[mowhaugh]

I am thinking of getting a small number of ewes (maybe 4?) for my smallest son who is 2 and completely obsessed with sheep.  I am wanting something that is small, for obvious reasons, and will quieten down very easily so he can handle them himself, closely supervised.

Not worried at all about commercial viability etc. just want to keep his interest up - everything we have here is just too big and lively!  Tasty lambs a bonus.

I know there will be lots of different opinions, would love to hear them all!

[SallyintNorth]

Castlemilk Moorits from Glasgow Children's Farm - ready-tamed

[Fleecewife]

Shetlands - really cuddly, friendly and easy to manage.  You can have each one in a different colour too - then of course he can learn to      Plenty of young handlers classes at shows too, and experience amongst members of advising them.

They're not as small as Ouessants, but I'm not sure of their natures or availability.

[edandfred]

I agree with Fleecewife - Shetlands sound like a really good choice ! 

I am thinking of getting my first flock of Shetlands and I am a tad bit older than 2, but still a big kid at heart!!  So I wanted my first sheep to be easy to handle, come to the bucket, easy lambers and they are very hardy (if they can survive Shetland's weather!) they can put up with our Scottish Borders weather! Oh yes, their meat is supposed to be lean with a fine texture even tough you have a smaller carcass.

Luckily, the Secretary of the Shetland Sheep Society, Denise Playfair, only lives up the road from us at Stichill in Kelso . I met her at the Border Union Show and she really loves her Shetlands and she won lots of rosettes!! She really sold the breed to me as I was also considering Ryelands and Jacobs - discounted those now for my first flock. She welcomes folk to phone her and she said that I could arrange to go up to her small holding as she has lambs and ewes for sale. I'm sure she won't mind me saying that as she is a really helpful lady!   

You have a lucky little boy - wish I had started my smallholding years ago!!

Interesting to hear other recommendations   

[mowhaugh]

Thanks, everyone, keep the ideas coming!  I am only 15 minutes from Kelso, so that could be very handy.

[edandfred]

I see that you have Kerry Hills - they are lovely looking sheep and you did very well at the Borders Union Show. Are they not a good option for your son? What are they like for a first timer like me? We're at Linton , so close to you...

[Marches Farmer]

Southdowns have very docile natures.  They were traditionally grazed on the South Downs during the day then brought down the hills to be folded in the fields overnight, so their dung fertilised the soil. Their calm temperament is testament to the fact their shepherd was with them all day.   Their other advantage for small children is that they really do look like Teddy Bears!

[Anke]

Shetlands ideal for your location, easy to handle and bucket-train, great to eat even if he gets fed up in a couple of years, and you can cross-breed the ewes to one of your commercial tups.

If he wanted to show (and at age 2 he probably is a tad too young) yes pedigree is important, BUT if you also wanted to have some lambs to sell I would go for non-showing sheep as the first ones you have - the price tag the showing folk put on their ewes is just not justified if it doesn't work out.

Only - don't breed them to a commercial sized tup for their first lambing and choose a boy that isn't too broad-shouldered for their subsequent lambings. Cross-bred lambs usually sell well at the special light-markets beg of December at St Boswells, weights around 30 to 35kgs live-weight.

[Me]

Charmoise.


Only joking!

[kanisha]

well Ouessants of course ;-) I'm not sure that they would be that easy to come by where you are but  for size they can't be beaten. Can be halter trained for ease of handling for even the smallest of children but like most breeds  pick carefully some can be quite skittish others are ideal.

[mowhaugh]

I see that you have Kerry Hills - they are lovely looking sheep and you did very well at the Borders Union Show. Are they not a good option for your son? What are they like for a first timer like me? We're at Linton , so close to you...

I love my Kerrys, but they are big, sharp sheep.  Even when well handled, they are still a bit unpredictable, and I won't take the children into the shed where the Kerrys are at lambing time as they are ultra possessive of their lambs.  Looking for something smaller and quieter until he is bigger.  I am not sure I would particularly recommend them as sheep for a new keeper, but of course it depends how much experience you have too.  You are welcome to come for a visit if you don't mind total chaos!

[Bionic]

Ryelands aren't exactly small but they are very docile and gentle. Last year one of my ram lambs was bought by KatyD on here for her small son to start with. He wasn't quite as young as 2 though. 
I see that recently she has been looking to sell her Balwens to concentrate on the Coloured Ryelands so my lamb must have given a good account of himself   

[sokel]

Have to agree I love my Coloured Ryelands, very friendly and come running as soon as they see you.
They follow me around like a dog and even this years lambs come to you for a head scratch

[WildWelshShepherdess]

Coloured Ryelands without a doubt, mine come up to my little one (5 years old) in the field including the lambs and thats without the ewes having any feed since lambing.
And at the end of the day you still have a "meaty" carcass.
My son has been doing young handlers this year at local shows and has managed to get place 3rd out of 15 competitors all aged 11yrs and under whilst holding his ryeland

[Bionic]

Coloured Ryelands without a doubt, mine come up to my little one (5 years old) in the field including the lambs and thats without the ewes having any feed since lambing.
And at the end of the day you still have a "meaty" carcass.
My son has been doing young handlers this year at local shows and has managed to get place 3rd out of 15 competitors all aged 11yrs and under whilst holding his ryeland

Well done to your son Katy