[benkt]

Just looking for a bit of advice from the experienced folk here. We've not kept sheep before although been thinking about it for a while. We've just been offered five Texel x Lleyns ewe lambs for a reasonable price. The plan would be to keep them for a year before tupping next Autumn to get a bit of experience in before having to deal with lambing.


We've got a couple of offers of grazing land away from the farm (which would need electric fencing) but it would be much easier to keep them up here, at least for winter, if its feasible. We've got approximately half an acre of long grass which the turkeys are in at the moment (obviously only here till Christmas) and another two thirds of an acre of better grass that the goats and geese are on. The geese also go at Christmas and the goats won't be out much over winter.


I was wondering if keeping them in the first field till say Christmas then rotating onto the goat field would be enough for them? Also not sure if the sheep need to be kept away from any of the turkeys/geese/goats? Or is it madness to even think about starting with ewes in winter for a newbie - in the same way that I wouldn't advise anyone to start keeping pigs overwinter?


Any thoughts most welcome,


Ben

[Mallows Flock]

I think it doesn't matter when you start.... in spring you wrestle with flush, summer with shearing and flies, autumn with fluke and winter with frozen water and feed prices. And this year, all year, whatever the season, we have been dealing with scald.
I say get 'em in, enjoy them, have fun, learn loads and with a years learning behind you, put them to the tup!
As for land... you will probably need to add hay and licks. I had 3 ewes originally on  1 acre and 1/2 acre paddocks and rotated. In summer I had too much, in winter I was supplement feeding. If you had primitives i.e Soays, Shetlands etc you may scrape through depending on how early grass comes through in Spring/weather but with greedy fat commercials (I have Texel x's and Lleyn x's so I know how much they munch  ) you will struggle over winter.
My 13 lambs (aged 7 months) stripped a 1 acre field bare in 3 weeks! Greedy beggars!

[goosepimple]

Yup, good advice from Mallows.  Primitives are hardy and do well on scrubland but you're more into high maintenance sheep with the Texel mix.  Big heads, big growth rates and big appetites.  I think we all have to expect casualties this winter though whatever your beasts.

[SteveHants]

I find winter is the time I lose the least sheep.


Losses uasually occur pre/immediatley post lambing, and summer  (back end).


So yeah, I think winter is an ideal time to start.