[CarolineJ]

So I was due to have a nice relaxed first lambing of my own of 10 gimmers, expecting 6 singles and 4 twins.  Then my friend got hold of me last weekend.

"You know you were telling me that you were going to buy hoggs in April when they come off the hills after the SUSS scheme ends?"

"Yes."

"Well, Maureen has decided she's retiring and her flock is being sold on Monday, they're all in lamb and they're great sheep.  Go and have a look."  (Note:  Maureen is in her 80s and I hope I am still crofting at her age!)

So I had a chat with my husband, had a look at the catalogue, decided what we could spend and I duly toddled off to the mart on Monday morning...and now I've got 30 to lamb instead of 10, after buying 17 gimmers and 3 slightly older ewes who were being sold separately from the main flock due to being a little bit skinny.  They are already coming galloping over when I turn up with their bucket every morning, so I'm hopeful we won't lose too many round the village when we do their Heptavac on Sunday!  Pic attached of the gimmers arriving at the mart for the sale last Sunday, I'm very, very pleased with them

[shep53]

Say these for sale on FB  should be hardy sheep , now you have enough sheep  are you separating the singles  from the twins and 3 lean ewes  as they need to be on vastly different amounts of nuts

[Foobar]

Tidy!

[CarolineJ]

Say these for sale on FB  should be hardy sheep , now you have enough sheep  are you separating the singles  from the twins and 3 lean ewes  as they need to be on vastly different amounts of nuts

Yes, my singles are separated out and still only on grass and Crystalyx.  All twins, the lean ewes and the new gimmers are all, at the advice of said very experienced friend who helped sort and sell them, on 1lb a head of 18% nuts, hay and Crystalyx. 

[Sbom]

Sheep shopping is my absolute favourite kind!

[shep53]

Good that you have advice , my hill cheviot single gims  on hill ground no bucket no hay never get above 300gms or the lambs are to big , the gim twins  get silage and up to 600gms or the lambs are to small and I take a lamb off   each gim  ,so they only rear 1  , hard ground here not even scanned yet

[Oopsiboughtasheep]

As you can see from my AS name, I too have experienced this kind of purchase! Good luck with them all.