Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Soay sheep need new home  (Read 7183 times)

marie

  • Joined Apr 2011
Soay sheep need new home
« on: January 22, 2012, 09:06:16 am »
We have 7 Soay sheep that we need to rehome. We have had them for around 5 years now, but we no longer have the time to care for them correctly and I feel that they would be better off with someone who will look after them. Could anyone give me some advice on the best way to rehome them and make sure they are going to a good home. Or if anyone is interested in them can they let me know. they would have to be picked up as we do not have the transport for them. Price to be considered.
I will be sad to see them go.
« Last Edit: January 22, 2012, 09:22:33 am by marie »

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Soay sheep need new home
« Reply #1 on: January 22, 2012, 11:53:39 am »
Hi Marie.  Whereabouts are you, and are your Soays registered?   Are they female, and if so have they ever been lambed?

How easy they are to rehome will depend on where you live.  Here in Scotland there is a lively interest in Soays, sometimes as pets and sometimes for breeding.  If people just want them as pets then of course registration doesn't matter, but if they are for breeding then increasingly people are realising that registered stock will be better.  Here in Scotland we are hoping to get our first RBST approved rare breeds sale in a long time, soon, which will increase the interest in registered stock.

I have recently rehomed my Soays as part of a general cutting down of numbers this winter.  I had a lot of interest in registered breeding stock, with enquiries coming to us through our website.   I would think that your best bet would be to put up 'For Sale' notices in every agricultural store, pet food shop and vets that you have in the area.  Decide on the price you want first and meet the prospective buyers to see if they are genuine or just want cheap meat.  Putting an advert in a local paper or traders ads would be more likely to get the kind of response you don't want.   Putting them through an ordinary mart would mean that they would almost certainly go for meat.  The rare breeds sales would give you more of a chance, but no guarantee, that they would go to someone intending to keep them, but those sales are not until the autumn.
« Last Edit: January 22, 2012, 12:00:06 pm by Fleecewife »
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

marie

  • Joined Apr 2011
Re: Soay sheep need new home
« Reply #2 on: January 22, 2012, 03:41:38 pm »
Thankyou Fleecewife for the advice. I have put an advert on preloved and had a couple of responses. I will check out where they will be going first. I'll be glad to get them rehomed as we are haveing a run of bad luck with them.
Year before last we had all our lambs taken by foxes within weeks of them being born and this year again some were taken. It was really sad when one lamb that we had to hand rear was also taken by a fox. We tried everything to keep the foxes off but I think its the area we are in. It would be best for the rest to go to someone who will be able to care for them better.
We have 2 rams and 5 ewes. They are registered.

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Soay sheep need new home
« Reply #3 on: January 22, 2012, 04:31:22 pm »
Very sad about the foxes taking the lambs.  Soay tups are good at keeping foxes off if they are in with the ewes at lambing.  You shouldn't have a problem with rehoming registered stock and you should get a fair price for them if they are not too old and still have their teeth.

Good Luck.
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

plumseverywhere

  • Joined Apr 2013
  • Worcestershire
    • Its Baaath Time
    • Facebook
Re: Soay sheep need new home
« Reply #4 on: January 22, 2012, 05:11:26 pm »
where abouts are you Marie? are they currently in lamb?
Smallholding in Worcestershire, making goats milk soap for www.itsbaaathtime.com and mum to 4 girls,  goats, sheep, chickens, dog, cat and garden snails...

marie

  • Joined Apr 2011
Re: Soay sheep need new home
« Reply #5 on: January 22, 2012, 07:08:57 pm »
We are in Glossop. They are not showing yet but its a big possibility that they are in lamb.

manian

  • Joined Sep 2010
Re: Soay sheep need new home
« Reply #6 on: January 22, 2012, 07:21:38 pm »
marie
when do you need them to be gone by
Mx

theredteapotlady

  • Joined Jan 2012
Re: Soay sheep need new home
« Reply #7 on: January 22, 2012, 07:35:43 pm »
Dear Marie,
 We are very interested in your Soays. We have a smallholding on the Notts/Leics borders and are looking to establish a small herd of rare breed sheep having previously raised cade lambs. We have good farmer friends nearby who have experience in primitive sheep (and I think actually had some Soays a long time ago!)
I'd be intrested to know how old they are, how much have they been handled and will they come to a bucket or use a small pen area for feeding? How much do you want for them?
Unfortunately we couldn't take any animals in the next week or two - we have recently taken on a couple of unhandled exmoor ponies who came in from the moor in last autumns round up that we are settling in and I have just slipped a disc so we would need to co-opt some folk to help erect some substantial fencing. 

What do you think?
Kym

marie

  • Joined Apr 2011
Re: Soay sheep need new home
« Reply #8 on: January 22, 2012, 09:35:00 pm »
Thankyou for all who are interested. We are in no hurry for them to go as yet, but before they lamb would be good so thats usually March time. But we do want them to go to a good home. I have had alot of interest but want to find the best one for them to go to.
The person who does pick them up will need there own trailer to collect them and also be prepared to catch them as the field is not accessable by road. Though its not too far. If you know Soays they can be a pain to catch once they have got away.
They will come to a bucket but have not been handled too much.
The age of them are between 5 and 3 years. With 1 lamb left from last years lambing. (This was due to the foxes)
We are asking £100 for all 6
If you are still interested get back to me.

Thanks
Marie

theredteapotlady

  • Joined Jan 2012
Re: Soay sheep need new home
« Reply #9 on: January 23, 2012, 05:53:49 pm »
Marie, I have sent a pm but it isn't in my sent items. Did you receive it?
Thanks, Kym

marie

  • Joined Apr 2011
Re: Soay sheep need new home
« Reply #10 on: January 23, 2012, 07:04:57 pm »
Thankyou theredteapotlady I have put a message on the pm.

tonka236

  • Joined Jul 2011
Re: Soay sheep need new home
« Reply #11 on: January 27, 2012, 11:02:11 am »
You also have a PM from us Marie  :wave: :wave:

marie

  • Joined Apr 2011
Re: Soay sheep need new home
« Reply #12 on: January 27, 2012, 05:23:19 pm »
Hi Tonka236. I got your message on email through my phone but it hasnt come through on my pm. Thankyou for your offer but we have found a home for the sheep. I hope you find some others to go with your flock.
Thanks again
Marie
« Last Edit: January 27, 2012, 05:32:51 pm by marie »

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Soay sheep need new home
« Reply #13 on: January 27, 2012, 11:30:09 pm »
I'm glad you have got them rehomed Marie  :thumbsup:
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

 

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