Author Topic: anyone else have Portlands? (Read 2543 times)

shearling · « **on:** April 16, 2011, 07:43:04 pm »

Does anyone else have Portlands?

TheCaptain · « **Reply #1 on:** April 16, 2011, 08:17:08 pm »

yes! One ram, 9 ewes, 4 ewe lambs and 4 ram lambs! They're all buggers but I love them!

Freddiesfarm · « **Reply #2 on:** April 16, 2011, 08:36:33 pm »

We bought some portlands a while ago as we liked the dog which came free with them! The sheep were nightmare but the dog is very special and lives with my brother in law. She is so special she is allowed to ride up front in the car!!

The portlands were insteresting but far too wild and primitive for my liking. I like sheep which flock and can be worked by the dogs but those guys either fled in a shotgun pattern or lie down and pretend they aren't there! Very funny sheep but excellent mums

TheCaptain · « **Reply #3 on:** April 16, 2011, 10:23:43 pm »

FF - I think you must have been unlucky with yours as my lot are really good at moving as a flock (although the lambs haven't quite mastered it - they're far too inquisitive and come and see what's going on as opposed to following their mums). No need for a dog as they liked to moved just by walking bhind or following the feed bucket - something I've witnessed with the larger Portland flocks, too.

Shearling - what have you got?

shearling · « **Reply #4 on:** April 17, 2011, 07:57:55 am »

We have 1 ram (shearling), 6 ewes, 2 ram lambs (this week), although one of the ewes is about to burst this weekend

, and the ram has not been bothering the other three ewes which makes us think they are in pod too. Having said that they are 9 years old. I am not sure how long they go on for, do you know (all ours have good teach but are rather round)? They have only lambed once before (mothers of the others who are 6 years). Ours tend to flock too, but if they get spooked can run for the hills. We have found their feet quickly grow and not easy to trim, with several who insist on worrying us constantly about their dirty bums. Ours are nearly always silent. The exception being grunting from the mums when bonding with their lambs, and the odd one who baas when she wants to see more from the food bucket. The ewes were already in the field when we bought the house in the summer of last year and we bought the ram ready for tupping time

. How long have you had yours? and do you show them?

TheCaptain · « **Reply #5 on:** April 17, 2011, 07:02:48 pm »

Their feet are a nightmare! We bought ours without checking them first and the previous owner was very keen to get rid of them. I wanted them in our holding paddock but they did one under the fence before I could get hold of them!!! They were riddled with issues, which we're only just getting to the bottom of nearly one year on!!! We're thinking about showing my ram plus a ewe and a lamb at the sherbourne castle show at the end of may- we'll see!!! We got them last May, and the ewes are between 2 and 9 years old, my ram is 16 months now and started firing proper rounds on august bank holiday last year! So far we've got four lambs of each sex with one more to go. At least i think she is because she's massive- she is two months behind the rest of them though

shearling · « **Reply #6 on:** April 17, 2011, 07:19:26 pm »

I think our ram is rather special, lovely horns and build, and a nice chap - Marsden line and cost a lot to buy due to his lineage. One of the ram lambs (the photo) is looking just grand too, not so sure about the brother as some white markings on the outside of the cheeks, but they may change? Not impressed with horns on our ewes for showing. Mostly turning in too much so have had the ends cut off before they get into their eyes, so got a ram with loose ones. Did you keep sheep before? What line are yours? Interested in getting new ewes at some stage or loaning out ram if we eat his progeny. Not sure how to feel about that. We have kept ours intact rather than fumble about - did you?

Out big girl is really going to expload, unless she gets on with it

the others (her elders) are taking their time

shearling · « **Reply #7 on:** April 17, 2011, 07:26:08 pm »

FF - Ours did that at first. We had to meet them, with bucket and they soon stopped charging off to the other end of the field. whilst not too friendly several do let me scratch the top of their heads and come to me, without bucket - they do not say hello just take you in. They do not like dogs or being chased, rather they are sober, gentle creatures. This maybe why yours spread out. One of our dogs tried rounding (working dog) and they were not impressed at all - scatter gun as you described. They are very easy to get with a bucket call, with no running about and they get vocal when they miss out