[sheep lady]

So we traded our tiny 2 bed apartment in central London for our dream lifestyle - a modest cottage with a 4 acre paddock in the north.  Having helped our neighbour deliver a lamb that had got stuck only yesterday, we are now desperate to have some sheep - for grass maintenance and, in time, lambing.  I'm keen to support rare breeds and was considering Shetland, Gotland, Suffolks, Ryelands... (climate is generally mild, lots of flies/midgies in summer, plenty of rain!)  Any advice on how to go about making the final decision on breed type and I assume approaching the relevant Society is the best way to go about purchasing the flock.  Any other advice on number of sheep/gender to start off with would be most gratefully received.  Many thanks. 

[Carse Goodlifers]

As well as the invaluable comments that will appear here from sheep owning former's here's my thoughts (non sheep owner - although I want Ryelands).
Depending on how quick you want your sheep, I would have a good look round the sheep at any local agricultural shows over the summer and if there are breed stands present for the breeds - ask away.
Go to an open farm or rare breed farm to have a look at different breeds.
Consider the breed and how many you will be able to have (stocking rates).  Your site will play a part too - available shelter? Exposed? Drainage issues?

[Rosemary]

Check the Rare Breed Survival Trust Watchlist for rare breeds. Ryelands, Suffolks and Shetlands aren't classed as rare, and Gotlands might be rare in their home country but they aren't British 

If you want a traditional British breed, you could do worse than the Ryeland (white or coloured) although I would be tempted by the Border Leicester if I didn't love my Coloured Ryelands so much 

[Bionic]

I love my Ryelands and Coloured Ryelands too

[Backinwellies]

For handleable size ,docile character,  lovely Shaun the sheep looks .... and on rare breeds list ... try Llanwenogs

[Fleecewife]

I would think a breed with a big fluffy fleece in an area hoaching with flies, especially for a first time keeper, is not a good idea.
 
For rare breeds of sheep, there are hill sheep, Primitives and big fluffy ones.  They each have their own characteristics and points for and against - worth researching into them all.
I would say don't rush into buying sheep before you are ready, just because you are inspired today.  Let the idea settle, find out all you can, then buy a handful of wethers of a breed you're interested in. Use them to keep your grass down, learn all you can about general sheep keeping from them, then send them off for slaughter.  If you can't do that, then think seriously as to whether sheep breeding is right for you.  Wethers can be kept for several years as grass cutters, but really if you get females then you should be breeding from them, especially of a rare breed.

In fact this question has been explored countless times on TAS, so search back over the past few years and you will find masses of relevant posts, so we don't all have to repeat ourselves.

Well done for taking the plunge and moving away from London - believe it or not I've only been there a handful of times but I hate the place (except when I cycled right across the middle, including down Oxford street at 4 in the morning - quite fun).  I hope you really love your new home and whatever animals you finally decide to keep.

[SallyintNorth]

Congratulations on escaping!

To find out about British Rare Breeds, read up on the RBST website here.

Go to as many shows as you can this year and see which breeds float your boat.  Very woolly is probably not the best plan if it's moist and midgie where you are.

Starting with wethers is good advice.  You might also start with store lambs purchased from your neighbour, to learn about sheep generally, with local support

[Foobar]

If you have flies and midges go for a breed that self-sheds, or certainly not a heavily fleeced breed.  Also look to see what sort of sheep your neighbours have - they will know what sort of sheep suit your area.

[Womble]

Hi Sharon,

North of where?  Inverness, Manchester, or the Watford Gap? 

Also, how high up are you?  We're at 200m, which is hardly high altitude. However, the sheep five minutes drive down the hill undoubtably have an easier life than ours do!

[Timothy5]

I have to agree with FOOBAR, if flies are a problem you, as a beginner, would be better off with a hair sheep breed.

Take your time, learn as much as you can first. Don't just take the first answer a gospel, ask as many experienced folk as you can, and see what each reply has in common. Asking on here is an excellent start.

Good luck with your new lifestyle.

[Timothy5]

What breed ? I have Soay and Wiltshire Horn, and would suggest that the Wiltshires would suit your needs well.

[sheep lady]

Really appreciate all your comments which I've taken on board.  I think there is a sense of urgency because our grass will soon spurt into action and I don't want it overgrown and weedy as it was when we bought it.  But I'll offer it to local sheep at least until I've thoroughly researched the way forward - as you have rightly highlighted, there is a lot to consider and I don't want to get it wrong.  Hadn't thought of the flies/midge aspect with long coats or woolly faces - in other words cute doesn't necessarily mean practical!   

[pharnorth]

I did a couple of cade lambs year one, bottle fed through to in the freezer.  That way you know you are up for a full life cycle and the breed doesn't really matter. You get to practice most of the care. Then in the Autumn bought 3 in lamb Coloured Ryelands. They lambed last spring and are about to,produce our second batch. I feel almost knowledgeable now!

Practical for me was non horned (easier if using lecturing fencing).

[Womble]

I'll offer it to local sheep at least until I've thoroughly researched the way forward

Just be a bit careful with that Sharon. We did exactly that, and even though we wormed and quarantined our own sheep when we brought them in, we lost lambs last year to Nematodirus (a worm infection) that must have been on the pasture already from the 'hired' sheep.

In hindsight, since the land hadn't been grazed by sheep for some years, if we'd just bought our own sheep in, we could possibly have kept the land worm free. However, now we just have to manage worm burdens as best we can, as we've missed the chance to really rest the pasture and actually get rid of them.

The other thing nobody has said yet is that choosing a sheep breed is not necessarily a once and for all decision, so don't sweat about it too much. We chose the wrong (rare) breed to begin with, and ended up putting the ewes in the freezer at 2.5 years old. On one hand this was a real shame, but on the other hand, we learned loads from the experience and gained a freezer full of the most amazing 'lamb' I've ever tasted.

We did look at other rare breeds, but in the end there wasn't anything on the RBST watch list that really grabbed us. As a result, we now keep Zwartbles, which are neither rare nor British. However, we love them to bits, which at least makes checking them in rain, sleet and snow bearable!

[SallyintNorth]

Good cautionary tale, Womble.  Certainly you should worm and fluke any sheep you are bringing onto the land, a few days before moving them on, or quarantine them before letting them onto the grass, whether they are owned by you or 'rented lawnmowers'.