This has been a hell of a year, with lost jobs, a lost sibling and far too many things to keep on top of. Because of that I kind of got behind with sheep management and it's only my first year keeping them. We only had 7 Devon and Cornwall longwools, 2 wethers and 5 ewes, though one was a small one we only took because she looked like she'd have gone to slaughter if we'd not taken her. Yes, I know
The plan is to start our little flock and breed this winter, just raising enough for ourselves and family.
They've done well on our fields, we have several fields we rotate them on, but with everything that's happened this year I just didn't get round to planning for their first tupping, so that's been put off until next year. Is there an age beyond which you can't start breeding them? Should I not tup the little one or would she likely be ok to breed from?
The wethers will go to slaughter in the spring. Last week we lost one of the ewes, no idea why, found her under a hedge already torn up, presumably a fox got to her, poor thing. As she couldn't go to the local knacker because of being only half there, I just let nature take it's course and now the skeleton's been stripped and I buried it deeply. What should I mark in the flock book for the disposal? Is there any other paperwork to deal with?
I did a faecal egg count last week and the results came back that there was nothing significant. As we're now out of fly season and the sheep all look well, should I be giving any other meds/drench as a precaution or leave alone as they seem healthy.