[Remy]

I started in sheep by accident, I'm a horses person and we moved to a smallholding in Shropshire 10 years ago.  Our grass is very lush (ex-dairy farm) and I was having trouble keeping on top of it so I wondered about either having a small flock of sheep or getting a farmer to graze some.  Before I could decide, a friend of mine who's husband was a sheep farmer asked if I wanted some orphans!  Well I couldn't refuse .. that is how I started, I knew nothing at all about sheep!  The orphans, four ewes and two wethers, did well and another farmer friend said I ought to breed from the ewes as they were good samples.  Oh dear, in for a penny in for a pound so I got myself a very cheap Ryeland ram and over the next couple of years got some fabulous cross lambs. 


I then decided to enlarge the flock and was lucky enough to be offered five pedigree Charollais ewe lambs from a top breeder for a very cheap sum - as the ewes hadn't made market size at that time.  I got some excellent lambs from my ewes.


After another year or so I thought I might like to add a bit of colour into my flock - this is when things got expensive!  I chose Zwartbles and Gotlands (and even Herdwick) as I loved the look of them, and ended up buying a Zwartbles ram, and keeping a good quality home bred Gotland ram lamb to mate with the unrelated Gotlands.  BUT even though I got some beautiful offspring, it wasn't so easy to sell them.  As has been said, you do need to build up a reputation in the breed and one of the best ways to show off your stock is at a breed show, something I just didn't have the time for.  The pedigrees usually won't compete with fat market lambs at livestock sales as the commercial crosses generally grow at a faster rate, so I ended up selling all the pedigree lambs at give away prices, and decided to concentrate on commercials.


I had a bad year a while back where I lost a few of the pedigrees at a great financial loss - it took a long while to recoup my losses!  I still have my Zwartbles and Gotland ewes but sold the rams.  I got some very interesting lambs though - I crossed a Herdwick with a Gotland and the fleece was amazing!


If you are set on having a pedigree flock good luck to you, but as said above, it will take some time to attain top prices for lambs. 

[shep53]

Pedigree sheep for most a long term project and like a new car the moment you buy and they leave the breeder you can knock  25% or more of their worth

[Rosemary]

I  my Coloured Ryelands. Docile, good doers, great mums, pretty easy lambing, good feet, lovely fleece, tasty lamb at 6 months old.

Downside - lots of fleece so you need to watch for strike.

Have become much more popular since we bought our first ones in 2007 ( coincidentally) so more showing classes for the breed, if you plan to show.

[Bionic]

I'm with Rosemary. I love  my Ryelands/coloured Ryelands. Too laid back to jump the fences. Easily bucket trained.
I spin their fleece too.

[JHunter2013]

We've decided to go with the Clun Forest Will  be getting some later this year

[Bramblecot]

Lovely looking .  Best of luck with your new flock

[waterbuffalofarmer]

good luck