[macgro7]

What's wrong with goats meat???
Similar to mild lamb with a looooot less fat! Lovely meat. More expensive if you want to sell it 

[Steel]

What's wrong with goats meat???
Similar to mild lamb with a looooot less fat! Lovely meat. More expensive if you want to sell it 

It sounds weird, but in my mind animals are separated into two types; those you eat and those you don't but use for a secondary purpose, like fleece or milk. Goats are in there with alpacas.

I said it wasn't rational. I know you can eat alpacas and some people do sell alpaca meat.

A few years ago I tried kangeroo and alligator and I couldn't get them past my throat because my brain had classified them as non-edible. They're not, it's just the association in my brain is strong.

[macgro7]

You know... until recently sheep were mostly bred for wool 

[Steel]

You know... until recently sheep were mostly need for wool 

True, very true.

I think my brain needs a reboot. I moved to the country last year and I think my 'programming' needs upgrading from 'Town' to 'Rural'. 

[Dans]

A bit late to this but we are also in south Lincs, between Peterborough and Spalding

We keep Castlemilks, which I love but do need to be kept on to hogget so may not work for you (I think they only just about work for us!). They are nice though.

I was also at Melton this past weekend and fell in love with the Portlands, don't know much about them though.

Not much help but thought I'd say hi.

Also [member=7689]nimbusllama[/member] did I talk to you? We were pestering people around the CMMs on Friday, I had a wandering toddler in tow.

I will be at Melton, come and say hello and have a chat.  I am not selling but will be hanging around the Castlemilk Moorit sheep pens probably helping. Brian (likely to be wearing a yellow checked shirt and a green RBST tie)

Dans

[nimbusllama]

A bit late to this but we are also in south Lincs, between Peterborough and Spalding

We keep Castlemilks, which I love but do need to be kept on to hogget so may not work for you (I think they only just about work for us!). They are nice though.

I was also at Melton this past weekend and fell in love with the Portlands, don't know much about them though.

Not much help but thought I'd say hi.

Also [member=7689]nimbusllama[/member] did I talk to you? We were pestering people around the CMMs on Friday, I had a wandering toddler in tow.

I will be at Melton, come and say hello and have a chat.  I am not selling but will be hanging around the Castlemilk Moorit sheep pens probably helping. Brian (likely to be wearing a yellow checked shirt and a green RBST tie)

Dans

Hi Dans
Not sure if we spoke or not, there was another guy in a checked shirt, but I had a green RBST tie on (although so did someone else in hindsite) I also had a cloth cap on.... I think if I had spoken to you I would have recognised you from your avatar...

[harmony]

You know... until recently sheep were mostly bred for wool 

I believe there is more goat meat eaten in the world than lamb or beef.

[macgro7]

I tropical countries definitely. Beef is really only staple for Britain and British influenced cultures (I.e. Americans, australians). In Poland (were I come from) only 2% of meat is beef also 0% lamb. My inlaws grew up in Malawi and the most popular meat down there is goat. Btw it costs around £8 to buy one there!
In middle East sheep and goats are probably about 50-50 except for the imported stuff from Australia and New Zealand which is mostly lamb.

[Steel]

A bit late to this but we are also in south Lincs, between Peterborough and Spalding

We keep Castlemilks, which I love but do need to be kept on to hogget so may not work for you (I think they only just about work for us!). They are nice though.

I was also at Melton this past weekend and fell in love with the Portlands, don't know much about them though.

Hi Dans 

I think hogget would be pushing it for us to be honest.

I fell in love with two sheep breeds at the show - greyface dartmoors and Jacobs, the dartmoors more so. Definitely ruled out the Teddy Bear breeds, the fleece looks so dense and as beginner I might find it hard to score their condition. Plus they were much smaller than I thought. The shetlands, soays and borerays a definitely out, i was shocked at how small they were. If not really tame I will struggle  to catch something that small and nippy.

I liked the dartmoors - their fleece was between a longwool and shortwool and they just clicked with me. The biggest problem I foresee is that the lambs are cute, REALLY cute. There were three being unloaded from a trailer to the pen and they looked like inquisitive happy little souls.

I cannot see me sending something that cute to the abattoir. I need an ugly lamb. I will try and upload some pictures if I can, but my ipad does not like this forum at all and most of my attempts have ben thwarted.

Nimbusllama - mentioned on the event thread that I popped by the stall but no-one was there unfotunately and I just didnt get a chance to get back.

[Steel]

Here the Castlemilk pen and the dartmoor lambs. I think that is a dartmoor ewe top right.

[nimbusllama]

Hi Steel
The Greyface Dartmoors would be very docile and easy to handle... hope the sale results link was useful to you....
Brian

[Steel]

Hi Steel
The Greyface Dartmoors would be very docile and easy to handle... hope the sale results link was useful to you....
Brian

Yes, great thank you. Just spotted it this morning.

[SallyintNorth]

I fell in love with two sheep breeds at the show - greyface dartmoors and Jacobs, the dartmoors more so.

Earlier, you were bothered about longwools and flystrike.  From observing posts on here over the years, it would seem to me that GFD are as bad as any breed for strike :/

As to cute lambs... some years we have an online spring show on TAS.  We have to have a separate section for GFD lambs otherwise no other breed would get a look-in at the prizes...

And if you ever did decide you wanted to spin or have your own yarn made , you'd be much better off with Jacobs.  They're not a Rare Breed, though.

[Steel]

Ok, I had to step away from the thread for a while as I was getting analysis paralysis. After a little break to have a think I have decided that I want to try getting some lambs to take through the winter, shear and then send off to slaughter late spring/early summer as hogget.

Buying pregnant ewes just feels too daunting to start with this year, buying cade lambs and bottle feeding could mean I get too attached to slaughter them as well as being too labour-intensive. Doing it this way will eliminate the cuteness factor, and also help me toughen up a bit more about slaughtering. I could get some fleece to do something with. I would also get animals that were fairly independent but used to seeing a person about the place and perhaps even used to a bucket.

The paddock is in great condition and I have no problem providing a bit of hay and some concentrates over the winter as required.

Just the breed to decide now.

[silkwoodzwartbles]

I'd steer clear of Shropshires - my OH has had sheep all his life, mainly Welsh and Berrichon which are pretty wild, but the three Shropshires he bought were something else! Awful things - was really glad to see the back of them.

I've got Zwartbles which are big but very friendly and docile but if you're after something smaller and cute, I have to admit, I love the look of the Grey Face Dartmoor (don't know much about them but they are gorgeous).

Good luck with your search