[Ladygrey]

Hello 

I applied for a small farm tenancy and unfortunately didnt get it, but It obviously wasnt meant to be so thats fine this means that I am stuck with my 4 acres, I would dearly love to have some pedigree sheep that are registered and have the excitement of breeding and then showing my own sheep

However, I already have 3 ewes, I dont LOVE these sheep (I am not attached to them like I am attached to my ewe lamb Ben) and in order to get 4 pedigree young ewes two of these 3 ewes would have to go. I am renting a field for the lambs so will have space for 4 ewes plus the two I am keeping (I hope)

The suffolk/mule ewe has only one wokring teat but rears twins and the other is a wiltshire horn that also rears good twins, I dont know who would take them or even if I could sell them. Also does this seem really mean that I am willing to be rid of two ewes to make way for some better ones 

I have not decided on a breed yet but I have a criteria

-Pretty colouring (coloured/ markings etc)
-no wool on face or legs (personal preference)
-Tall/bigger than medium
-Rare/rare-ish
-Preferably polled but would consider smallish horns
-Nice wool for spinning/rug making
-Good smallholder sheep

I think thats it, if anyone has any suggestions then that would be great or if anyone would like a wiltshire horn or a suffolk mule then please let me know, the suffolk is tameish (she will eat out of my hand but not let me get too close) the wiltshire horn is about as tame as a deer...


Thanks, Jess

[smee2012]

You need Zwartbles! They are large sheep, have no wool on face or legs, are very pretty, great milkers and mothers, fairly rare in this country, and super tame! I have a small flock of eight (four for the freezer and four girls to breed from) that I bought this year and they all follow me around like dogs! They all come and demand to have their faces scratched and the girls love to play too!

Oh, and they are naturally polled. I haven't tried spinning or knitting with their wool (as this is our first year with them) but apparently it is great for both.

[Castle Farm]

To breed a sheep that would be suitable for showing your going to need a lot more than a handfull of sheep to breed from to select one good enough.

Out of say 100 lambs your lucky to get 1 or 2 that are good enough, even if the flock you have are up to a good standard.

Throwing colour into the mix makes it even more difficult. Zwarbles and Jacob and Kerry Hill breeders look to off load mismarks to new breeders, so be aware of this.

Best of luck with you quest.

[Mallows Flock]

Ladygrey... I feel your pain. I am going to sell my Shetland cross commercials, and my commercials (apart from my 3 favourite first borns as I have room for them) as well as my unregistered Shetlands so i can make way for a rare breed breeding and showing enterprise. Even worse for me, as most of mine are commercials, the only people that really want them are farmers. For slaughter. oh no no no! They need loving homes. i understand the wethers will get eaten pretty pronto, but not the ewes. They need to be loves, nurtured, pampered and basically, treated like grandchildren by the next owners. LOL. I have taken the horror out of it tho by giving myself a year to find the right homes before my new enterprise starts rather than sell quick and buy new now. That makes me feel a lot more relaxed about it.
The other thing I have noticed is as soon as i find a nice home, things happen. One limps a bit, or a ram gets in with the ewes. Or one knocks a horn off and looks like he has been semi-butchered or they all decide to scour the night before. All things that would put a potential buyer right off. It's either fate or a conspiracy between the sheep. LOL

[colliewoman]

as well as my unregistered Shetlands

 


I shall have a chat with thee come Thursday me dear

[Mallows Flock]

Looking forward to it Donna..... looking forward to it )

[Rosemary]

To breed a sheep that would be suitable for showing your going to need a lot more than a handfull of sheep to breed from to select one good enough.

IMHO this is nonsense If you are only in it to win, it may be true, but if you enjoy preparing your sheep and it's your hobby, then you can show any eligible sheep you like. There's great cameraderie - and you never know, you might strike lucky with a winner but you'll still enjoy your sheep and your days out regardless.

We showed our Shetland cow this year and enjoyed it loads - there was lots of interest in her, so lots of chat and banter. She's not the best example and in a big class of Shetlands, she wouldn't win but we all enjoyed it, including, I think, the cattle 

[robert waddell]

with showing it is a competition   somebody has to come first and somebody last     it is the experience of the showing    and getting your stock out there to be seen       obviously if a three legged example wins on the day there will be raised eyebrows      and if you have to be the best or first  you should not be there

[Beewyched]

IMHO we've all got to start somewhere ... & if you are breeding any animal, their health & welfare is what is paramount - so good husbandary should always be taken as the first step.
I would hope, that as breeders, we only register/sell stock for breeding that has good confirmation.
Showing is great fun - yes if you win, it gives you extra confidence that you are getting it right, if you don't, constructive feedback can give you some pointers as how to improve your stock.  It also gives Jo/Joanne public an opportunity to see quality animals at their best.
For me, showing is a great opportunity to meet-up & socialise with each other 
& if we come home with a rosette - it's just icing on the cake 
 

[Victorian Farmer]

This is the breed as smee 2012

[Remy]

Gotlands are beautiful sheep, have the most lovely silky wool ranging from silver to dark grey.  They are also usually very friendly!  I also have Zwartbles, they are very handsome and again friendly sheep, larger than the Gotlands and have thicker wool.  Both breeds are long legged and have no wool on their face.


I wanted some coloureds and couldn't decide between these two so got both 

[SteveHants]

Hello 

I applied for a small farm tenancy and unfortunately didnt get it, but It obviously wasnt meant to be so thats fine this means that I am stuck with my 4 acres, I would dearly love to have some pedigree sheep that are registered and have the excitement of breeding and then showing my own sheep

I looked at farm tenancies, on council holdings. I think I have looked at 4 so far, and put in a bid for a grand total of none of em. They were all dairies and the most promising ones were the council had decided could be used for other things. All seemed to be compromised in one way or another (the most promising was the smallest at 60 ac, but the house was....in some disrepair and the current tennant said that getting the council to do it up was a blood/stone scenario). They all seemed to need far too much in the way of start up capital for the return you were going to get.


I know that small dairying is the 'tried and trusted' route into farming, but I fail to see why anybody would take on a business where they knew that margins were going to be unworkably tight (unless they had a super-cunning plan that was going to revolutionise dairy farming). At the end of the day you, like me probably have a family to support and dragging them into a financial hole because 'you really want to be a farmer' is probably quite a frightening risk.


Have you looked at renting land? I graze sheep, but you could just as easily graze cattle, you might need to rent a shed or go for natives in extensive situations.


I know a few people who are making a good living grazing sheep in the manner that I am doing, and of course the initial outlay is pretty cheap compared to most ventures (some stock, hurdles, trailer, few £s for meds etc, maybe a dog and you are away)....


I know this isn't what the thread was about, but just a thought really.

[feldar]

Ladygrey to be honest only you can decide to sell your old stock and replace with the breed you want.It will all boil down to just how much you want these new sheep, if i were in your shoes there would be no question to ask, they would be down the market in two shakes of a lambs tail, but i'm a probably a lot different in character to you.
I treat my sheep well don't get me wrong but they are not pets to me and though i do have favourites they have to pay their way or go, also if they are not a breed i like i have to look at them every day, so i want something i like to see out in my fields.
We also show and i love the show scene it gets you alongside like minded people and you also get to talk to the owners of lots of different breeds.
i know people with only a few sheep who still show. Buy good stock and keep the good ones if numbers climb up then i'm afraid you either have to sell them or be ruthless and put them through market, or as boxed lamb
Every year hubby and i go through all our ewe lambs dicussing merits and why we want to keep them and weeding out the ones that showed potential in the start but haven't made the grade.
We sell these to go for breeding or they can go to market, depends on how many offers we have had.
So it's up to you you have given the ones you have now a good life they sound ok maybe you could advertise as a small starter flock.
Good luck anyway

[jaykay]

Every year you will have to sell some of your sheep, or your flock will grow too big for your land. So you pick the ones you like best to keep.

I don't think it's unreasonable to sell you older ewes. They may well only go as cast ewes but that would have happened eventually and they've had a good life up til now.

What is Zwartble fleece like to spin? Certainly Gotland is lovely, limited range of colours. Wensleydales are amazing. I think they're stunning and distinctive, fleeces very sought after. Rare, but not marked or patterned. Very occasionally you can get black ones.

[Big Light]

Robert i have to disagree with your comment

"obviously if a three legged example wins on the day there will be raised eyebrows "

What if it's a stool competition?