[jaykay]

OK, comments about pocket-sized sheep have got me thinking.

I currently have Rough Fell sheep. I love them, they're handsome and so friendly but they're big  - a ewe weighs about 55kg (120 lbs), rams 80kg (180 lbs). So everytime hubby goes away on an expedition, which is more and more, I get stressed about dealing with the sheep, ie can I cope with them on my own. I don't want not to have sheep and anyway, what would graze our fields.

So - I am wondering about smaller ones? However, I am used to friendly, 'white' sheep, not tiny wild ones! And anyway, wild ones wouldn't fit my requirements of being easier to deal with 

We live at 1000ft in Cumbria - the grazing (and the weather!) is rough and wet and they're outside all winter.

Any recommendations?

[kanisha]

Ouessants being developed from their environment and not as a result of a fancy for small sheep would cope with those living conditions very well; they really are tough hardy sheep and will come to a bucket quite easily but small steps try shetlands first they are not as small as Ouessants.

[shearling]

What about Porlands

[Fleecewife]

Hi jaykay - obviously I have to jump in here    We are at 1000' in the south of Scotland so conditions are probably fairly similar to yours, although we don't have a large farm. Our sheep live and lamb outdoors.  We keep Hebrideans and Soays, but have in the past had Jacobs, Gotlands, Shetlands and a variety of cross-bred fleece specials, large and small.  When my OH became very ill a few years ago all the larger sheep went plus the Shetlands, so I could handle them on my own if necessary.  I would imagine that you are not looking for something quite as small as Soays, but if you are, don't believe all the tales of them being impossible to catch - ours eat out of our hands and look for treats in our pockets, and can be rounded up by using sheep psychology  except when we are in a real hurry or it is important we get them right then - no chance of catching them in that situation  Soay ewes are about 23-25 kgs, tups maybe 40, depending on how heavy their horns are 
Hebrideans are quieter than Soays and we find we can handle them easily, especially when our Jack Russell helps, and with a handling system set up.  They are beautiful to have around and the meat is more tasty than you could wish - darker than 'normal' lamb, low fat and tender.  They lamb extremely easily - you may have heard of a few problems this lambing on here but the norm is for no losses.  They cross well with a larger tup for meat lambs if that is what you want. Ewes weigh about 38-40kgs, tups 50-55. They come mostly in a 2 horned version but a multi-horned type is available for added interest 
Shetlands are the ultimate small easy to handle sheep, they are a similar size to Hebs, ewes are usually polled, tups 2 horned, meat almost as delicious, and they have the double advantage of being fairly cheap to buy (but also to sell) and they have absolutely wonderful fleece, in a variety of colours, which can be sold to hand spinners (online and at Woolfest).
If you want a rarer breed, there is also the North Ronaldsay, but hard to get stock, the Castlemilk moorit, Boreray, Manx Loughtan (similar to Hebs but brown and with a single coated fleece - also come in 2 and 4 horned models).  Jacobs have these days become quite large so you wouldn't have a weight difference with your Rough Fells.
How about trying just a few of one of the above to see how your chosen breed compares?

[woollyval]

I am at 1000ft in....Somerset, well nearly Devon! I love my Ouessants after years and years and years of big sheep! I also hate wild sheep that you need a fishing net and binoculars for....! Ouessants are chunky tough and easy...just small My local farming friends pull my leg and call them 'handbag sheep'

[shearling]

Smaller, but not as small as handbags, are Portlands. http://www.portlandsheep.org.uk/ They are good to eat - especially as mutton, are hardy (afterall Porland has no trees for their protection) and can lamb at any time of year. They have good fleeces, are good mothers... I could go on and on...

[kanisha]

No trees on the island of Ouessant either I would also add that ouessant meat is very good eating most common comment is its sweet, the breed was originally kept at a premium for pré salé meat. I LIKE being able to pick up a ewe without any problems and no back ache here anything that takes time the sheep gets done on a table saves my back 

[TheCaptain]

Portlands are so pretty too!

[kanisha]

OK OK I'm not trying to compete 

[goosepimple]

Hi jaykay, we have soays and they eat out of a bucket quite easily too - the reason we got them and not other small sheep was that with soays you don't have to shear them - we found it so difficult to get someone to do a handful of sheep so self shearing sheep (sounds like a wallace and grommit invention) seemed logical.  Anyway, with all the fab advice you're getting on this thread you're head is probably rattling and you'll either end up with them all or stick to the sheep you have (always a hassle free option).

[jaykay]

This is just the info I needed, thank you all very much. I wanted to know what they were all like to keep.

I quite like the idea of self-shearing sheep too though our local farm lads will come and do ours.

Won't be a quick decision as I've obviously got breeding sheep now I've got to like a lot - can't decide if it's our current tup (very nice on the other side of a fence, a menace if in with him) and lack of handling setup that's the biggest issue or if their size still is a problem. If only they could stay the size of the current hoggs.