Author Topic: looking for brown sheep  (Read 18487 times)

firemansam

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Staffordshire
looking for brown sheep
« on: December 05, 2012, 04:13:40 pm »
We have 6 easycare ewes and 2 southdown ewes, my wife being a bit of a sheep expert wants a brown one!
What sort I asked, I dunno, a brown one, she replied!

See what Im dealing with!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway what would you advise. Would love a coloured ryeland but they seem as rare as rocking horse poo around staffordshire.
I want something reasonable to look at that we can bucket train and is not too scatty as it will be more of a pet than anything else.

lachlanandmarcus

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: looking for brown sheep
« Reply #1 on: December 05, 2012, 04:41:19 pm »
You can get brown shetlands - I have one. They are described as 'moorit' tho as the colour, so that might be worth looking out for. The brown wool also gets the highest price among the Shetland colours followed by white and then all the grey/multicoloured ones.

bloomer

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • leslie, fife
  • i have chickens, sheep and opinions!!!
Re: looking for brown sheep
« Reply #2 on: December 05, 2012, 04:58:34 pm »
most of the sheep round here look brown i think it might be the weather though  :excited: :excited: :excited:

Fronhaul

  • Joined Jun 2011
    • Fronhaul Farm
Re: looking for brown sheep
« Reply #3 on: December 05, 2012, 05:00:07 pm »
This kind of thing?  The white is strictly optional.


Blacksheep

  • Joined May 2008
Re: looking for brown sheep
« Reply #4 on: December 05, 2012, 05:11:57 pm »
We have Zwartbles, they are brown with a white blaize, white socks and a white tipped tail - very striking! They are naturally a fairly tame breed, some becoming exceptionally friendly. I think because they were a dual purpose dairy and meat breed so would have had to have been reasonably docile for milking.  PM me if you would like to know more about the breed, we even have a few for sale in Shropshire.
You can see some pictures at  http://zwartbles.webs.com/2012lambs.htm
« Last Edit: December 05, 2012, 05:25:41 pm by Blacksheep »

Ladygrey

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • Basingstoke
Re: looking for brown sheep
« Reply #5 on: December 05, 2012, 05:55:55 pm »
I have a brown(ish) shetland who is very sweet and needs next to no food, I also have two zwartbles ewe lambs who are LOVELY :) they are very dark brown almost chocolate colour,
they are lovely and tame and love eating bread out of my hand :)

colliewoman

  • Joined Jul 2011
  • Pilton
  • Caution! May spontaneously talk rabbits!
Re: looking for brown sheep
« Reply #6 on: December 05, 2012, 06:12:29 pm »
I'm in Somerset and have a shetland x castlemilk moorit ewe and lamb for sale. The ewe is moorit (chocolate brown) and her ewe lamb is very dark brown almost black. To a good home more important than price, but I won't split the pair :love:
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smee2012

  • Joined Sep 2012
Re: looking for brown sheep
« Reply #7 on: December 05, 2012, 07:01:36 pm »
I'll second (or is it third?  ???) the Zwartbles recommendation. Ours are very friendly (we bought ours from Blacksheep ^^^), particularly the ewes, who love attention and a good face scratch.

Remy

  • Joined Dec 2011
Re: looking for brown sheep
« Reply #8 on: December 05, 2012, 07:15:04 pm »
I have a brown Ryeland ram and Zwartbles ewes and a ram, all are friendly.  The Zwartbles are a big breed and grow quite tall.
1 horse, 2 ponies, 4 dogs, 2 Kune Kunes, a variety of sheep

in the hills

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: looking for brown sheep
« Reply #9 on: December 05, 2012, 07:49:01 pm »
 :wave:


Soay ???????  Light brown, dark brown, black and "pretty".  Beautiful and can be bucket trained. They can be flighty but I have one that is so tame that she can be given a cuddle and jumps up like a dog and really is a bit of a pest  ::) ;D  .... so with a bit of work they can be very friendly and are full of character.


P'm if you want to know anything more about them. I have some tame lambs. :sheep:

jaykay

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Cumbria/N Yorks border
Re: looking for brown sheep
« Reply #10 on: December 05, 2012, 08:06:48 pm »
Coloured Ryelands are lovely, but as you say, not common and expensive.

Moorit Shetlands are pretty, small enough for women to handle easily and can be trained to come and eat out of your hand (half my flock do). They're very easy lambers, good mothers and will produce good lambs from a Southdown tup (it's usual not to tup them til they're shearlings).


Here are some pics Shetland sheep PS it's a new website live today, so isn't fully 'populated' yet.

Pedwardine

  • Joined Feb 2012
  • South Lincolnshire
Re: looking for brown sheep
« Reply #11 on: December 05, 2012, 08:30:56 pm »
Can't Wensleydales be brown too? I'll second Shetlands being absloutely lovely. I have three Moorits.

jaykay

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Cumbria/N Yorks border
Re: looking for brown sheep
« Reply #12 on: December 05, 2012, 08:45:25 pm »
Yes, you can get coloured Wensleydales, but we're really talking hens teeth there. Beautiful, enormous and as rare as.....an honest politician  ;)

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: looking for brown sheep
« Reply #13 on: December 06, 2012, 12:14:47 am »
Manx Loughtan are a brown breed with the added benefit of two or four horns.
 
I would go for a moorit Shetland though  ;D :sheep:
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kumquat

  • Joined May 2012
  • Ruthin, North Wales
Re: looking for brown sheep
« Reply #14 on: December 06, 2012, 09:39:51 am »
Another vote here for either a shetland or Soay.... mine here are very friendly. i reckon the soays are prettier but thats just my biased opinion.


firemansam - if you roll one of your easycares in the mud......eh voila  :innocent:
Proud member of the Soay Sheep Society :thumbsup:

 

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