[OhLaLa]

What breeds would you suggest for a new small flock (NO HORNS though! Have been butted too many times), am looking for motherly ewes that lamb well without much intervention. Not for making money but for the pleasure of having them and to feed the family.
Currently have Suffolks but considering a change.

 

[SallyintNorth]

If you can tolerate horns on the tup, Shetlands.  Great fun, friendly, nice to look at, taste wonderful, so far I've never had to assist a lambing nor help a lamb.  And you can use the fleece too, if you're that way inclined. 

[Yeoman]

Doesn't it make it more difficult if they don't have nice convenient "handles"?   

[Womble]

No, not really, because you can catch them by putting an arm around their neck, without the risk of losing an eye. Besides, it can't be fun having your handles pulled, can it? 

[clydesdaleclopper]

Gotlands - no horns, lovely fleece and really docile. Plus they aren't too big for handling but you can still get a good meat carcass from them

[waterbuffalofarmer]

There will be many suggestions on what everyone loves the most, so heres mine. Lleyns all the way. When my family started keeping them way back in the early 2000s we thought, and still do think, that they are one of the best breeds of sheep out there (depending on the breeder you buy from). We have found that they mother very well, you do get the odd one who doesn't mother well;Lleyns have a lot of milk and the carcass is well sought after commercially. The meat is also wonderfully tender and sweet.  Plus they're really easy lambers, very rarely have to intervene. I hope that this helps and do let us know on what you decide on. I must admit when we chose them it was a difficult choice, as there are so many more phenominal brreds out there.

[pharnorth]

Coloured Ryelands.  I chose them so I could graze after the hay crop using just electric wire.

[OhLaLa]

Thanks for the suggestions so far guys, looked at a photo of each in turn then wanted them all.
The Lleyns are very pretty.
The Gotland - lovely colour - prob a fav at the moment.... but the Coloured Ryelands are soooo cute!
So now I need to see how their size compares to Suffolks (a bit smaller hopefully and not so heavy to handle on me old back these days) and read up a bit on their characteristics (and where to buy).
Shetlands look nice but those horns.....


 

[SallyintNorth]

Shetland ewes are normally polled, so it would just be the tup, if not polled, and any unpolled tup lambs.  If you get them ringed, they won't develop so much horn, and they'd be away before the horns were much of a problem.

You can get polled tups, but I'm not sure how easy they are to come by, nor to what extent his offspring would be polled.

Sounds like CRs might suit you better, though

There's also Polled Dorsets, of course.  Fabulous meat, and able to breed at any time of year.

[pharnorth]

My Coloured Ryeland ewes have just weighed in post lambing at 50 to 60kg. So certainly smaller than a Suffolk but a bit bigger than a Shetland.

[Rosemary]

You're welcome to come and see mine.

[Hellybee]

Lleyn 

[shotblastuk]

http://www.cotswoldsheepsociety.co.uk/ for big friendly motherly types.
http://wensleydale-sheep.com/ similar and stunning looking.
My preference is rarebreed longwools (obviously)! both breeds are easy lambers in my experience.

[OhLaLa]

Thanks for that - aren't those Wensleydale sheep gorgeous.
I'm seriously spoilt for choice!

[SallyintNorth]

Oh, if you like the Wenseys... What about black Wenseys?  Cute overload!!