[Plas Nant]

Hi
I wish I'd found this forum sooner, its ideal for information and reading the thoughts of like minded people. I keep Soay sheep and hope to expand my flock to further the breed. I think the best way to do this is to try and further a commercial demand for the breed therefore making flock expansion viable. I'd love to hear about other rare breed keepers who have managed to establish a market place for their product. Rare breed sheep is only a hobby to me, I have no need to make any real money, but if I could cover costs as well as further the breed, I'd be delighted.
I'm also interested in providing my own food to whatever extent I can. Only space, and more importantly time, are holding me back at the moment. Its great to read threads on here by people who are successfully managing to achieve their dreams. They give inspiration to those of us still trying to get there.

Bob

[Roxy]

   From Derbyshire.  A neighbour of mine had a small herd of soay sheep ......they all lived to a grand old age. Not seen any more of that breed round us though, although I am sure there are some!!

[SallyintNorth]

Hi Bob and welcome from north Cumbria 

I like your thinking - the old breeds are great and it's fantastic that we have so many dedicated people able to breed, show and sustain the pedigrees, but the breeds will be safer if there is a commercial use for them.

My own favourite example is the Swaledale sheep - she's very much a hill sheep, useless kempy wool, hardly any carcase to speak off, an absolute git to manage (that's the technical term for a hill ewe, I believe  ) - but the North Pennines and Weardale is absolutely covered in them as they are the female parent of the North Country Mule, which is still a very sought-after hybrid sheep, being thrifty and hardy (thanks to her mum) and bigger, profligate, milky and with better wool and carcase (thanks to her dad a Blue-faced Leicester.)  If there were no market for mules, the Swaledale would nosedive towards becoming a rare breed very quickly.

Someone on here has been pondering crossing a Black Welsh Mountain with a self-shearing type, either Wiltshire Horn or Soay or similar, to get a visually appealing, very tasty, easy care smallholder sheep. 
See http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=17585.msg166442#msg166442 for the whole discussion.

[calamityjane]

hi i'm jane from clackmannashire we have 15 lambs mules is one breed plus another lol they have there names and are white i handreared them son is expanding tho we also have pigs hens ducks and lastly ponies as you said its a great forum with lots of helpful tip are great people who will offer great advice

[Rosemary]

profligate

Do you mean prolific, Sally?  

Sorry, got distracted. Hello and welcome from Carnoustie, where it's blowing a gale 

[SallyintNorth]

Do you mean prolific, Sally?  

LOL.  Something told me it wasn't write when I rote it... 

[Leri]

Hi Bob.
We are also in North Wales - near Conwy - what about you?
We have pigs, highland cows, ryeland, torddu (badger faced) & texel sheep, bluebell & black rock hens & a couple of horses.
We live on my husband's parents smallholding and it's the pigs, highlands and ryelands that are our thing - the rest were here before I came along :-)
Have seen Soay's at Adam's farm (Cotswold farm park) I think.
 Eleri & Geraint

[Plas Nant]

Thanks very much for all the replies and welcomes. For Eleri and Geraint, I am in Llanfairfechan with a few Soay on about one acre around the house and the main flock now on rented land on Anglesey at Rhoscolyn. Finding land to expand around here has been difficult, I think its probably the same everywhere else. I work on Anglesey so going to work can be combined with checking the sheep so its working out quite well.

Bob

[Blinkers]

Hi and Welcome from Sunny South West Wales 

[Miss Piggy]

Hi and a warm welcome from West Wales. 

[Leri]

Not far from us at all then really. We are in Trefriw :-)

[lill]

hi and welcome, look forward to your posts.