with better info 


Now I see you're actually asking about butchers - sorry 

48

Crafts & Gifts for sale / Wanted, empty 25Kg feed bags

« Last post by TonyG on November 20, 2025, 04:35:39 pm »

I'm in need of empty feed bags if anyone needs rid, around the Keith area, thanks.

49

Pigs / Re: Considering first pigs

« Last post by SallyintNorth on November 19, 2025, 06:35:07 pm »

It's straw you want, not hay.(*)  Most of us have to buy it in. 

You don't use an enormous amount of straw on an ongoing basis when the weather is warm/dry, but depending on numbers and size of arc(s), you'll use a few bales setting up.

Buying 2 or 3 weaners with a large arc (big enough to breed in), I'd put bales all around the inside walls to reduce the floor area while they're babies, and scatter half or more of another on the remaining floorspace, to make a deep bed.  Then open a bale from time to time as they need more loose straw and/or more floorspace.  Keeping them spring to autumn, I'd expect to use maybe three or four more bales overall. 

But, if keeping them over winter, you'll use a whole lot more.  They need enough to make a deep bed and construct draughtproof banks as needed.  They need to be able to dry off as they come in and not have to lie on wet straw.  So my routine used to be every day, when the ground/mud is wet and/or it's raining, throw the wet straw out in front of the arc, to help form a doorstep to help dry them as they return to the arc, and replace what's been removed with a few slices of dry.  (Don't scatter it about inside for them, just leave the slices inside out of the rain, they'll enjoy scattering it themselves.) 

They will be much happier if they have some dry ground to use over winter.  Being belly deep in wet cold mud whenever they leave the arc is emphatically not nice or good for them; they'd be far happier indoors with plenty of straw to play with than outside with no hardstanding. 

Sorry, I rambled on a bit, didn't I!



(*)  Hay = dried grass.  Straw = the stems of a cereal crop.

50

Pigs / Re: Considering first pigs

« Last post by Lambic on November 19, 2025, 02:37:50 pm »

Ha ha, yes they are at opposite ends of the spectrum.

I suspect the KK is far more suited as I plan to have them in grassland bordered by gorse and willow.

It is a shame about the wood chips as I do not make my own hay.  How many of the traditional bales would you use in a year ?