Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: starting with sheep  (Read 9682 times)

Buffy the eggs layer

  • Joined Jun 2010
Re: starting with sheep
« Reply #15 on: June 22, 2010, 06:03:45 pm »
Making an income from a hobby sounds great but I only have 6 acres of pasture so I'm not sure if I would have enough stock to make it viable. If shearing is not as much of an issue as others have had me believe then my sheep choosing criteria would be a breed that are calm and friendly (all;owing for the fact that they are sheep after all) I have spent the last few months turning my skittish bantams into chilled out chickens so a less flighty breed would be good. I think a trip to a local show is a good place to start. Thanks for all your posts, I'l let you know how I get on.
 

lindy

  • Joined Mar 2009
Re: starting with sheep
« Reply #16 on: June 22, 2010, 09:41:15 pm »
Feel I must say I wish people would not put certain breeds down. It is down to the individual sheep and how you treat them. All breeds can be easy or difficult.  I have kept four breeds and have never had any trouble with any of them. We recently downsized to Shetlands and they are  lovely sheep. Very friendly and easy to manage. The lambs are just adorable, far too nice to eat though. I have just been sitting with mine and some of them won't leave me alone. They are all over me wanting to be petted (alright I do encourage them). If you want friendly sheep buy from a friendly bucket trained flock, feed them and spend time with them.

egglady

  • Joined Jun 2009
Re: starting with sheep
« Reply #17 on: June 23, 2010, 08:02:45 pm »
Feel I must say I wish people would not put certain breeds down. It is down to the individual sheep and how you treat them. All breeds can be easy or difficult.  I have kept four breeds and have never had any trouble with any of them. We recently downsized to Shetlands and they are  lovely sheep. Very friendly and easy to manage. The lambs are just adorable, far too nice to eat though. I have just been sitting with mine and some of them won't leave me alone. They are all over me wanting to be petted (alright I do encourage them). If you want friendly sheep buy from a friendly bucket trained flock, feed them and spend time with them.


TOTALLY agree.  we have shetlands too and they are so tame, they practically follow me back up to the house and when i am riding in the arena which is attached to their current field, they lambs come up to be petted!  not easy when i am riding i have to say!

Hellybee

  • Joined Feb 2010
    • www.blaengwawrponies.co.uk
Re: starting with sheep
« Reply #18 on: June 23, 2010, 08:24:04 pm »
we have a right mixed bunch, been trained to the bucket since Feb, great tool, cheaper than a sheepdog lol  I wanted to check them last night, didnt have a bucket of food in the quad, just a bucket of staples to shake , and boy did they come running, felt ever so guilty when they all stood there, calling out in chorus lol

go to local agri shows and talk to local breeders, research what is best for your terrain and environment, i like the sound of the shetlands, trouble is, i would nt want baz to sell the ram lambs  :love: lol


Daisys Mum

  • Joined May 2009
  • Scottish Borders
Re: starting with sheep
« Reply #19 on: June 23, 2010, 08:46:01 pm »

Please don't get me wrong I actually love my Shetlands and would not change them for anything, none of the ewes are very young and when they came to me they came from a very large flock living on a large moor so were not really used to people, for the first few weeks they were constantly escaping until we got the fences Shetland proof.
They all have names and most of them come quite happily in when they are called but I have 1 mother and daughter who just treat all humans with great suspicion, the 1 that prove difficult to catch on Sunday was her son from last year. I did not intend to breed with her this year but she was miserable away from the other ewes
Given half a chance the others come into the garden and have even been known to come through the patio doors into the house to get a bit of bread
Anne

Buffy the eggs layer

  • Joined Jun 2010
Re: starting with sheep
« Reply #20 on: June 23, 2010, 09:11:19 pm »
Thanks again everyone for your wisdom. I think buying bucket fed sheep sounds like a really good idea. I shall have a look for breeders in the yorkshire area and see what is available. I may be comming back to you all for more of your helpful advice prior to a purchase.
 :wave:

TheCaptain

  • Joined May 2010
Re: starting with sheep
« Reply #21 on: June 25, 2010, 08:52:13 am »
Just to add my tuppence worth - do plenty of research and speak to people about the various breeds you're interested in.  I've had a few issues registering my Portlands, but to be honest with you, other than the paperwork side of life, they've been absolutley cracking. Come to the bucket, eat out of your hand except for one who's a bit flighty - to the extent that she crashed through some elec fencing tape at full speed. Saying that, they were shorn (sheared?) yesterday and seem to have been replaced with miniture goats! Poor girls!   ;D

cairnhill

  • Joined Dec 2008
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: starting with sheep
« Reply #22 on: June 25, 2010, 08:22:10 pm »
Saw some Shetlands at the Highland Show today and they were lovely and quite chilled out.  If I had more space I would definitely have some of those.

humphreymctush

  • Joined Jul 2010
  • orkney
Re: starting with sheep
« Reply #23 on: July 25, 2010, 07:29:36 pm »
I recomend buying sheep in the winter so that you can get pregnant ewes. That way you can keep all the ewe lambs. It also means you can delay getting a ram until next year. Choosing a breed the most important thing is that you like them. If its a breed you like then you will naturally put more effort in. Also a good guide is what suits your climate. If you lookaround at neighbors farms you can see what does well. The other advantage of a local breed is that they are easy to sell locally

 

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