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Author Topic: Small sheep suitable for novice, West Wales?  (Read 2416 times)

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Small sheep suitable for novice, West Wales?
« on: May 10, 2019, 12:45:28 pm »
I’ve a friend who is setting up a smallholding in West Wales.

We’d been planning that she would buy a few small, well-handled Shetland and similar size sheep from me to get her started.  However, now we’ve looked into the journey, it’s an insane distance journey to put them through.

So I’m wondering if there’s anyone out that way with Shetlands or similar size sheep, nice and tame, nice fleeces for spinning, which would suit her?  She’s not wanting them until the autumn, when she will be at her holding full time and will have fences sorted etc. 

Local sheep, acclimatised to the local tick-borne diseases and so on, and with a local person for backup, would make so much more sense for her.  She’s a novice with sheep herself, but does have people nearby who can help and advise her, and she’s highly motivated to give them an excellent standard of care.
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Me

  • Joined Feb 2014
  • Wild West
Re: Small sheep suitable for novice, West Wales?
« Reply #1 on: May 10, 2019, 03:43:56 pm »
We will have a few wether charmoise - nice fleeces - or breeding stock?

tommytink

  • Joined Aug 2018
Re: Small sheep suitable for novice, West Wales?
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2019, 12:42:07 pm »
I live in SW Wales and there are a number of different breeds that are around here. I have 16 Badger Faces. They’re small but a bit mad. There are a lot of Lleyn and Texel about but obvs a bit bigger than a Shetland!

I put a request out on Facebook when I was looking and did get a couple of responses from people with Shetlands so they are around here somewhere if that’s what she wants to stick with.

Dogwalker

  • Joined Nov 2011
Re: Small sheep suitable for novice, West Wales?
« Reply #3 on: May 12, 2019, 06:09:31 am »
Mine aren't especially tame at the moment, they're taking their lead from the bowmonts and I'm probably too far away.
have a look on the society website
 http://www.shetland-sheep.org.uk/page.php?Plv=2&P1=7&P2=23&P3=#WalesEven if those aren't quite right they could put you in touch with others.

Tim W

  • Joined Aug 2013
Re: Small sheep suitable for novice, West Wales?
« Reply #4 on: May 12, 2019, 07:33:09 am »
NSA Welshsheep event is very soon ---plenty of opportunity to look around a whole host of breed stands and maybe there will be someone local to point you in the right direction?

https://www.nationalsheep.org.uk/welshsheep/

Dogwalker

  • Joined Nov 2011
Re: Small sheep suitable for novice, West Wales?
« Reply #5 on: May 12, 2019, 08:23:31 am »
Another possibilityI don't know how tame her sheep are but Olwen Veevers was advertising some for sale on her Wonderwool stand.  Beautiful fleeces.http://www.olwenveevers.co.uk/index.asp?pageid=232535

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Small sheep suitable for novice, West Wales?
« Reply #6 on: May 17, 2019, 02:26:43 am »
Another possibilityI don't know how tame her sheep are but Olwen Veevers was advertising some for sale on her Wonderwool stand.  Beautiful fleeces.http://www.olwenveevers.co.uk/index.asp?pageid=232535

Woohoo, Corriedale and Blue-faced Leicester!  As a spinner, I might drool!  But way too big for my pal.  Thanks for thinking of us, though  :-*
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Small sheep suitable for novice, West Wales?
« Reply #7 on: May 17, 2019, 02:27:06 am »
NSA Welshsheep event is very soon ---plenty of opportunity to look around a whole host of breed stands and maybe there will be someone local to point you in the right direction?

https://www.nationalsheep.org.uk/welshsheep/

Great idea, have passed the link along. Thanks  :-*
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Small sheep suitable for novice, West Wales?
« Reply #8 on: May 17, 2019, 02:28:27 am »
I live in SW Wales and there are a number of different breeds that are around here. I have 16 Badger Faces. They’re small but a bit mad. There are a lot of Lleyn and Texel about but obvs a bit bigger than a Shetland!

I put a request out on Facebook when I was looking and did get a couple of responses from people with Shetlands so they are around here somewhere if that’s what she wants to stick with.

Thanks for the inside gen, tommytink. She’s certainly keen on the size of Shetlands, and does want sheep which will be tame
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Small sheep suitable for novice, West Wales?
« Reply #9 on: May 17, 2019, 02:30:37 am »
Mine aren't especially tame at the moment, they're taking their lead from the bowmonts and I'm probably too far away.
have a look on the society website
 http://www.shetland-sheep.org.uk/page.php?Plv=2&P1=7&P2=23&P3=#WalesEven if those aren't quite right they could put you in touch with others.

Thanks. We have had a look at the Soc pages already, and there are certainly some flocks about within a reasonable journey distance.  Just unless you know the flock / sheep, you don’t know what the temperament is, so I thought I might tease out a recommendation or an offer. 
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

 

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