[Blacksheep]

If you like texels but don't want to go down the expensive route of top quality white texels you could consider blue texels, there are a few people showing them and they apparently lamb more easily than standard texels.   Kerrys look smart sheep for showing, but maybe not the easiest to handle.  We keep Zwartbles and Shropshires, the Zwartbles are great for showing,  lovely for handling and halter training as they like people and are a naturally tamer breed, and there are quite a few show classes.  Whereabouts are you, you could consider a native breed local to you maybe?

[lou13]

I was just giving it some more thought and considered getting some Swaledale's. What are everyones opinions on these?? lou13

[SallyintNorth]

BH reckons the Swaledale will be the last breed standing - but if any of you tell any of his farming friends he said that, he'll deny it hotly, lol. 

His reason is that the Swale ewe can carry any kind of lamb, is hardy, thrifty, milky and a good mother - so she will always have a job.

Downsides are that pure Swale tup lambs don't make much; will never be other than 'poor' conformation and take a while to reach slaughter size.  So unless you want to direct market the most beautiful hogget meat in the world  , you won't make much out of the boy lambs.

The other issue, of course, is the Old Boys' Network and how difficult it would be for a newcomer to break into that.  If you work on a farm you probably know all about that and would realise you need to select one or more top breeders as your mentors and suppliers of your initial ewes and tups

[Susannah]

My advice is whatever breed you decide upon is to see them being handled/rounded up in the open field. You will then have some idea of what to expect when you let them out at the other end!
I speak from experiences and it has totally put me off a particular breed which is very sad...

[Small Farmer]

The problem with the breed websites is that they're unsurprisingly populated by people who like the breed and are happy to ignore the less attractive attributes.  Chatting to people at shows is helpful, though some know everything about one breed and nothing about any other. But a chance remark from a Kerry Hill breeder that a good dog was essential stopped us making a mistake.


We have Greyface Dartmoors and Llanwenogs. The GFDs are tremendously friendly and produce teddy bears, not lambs. But they grow slowly, have terrible feet and need shearing twice a year if there's any possibility of mud within half a mile.   The Wenogs are totally trouble-free by contrast, produce lovely wool, lovely meat and grow quickly from an easy birth.   They're incredibly loud and a bit harder to catch but still come quickly to a bucket.  And they deal with our lowland pasture better than the GFDs.