[shep53]

Not that uncommon  ewes on very hard hill ground often don't lamb until 3yrs old , the only thing you have ask is  we why are they not in lamb , were they scanned barren ?  were they to small / stunted to be tupped ?

[tommytink]

They say they just chose not to put them to a ram. They are all registered so imagine they must be shaped okay etc.

[shep53]

To be honest registered mostly means  they are pure and  they know who the mother and father are , sheep are not inspected for breed type by most breed societies  until   an official breed auction

[Fleecewife]

The smaller native breeds are not usually put into lamb until their second autumn, so they are exactly 2 years old when they first lamb.  For your first sheep, my feeling is that you would be better to get a mix of lambs, and a couple of older ewes, maybe 4 yo, in lamb.  That way your first lambing is of experienced ewes and meanwhile you become familiar with your lambs, and they with you and your ground.  They will have seen the older ewes lambing which always helps when their own lambs pop out, so they know what to do, not just by instinct.
So I would wait for the other two breeders to get back to you and see if they can offer you a couple of in-lamb ewes plus some unbred ewe lambs (hoggs) born last spring.  We all felt the need to get going with keeping animals when we first moved to our smallholdings, but it's far better to wait for the flock you really want, and not unwittingly buy in a problem because you can't wait.  A day or two here or there will soon be forgotten, but buying animals which later give you grief could be a longterm problem.

[SallyintNorth]

In general, and especially with the more primitive type of sheep, I am a fan of not breeding a ewe in her first year.  However ewes which are already two years old and have not lambed would make me ask questions.  It might be that Torwen is a breed where they do not generally breed until three years old, I don’t know.  But if a sheep is not bred until she is too well grown, it can create problems.  I have done it with my own sheep (not bred them until they’d be three at lambing), but I know what I need to do in terms of managing condition, so as a novice I think you might too easily end up with ewes that have excess internal fat causing difficult lambing.

The right sheep will come along, don’t worry!  Much better to pass on any that don’t seem exactly right and wait for the right ones

[Backinwellies]

Totally agree with Sally …. get mix of ewe lambs (yr old and older experienced ewes)  and make sure you get them from someone who bucket trains and doesn't rely on a dog.
I would have guessed 2 year old Torwens not put to ram would be quite wild. (rarely handled)

What set you off wanting Torwens? 
Sheep can be a real pain (cattle and goats are much easier!) … so make sure your breed choice is exactly what you want.     Small doesn't mean easier to handle.   Nice to have some colour but wont sell for much at market .. do you have an outlet for direct sales of meat?  The coloured sheep market at Llandovery in Sept has a huge variety of coloured sheep (great to see them all in one place).  Torwens have a huge following locally here in SW but they often only sell for a pittance. (Cade lambs can cost more!)