[Marti615]

Hi,

If I had five or six Ryelands on my lush pasture will they end up so fat they get cast and drive me crazy worrying? I realise I'd have to worry anyway about flystrike (will use Crovec) which I've never really had to worry about with the Dorper x's I have now as their fleece is sparse and comes off easily when the weather gets hot. I'm mostly concerned about sheep stuck on their backs due to being so fat...which they will be as the Dorper x's have always been too fat. Thing is that the Dorpers don't get cast easily and don't have all that wool.

I won't be breeding so that isn't a concern.

Thank you for any thoughts on the matter!

Marti
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[landroverroy]

I very much doubt they'll get so fat that they get cast and even if they did, it's fairly easy to put them upright again. You're only talking about 5 or 6 and surely you'll be looking at them daily?
You may have lush grass now, but it won't be lush all year round anyway. As the season progresses it either becomes long and stalky because you have too much, or it becomes scarcer as it gets eaten down, so the condition of the sheep changes with availability. If you think they are getting too fat it's not impossible to put them on another field where there's less grass, or restrict it with electric fencing.
When all's said and done you are the one in control of your sheeps' condition. So if you're going to have sleepless nights over them because you feel you can't cope with a certain breed, then maybe it would be best to stick to the ones you've got.  [size=78%]  [/size]

[Marches Farmer]

I would plan to get them shorn as soon as the weather turns warm - the very fine, dense fleece of Down breeds makes them very hot and uncomfortable.  Down breeds get fat on fresh air, particularly if they're not bred from every year.

[Marti615]

Thank you both for your replies. Even though I've had sheep for almost 10 years, I started with shearling ewes that were especially easy in some ways so I still feel I'm a novice.

I definitely check my sheep everyday...or rather, they check me. As soon as I come down to feed the horses they start running to me for a treat. I only have to look for them during the nicest of summer weather when they are so full of grass they can't be bothered, or when it is raining and they don't want to leave their shelter.

Mine were/are 3/4 dorper 1/4 wiltshire horn and I can't get that cross easily again, I don't imagine. I know a lot of people don't want dorpers because of their feet (they grow a lot of hoof) they are easy sheep. They are also non-selective grazers so your get a very nice pasture from them!  I was lucky because I had one shearling that had been bottle fed for a little while so she was very tame. The others learned from her.

I still have that very tame sheep and another ewe  so it makes sense to get some new sheep now so her tameness might rub off on them. I like the Ryelands for their temperament and cuteness (and lack of escapism) and there is a breeder near me who seems very reputable and shows a lot.

I read something on another forum about the ryelands always being on the backs and that is why I thought of that. I am a little nervous about such a woolly sheep but you can't have everything. Even with my crosses, I used to get very fed up with trimming hooves constantly!

Again, thank you so much for your replies. I will ask another question about ryelands separately.

[Melmarsh]

Hi ! If you have someone close who breeds Ryelands then chat to her about the risks of getting cast. Southdowns , in my experience are worse from the point of view of getting cast. Both breeds get fat on fresh air , I have some Southdown X ?Ryeland and the whole family are chubby and friendly but none of them ( touch wood ) have got cast. Saying that , the Southdown ram I had got cast but I think he had settled on the muck heap and rolled down , looking at the position I found him in .

[Marti615]

Thank you for that reply...

I was also told by the breeder I might consider shearing twice, that is shear a second time in the autumn so the fleece isn't too heavy and weigh them down. That sounded like good advice, though I only have hand shears (hey, with dorper crosses that's all you need) so may have to find someone local who likes to shear Ryelands (haha).

All in all, it sounds like if I'm careful they will be okay.