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Author Topic: Arent shetland sheep just soo fantastic!  (Read 5209 times)

Ladygrey

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • Basingstoke
Arent shetland sheep just soo fantastic!
« on: June 10, 2013, 08:44:01 pm »
I just thought I needed to let everyone know how much I am loving my shetland sheep  :love:

and I am so excited to be picking up 4 more pedigree shetland ewes on the 23rd!!

I sheared my sheep yesterday and the shetlands were just so easy to shear and such lovely wool!
They are as fat as butter on the grass with no cake or anything and are even eating through the nettles, docks and thistles!

Photos are of my little 4 year old ewe "Badger" with her two month old charrolais cross twins who arent far of the size of their mum





who else keeps this amazing little breed?

lachlanandmarcus

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: Arent shetland sheep just soo fantastic!
« Reply #1 on: June 10, 2013, 09:02:31 pm »
Mee! Very impressed by those lambs!!!! People don't realise that although a small breed, Shetlands have one of the widest hips so (at 2 onwards) can readily be crossed with commercial breeds. And unlike the farmers usual ewes, they won't give two fingers to the lambs after giving birth either !


They do need decent fencing but are lovely characters and pretty low maintenance.

smiley bucket

  • Joined Mar 2011
Re: Arent shetland sheep just soo fantastic!
« Reply #2 on: June 10, 2013, 10:40:33 pm »
how do you find them in all that grass?!
Are they the best at cleaning up weedy pasture do you think?  I'm wondering if keeping them tight and mobstocking, moving every 24 hours would do wonders for my pasture?
 
Pay our politicians minimum wage and watch how fast things change.

Pedwardine

  • Joined Feb 2012
  • South Lincolnshire
Re: Arent shetland sheep just soo fantastic!
« Reply #3 on: June 10, 2013, 11:08:40 pm »
I've got four in with my Gotlands. Heather, Socks, Louise and Willow. Super mums. Our Shotland (crossed, not a spelling mistake ;D ) lambs are 'upandat'em' so fast and grow like stink. Already they're independant little things and stocky and strong but pretty with it. Almost as big as their mums already at seven-eight weeks old. Tough sheep too, barely any problems but a bit of foot scald last year. They'll stay out in all sorts of weather when the Gotlands have gone for shelter. They aren't as in-your-face as the Gotlands (they don't kick you for attention for one thing!) but they do come up for a fuss when they feel like it. I love having them.

lachlanandmarcus

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: Arent shetland sheep just soo fantastic!
« Reply #4 on: June 10, 2013, 11:35:29 pm »
They don't clear all weeds but they're very good at clearing docks, they love them!

Ladygrey

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • Basingstoke
Re: Arent shetland sheep just soo fantastic!
« Reply #5 on: June 11, 2013, 06:52:51 am »
Yes they certainly do love docks! they will also polish off all the nettles and brambles if they are cut first!

One of my ewes will eat whole thistles though!

The shetland cross charrolais lambs are very lively at birth and are born much more wooled than the charrolais cross on the other breeds. they are also incredibly heavy and well muscled!


Bramblecot

  • Joined Jul 2008
Re: Arent shetland sheep just soo fantastic!
« Reply #6 on: June 11, 2013, 09:41:23 am »
I can only echo all the positve comments ;D .  Mine are not registered Shetlands so no showing for me :( .  I kept back 4 store lambs Shetland x Ryeland and they were the basis of my Shetland flock.  They are put to a Shetland tup each year and produce cracking lambs.  Theya re great climbers though :innocent:

Ladygrey

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • Basingstoke
Re: Arent shetland sheep just soo fantastic!
« Reply #7 on: June 11, 2013, 06:57:44 pm »
I have a few shetland x ryelands aswel :) mine are about the same height as the shetlands but much much chunkyier! also much wilder which is the funny thing!

The black lamb in this photo is a shetland cross ryeland, the chocolate coloured shetland next to him is his mum, he was born on the 20th of March, so nearly 3 months old, bigger than his mum!



to the left of the chocolate coloured shetland ewe, is a shetland cross ryeland ewe, who is daughter to the katmoget (badger faced) shetland ewe in the photo and shares the same dad as the black lamb...  :thinking: confusing yes I know

« Last Edit: June 11, 2013, 06:59:22 pm by Ladygrey »

jaykay

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Cumbria/N Yorks border
Re: Arent shetland sheep just soo fantastic!
« Reply #8 on: June 11, 2013, 08:49:58 pm »
I'm loving my Shetlands too. Was very impressed with them over lambing time again, they all did a great job and no trouble since either  :thumbsup:

I've just been up with them, about half eat out of my hand, including a lot of the cheeky little lambs, one of whom likes to stand and be stroked like a little dog  :love:

Had them sheared on Saturday, so a great tarpaulin full of fleeces to sort for the mill now too  :D

bigchicken

  • Joined Nov 2008
  • Fife Scotland
Re: Arent shetland sheep just soo fantastic!
« Reply #9 on: June 11, 2013, 11:16:29 pm »
Yes great wee sheep and so versatile
Shetland sheep, Castlemilk Moorits sheep, Hebridean sheep, Scots Grey Bantams, Scots Dumpy Bantams. Shetland Ducks.

Brucklay

  • Joined Apr 2010
  • Perthshire
    • Brucklay Pygmy Goats
    • Facebook
Re: Arent shetland sheep just soo fantastic!
« Reply #10 on: June 12, 2013, 09:00:18 am »
And a huge YES from me too - top marks from me love them  :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Pygmy Goats, Shetland Sheep, Zip & Indie the Border Collies, BeeBee the cat and a wreak of a building to renovate!!

Fowlman

  • Joined Apr 2012
  • Wiltshire
Re: Arent shetland sheep just soo fantastic!
« Reply #11 on: June 12, 2013, 03:29:51 pm »
I must say shetlands have won me over, a lovely breed and nothing like the myths banded about being nutters. Lamb easily too.
Tucked away on the downs in wiltshire.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Arent shetland sheep just soo fantastic!
« Reply #12 on: June 13, 2013, 06:51:06 pm »
I love my Shetland crosses too.  Such a lot of character, and such beautiful fleece  :D :spin: :knit:
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

 

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