[blades]

I am looking for 3 sheep to graze in our paddocks, purely as friendly pet lawnmowers. Can anyone tell me what breed what would considered as the most friendly as I will not have a dog.

Thank you in advance for any advice

[lindy]

Hello
It is not the breed but the individual sheep that is important. If you are looking for sheep just as pets then bottle fed lambs are a good bet(ewes or wethers not rams).   My other suggestion is you buy from a small hobby breeder and tell them you are  new to sheep keeping and you must have tame docile sheep. Most people will be pleased to help. Always view the flock and see how they behave if they are very nervous and just run away don't buy from there. Much better to go elsewhere and find the right sheep. Don't buy from some local farmer just because he has some sheep he wants to get rid of.
Personally I now keep Shetlands. Mine are very friendly also small and easy to care for - a pleasure to keep.
I have also kept Zwartbles also very friendly but very big, too big for me now.
 

[blades]

Hello
It is not the breed but the individual sheep that is important. If you are looking for sheep just as pets then bottle fed lambs are a good bet(ewes or wethers not rams).   My other suggestion is you buy from a small hobby breeder and tell them you are  new to sheep keeping and you must have tame docile sheep. Most people will be pleased to help. Always view the flock and see how they behave if they are very nervous and just run away don't buy from there. Much better to go elsewhere and find the right sheep. Don't buy from some local farmer just because he has some sheep he wants to get rid of.
Personally I now keep Shetlands. Mine are very friendly also small and easy to care for - a pleasure to keep.
I have also kept Zwartbles also very friendly but very big, too big for me now.
 

Thank you Lindy.... I have found a local hobby breeder of Balwen sheep and plan to view these on Thursday. Shetlands were a consideration but I wanted to check in case any particular breeds were noticeably friendlier than others.
Thanks again

[Rosemary]

I have Ryelands and they are mainly friendly. I have two ewes I bought in that are less so, but they follow the others. The tup, wether and seven ewes will do most anything for an oatcake 

[blades]

I have Ryelands and they are mainly friendly. I have two ewes I bought in that are less so, but they follow the others. The tup, wether and seven ewes will do most anything for an oatcake 

I will have to learn all these tricks.... thank you!

[shearling]

As well as friendliness you need to think about how you will be able to look after them. I am thinking here of feet trimming, dagging etc. We keep Portlands. They are very gentle and are quite small compared with most sheep. I went to Woolly Vals and she keeps Oushants - the smallest sheep you can get, they are lovely too.

[blades]

As well as friendliness you need to think about how you will be able to look after them. I am thinking here of feet trimming, dagging etc. We keep Portlands. They are very gentle and are quite small compared with most sheep. I went to Woolly Vals and she keeps Oushants - the smallest sheep you can get, they are lovely too.

Hi..... yes this is pretty much how I got to the point of considering the Balwen, I had been told they are pretty hard and that on the whole require less attention re feet trimming etc. Also that you can spray them instead of dipping.

Thanks for the info

[OhLaLa]

As well as friendliness you need to think about how you will be able to look after them. I am thinking here of feet trimming, dagging etc........

Hi..... yes this is pretty much how I got to the point of considering the Balwen, I had been told they are pretty hard and that on the whole require less attention re feet trimming etc. Also that you can spray them instead of dipping.

Can I suggest you get yourself a couple of good books and do a bit of reading up first? I'm a 'novice' myself but there is so much to learn. For example, you wouldn't be dipping anyhow - the product is applied to the back of the sheep. You will need to check feet regularly no matter what breed of sheep you get, and they need worming, shearing etc.

Read the threads on sheep on this site - plenty of tips to pick up from questions previously asked !!

 

[philippa]

Hi There,

Although farm reared myself and agricultural college trained we had not had sheep for longer than I care to admit.  We bought 3 Shetland ewes two years ago one of which was very tame.  The three plus a retained ewe from last year's lambs are very tame and come to the bucket or for a fuss even without food.  Amazing how tame they can become if given treats from the hand.  Beware Copper for sheep and yes, you will have to trim feet occaisionally, worm them and keep an eye for fly strike but ours have been so easy and lambed well with no problems.  Good luck and hope you enjoy your sheep as much as we do ours.

[JMB]

Hi . We got pet sheep last year. One hand reared ram, 3 friendly shetlands and 10 hebridean, who flock together and are very flighty. We have no sheepdog and thought we could just train them to come for food, then lock them in and do what we needed. No chance! They are harder to catch than you think, even with a limp!
We eventually asked around and found a man who helps out at different farms. He brings his dogs a few times a year, helps us round them up, dose them, trim their feet and shear them. We'd be lost without him.
Because we couldn't catch our sheep, we didn't worm them early enough and lost 2 to liver fluke (heartbreaking and £300 vet bills)
The man we hire isn't expensive and he helped us to plan a dosing routine etc, and stops me from panicking too much! So my advice would be to see who is available locally.
Re a good book- I have a Sheep book (can't remember the name) by Tim Tyne. Recommended to me, and it's very helpful.
Good luck! We sheared ours yesterday and they look beautiful, if a bit cold. They are not as easy as we imagined but worth it.
Joanne xxx

[blades]

Thank you all for the advice

[bazzais]

You'll also legally need a holding number, medical book and a 'code of practice' book for sheep on your premises amongst a few other bit of equipment for emergencies and general care.  You cant just keep agricultural animals as 'pets' - you'll need all the same paperwork to be kept as a farmer would have too.

Even if you choose not to own the animals you will need a holding number or for the lender to add your land onto theirs as a temporary extension to their holding.

Baz

[Calvadnack]

Oops, I don't have a "Code of Practice" book - what is this ? I have a movements register, medicines register, farm health plan, what am I missing ?

[HamishMcMurray]

I would second what Joanne has said about finding a local person who can help out. We've got someone and he's been invaluable. We just asked at our local feed supply if they could recommend anyone and were given his details. It's great to watch an experienced person doing things first hand so that you can do it yourself the next time. We also use him to check on the sheep a couple of times a day if we go away.

[blades]

You'll also legally need a holding number, medical book and a 'code of practice' book for sheep on your premises amongst a few other bit of equipment for emergencies and general care.  You cant just keep agricultural animals as 'pets' - you'll need all the same paperwork to be kept as a farmer would have too.

Even if you choose not to own the animals you will need a holding number or for the lender to add your land onto theirs as a temporary extension to their holding.

Baz

Thanks Baz.... I have applied for my holding number...... seems to be a little slower in Scotland than in England?