[Dougal]

Hello to you all,
                 I'm very new to the business of forums but I'm looking forward to it all. About myself, I'm a self employed shepherd and sheep shearer with a few sheep of my own so i know a fair bit about that side of things. Now got a few hens and I'm all at sea with them! learning fast though Thinking about getting a couple o pigs for the freezer/breeding etc so I look forward to what problems and laughs they provide!

[little blue]

hello and welcome 

[Rosemary]

Hi and welcome from Carnoustie 

[faith0504]

hi and welcome from moray 

[Sudanpan]

Hi and Welcome from Cornwall 

Go for it with the pigs  they are FAB  even when they give you sleepless nights when they go all sick and lethargic with a raging temperature  But so GREAT when they turn the corner and come bounding over to you again 

Tish

[jaykay]

Hi Dougal   from Cumbria
Where are you and what sort of sheep and chooks? You didn't think you'd get away with such vague statements did you 

[suziequeue]

Hi Dougal

Welcome. We are in the same boat but we have just gone for it with a low threshold for seeking advice from neighbours/calling vet/asking on here.

Susanna

[Dougal]

Further to being asked I keep about 90 ewes. There are a few cross bred things but mostly they are Cheviot and cross texels ewes. I use texel and cheviot tups and breed my own replacement stock. I used to keep Zwartables but they are simply not hardy enough to do up where I'm working, that and I found them very very prone to having soft feet and over shot teeth. The cheviots are a handful at times but thankfully I've some decent dogs which helps at stressful times! 
The chickens are a bit of a new thing for me but I'm loving it. Got a mixture o pure breds. Rhodys, Marans and Dumpy, a leghorn, couple o ixworths and a scots grey. There are four cockerels just now but the two scots grey cockerels have a date with the freezer unless some one wants them to breed with.

[SallyintNorth]

Hello Dougal and welcome from the far north west of England.     We're beef & sheep farmers (very traditional, low input) and keep pigs, choox, ponies and a jersey house cow on the side.

We bought some cheviot stores for the first time last year and were very happy with how they did.  I still can't quite understand the Hill versus North Country type thing ... can you explain please?

We also have a few cheviot cross texel ewes; they're not the easiest to manage but they do have outstanding lambs. 

We do need a new cockerel and we have been offered some scots grey hatching eggs (if any of our girls ever decide to sit this year...   ) so an unrelated sg cockerel could be useful - where are you?

[Hilarysmum]

Hi and welcome from Brittany  We keep pigs, our large lady, Hilary is particularly good at keeping the foxes away.  In fact this morning she is parading up and down outside, convinced there is a fox around here somewhere.   

[Dan]

Hello Dougal, and welcome. 

Great to have you here. It looks like you need no help with the forums. 

[jaykay]

Some of our neighbours have Cheviots - nice animals! We have Rough Fells.

Glad you're enjoying your chooks - mine make me smile just watching them scratching about and each time i collect eggs it's like someone has left me little pressies  

[Dougal]

I'm based in Aberdeenshire for anyone interested in the scots grey cockerels.

The main difference between the hill and N.C. Cheviots is fairly simple. The hill types are just that, hill sheep, easy to keep not too big with stockier bodies and tighter wool. The North country type are what I call park cheviots. They are more an upland sheep, longer of the body with heavier shoulders and more wool. They are usually faster growing but tend not to have quite as good a carcass confermation.Their feed requirements are normally higher to maintain this growth than the hill types. The other main point is the N.C. Cheviots have a breed society while the hill types don't carry a breed book.

[SallyintNorth]

Well that sounds completely straightforward, thanks Dougal.  Now, will I be able to remember it when I am at the mart looking at cheviot stores in a month or two...