[sweet_lfa]

Just wondering what people think of this article in Horse and Hound:

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/tradenews/7544/314009.html

I have been thinking of getting a few sheep to cross graze with my horses, but had previously thought about getting some badger faced sheep    Would be interested to hear what experienced sheep owners have to say on these "Easycare" sheep??  Thanks 

[SteveHants]

Easycares are OK.


I think they could be better myself and am breeding something similar but based on a Lleyn/Wilts horn cross (the Wilts Horn is where the shedding gene comes from). My sheep 'mentor' had 200 odd Wilts on a racehorese training place (and surrounds) and seemed to do well grazing the ground between horses using the fields. The breeders on the website seem to have the right idea though, breeding according to performance etc.


Were it me, I'd go for Wilts Horns, cos you get the whole 'rare breed' thing going on. If you wanted things that are similar to Easycares (ie polled shedders) you could do worse than exlanas: http://www.sig.uk.com/ or buy some ewe lambs of my composite shedders off me later in the year....

[sweet_lfa]

Thanks for your reply.  I was mainly concerned that "easycare" sheep were like "micro" pigs 

[SteveHants]

Nah - the 'easycare' component refers to the management system and the ewe itself. 'Easycare' management systems are usually all grass based, outdoor lambing systems with culling/selecting for desirable traits. 'Easycare' ewes are those which have been selected for traits that make them easy to manage (although they are also a breed of sheep created with this in mind, and those are what is for sale on that website). The usual traits are: wool shedding (no shearing, dagging, much reduced flystrike, minimal spending on strike treatments) ease of lambing, culling for feet (and I have heard that this is where the easycare breed were faltering), an a bility to fatten lambs off grass and some breeders are now breeding for worm resistance too.

[Rosey]

I had badgerface and went on to Easycares. Badgerface are  pretty but always skittish. My Easycares all shed but one was in the third year before she did. Easycare lamb much easier as the shoulders are not so broad and less foot problems.
 
The downside is you get a little less than commercial breeds at market and they can still occasionally get flystrike, they are easycare not no care. Handling them makes them friendly and easier to handle.

[SteveHants]

I had badgerface and went on to Easycares. Badgerface are  pretty but always skittish. My Easycares all shed but one was in the third year before she did. Easycare lamb much easier as the shoulders are not so broad and less foot problems.
 
The downside is you get a little less than commercial breeds at market and they can still occasionally get flystrike, they are easycare not no care. Handling them makes them friendly and easier to handle.

The answer to this is to put them to a 'commercial' terminal sire for fat lamb production. My shedding ewes will go to a SufTex this autumn.


Wilts Horns will occasionally get strike, more often than polled shedders, I find - they have a gland at the base of the horn that gets struck. I often dab clik or vetrazin at the horn base - you literally need a few ml. Still much less cost than wooled sheep. I find that when shedders get struck in the wool, unless they are lambs still with a thick coat (they tend to be born very wooly), they kind of get 'half struck' in that they dont suffer with it as much as wooled breeds - the skin tends to be left alone and the maggots are easy to convince to drop off. Either this or I'm catching any other cases very early (having said that - I've only seen 2, both this year).