[WelshGirl70]

Hi
Locally to me I have the option of buying Boreray rare breed lambs or Hill Radnor lambs. I’ve never had sheep before and only having 3 to grow on. Advice would be great on which would be preferred, what the meat is like and what age/weight to send to slaughter. Anything else anyone can add about the breeds would be appreciated. Thanks

[macgro7]

Boreray are tiny. Even fully grown they are (I think) the smallest British breed of sheep.
Slow growing as well - you would need to wait till next year, I.e. hogget age.

[SallyintNorth]

Boreray are small, yes, but the Soay is the smallest British breed.

I think Borerays are a similar size to North Ronaldsays.  Yes you’d probably give them at least a year, or more depending on your ground, as for most of the northern short-tailed primitives. 

Boreray are double-coated, very very hardy. 

I know very little about Hill Radnors, except that the one fleece I’ve had was coarse and not very appealing to this handspinner. 

Boreray can be very coarse too, and being double coated, takes more prep than some fleece.  But it’s popular with handspinners because it’s so very rare, and a bit different.  And there can be a bit of colour in it, so it’s interesting for dyeing. They’re not all super coarse and the undercoat can be quite soft, though very short. 

[SallyintNorth]

Just looked it up. Borerays are bigger than North Ronaldsays but smaller than Manxes.

[Womble]

As well as slaughter age / weight, have a think about which will be easiest to manage (and that depends as much on the temperament of the individual sheep as it does on the breed). We currently have our ewes split into three groups; those we're keeping, extras we're selling for breeding and those which have had problems or are hard to handle - they are all going for mutton.


Yesterday, I rounded up the first two groups entirely on my own, in less than five minutes. The third group were a different story - get four in, two stay out. Go back for those two, lose all six etc. Personally, I'd say that having sheep you like and that are easy to manage trumps most other considerations when you're starting out. You'll learn so much from those first three that by the time you come to get more, you'll know exactly what to buy   

[Maysie]

We have Hill Radnors and they are really lovely. 

They are very friendly, relatively easy to handle, a nice 'small commercial' sized sheep and they look gorgeous too. 

I know nothing about Boreray's to compare. 

[ilyria]

Borerays can be hard to tame down, they tend to scatter like deer too. Friend keeps them andsays he wouldn't run them at all without a good dog. They usually kill out at 15 months or more

Hill radnors are easier to bucket train, larger and much friendlier in my experience. They'll reach killing weight  sometimes by the end of the 1st season but usually by 12months on our ground here

[tommytink]

Having recently purchased a few Hill Radnor ewes I would vote for them, although I can’t compare as not had experience of Borerays. I can say the Hill Radnors have been a dream compared to my Badgers! They’re easy to handle, chilled out, and food-orientated. I think that where you get them from makes a difference - the way they were brought up and the interaction they had made them this way.
Hill sheep fleece is always less desirable but the Radnor has less kemp in it making it better than other hill breeds and there is still a market for it.
Obviously if you’re only growing on for meat it depends on how long you’ll have them for as to how important being able to interact with them is and the quality of wool!
Possibly ram lambs or wethers would be best if they’re only headed for the freezer??

[SallyintNorth]

Hill sheep fleece is always less desirable

Can’t let that outrageous and inaccurate statement stand!  Many of the northern hill sheep have fleeces sought out by handspinners - Cheviot is a well-known one, pretty much all spinners like a good Mule, some Hexhmanshire hogg fleeces can be wonderful, Derbyshire Gritstone is a particularly fine one and was used in hosiery when we had such an industry,...  I could go on.

I can’t comment with such authority if you restrict it to Welsh breeds, I’ve a lot less experience of those.  But I have had a sample of the most beautiful black Welsh Mountain, and another of some gorgeous Speckle-faced Beulah... 

I have only had the one Hill Radnor, but it was unappealing in the extreme. Not kempy, no, but harsh and lifeless.

[roddycm]

if those are your only choices I would say Hill Radnor will be a much easier sheep to start with than the Boreray... personally I like Borerays but I would not recommend for a starter flock! Borerays are part of the group of Northern short-tailed sheep and if that appeals you could certainly start with Shetlands which would be much easier and readily available in most parts! Radnors are a very handsome breed though, let us know what you decide and good luck!!

[davet]

We could have half a dozen Hill Radnor ewes for sale, if you're interested.  I also know someone with a Hill Radnor ram she might be willing to sell.  All Carmarthenshire way.

[tommytink]

Hill sheep fleece is always less desirable

Can’t let that outrageous and inaccurate statement stand!  Many of the northern hill sheep have fleeces sought out by handspinners - Cheviot is a well-known one, pretty much all spinners like a good Mule, some Hexhmanshire hogg fleeces can be wonderful, Derbyshire Gritstone is a particularly fine one and was used in hosiery when we had such an industry,...  I could go on.

I can’t comment with such authority if you restrict it to Welsh breeds, I’ve a lot less experience of those.  But I have had a sample of the most beautiful black Welsh Mountain, and another of some gorgeous Speckle-faced Beulah... 

I have only had the one Hill Radnor, but it was unappealing in the extreme. Not kempy, no, but harsh and lifeless.

Don’t know if I’d go so far as to say what I said was outrageous or inaccurate, however I was probably generalising. I meant in a commercial market, lowland fleeces would prob generate more profit. Even our shearer recommended burning our fleece as he said we wouldn’t get anything for it.