[sabrina]

I am thinking of buying a couple of lambs to fatten over the winter rather than doing orphan ones in the Spring. We have three hill paddocks that the ponies use over the summer but they move onto ones nearer the stables for winter. I feel it would do the ground good to have a couple of sheep on it to clear up the grass and things ponies do not eat. I would go for crossbred, larger type so there are no escape problems. what sort of price would I expect to pay, and could they go for slaughter around March. What rules on tagging, 

[shetlandpaul]

we just sold some spotty shetlands for 28. i think your looking at about 50 each for cross breeds. but it maybe worth checking the local paper and nearby farmers it may work out cheaper.

[Hermit]

Do you have a holding number to start with, you will need one to buy livestock. Then check the marts and see whats going, dont forget they need feeding over winter and costs maybe not worth fattening over winter as they will be  young adults and not 'lambs'. We sometimes keep a couple of hogs on but they run with the ewes anyway and we have bred them not bought them. The price you will pay now is lamb slaughter price at the right age anything from now on is just added expense for older meat. I would ask around for someone with a couple of sheep spare to do the job if your reason to keep the sheep is only for land management and spend the money on some quality lamb now. You will still need a holding number to borrow sheep.

[Anke]

If you only get a couple you can probably organise the slaughter yourself and sell to friends and family. Quite a few of the traditional breeds are hardier (and don't need that much additional feed in winter) and they also get better if eaten as hoggets.

You will need EID as they are unlikely to be slaughtered by 6 or 9 months (or whatever the max time is). All of mine will be EID tagged, it is just easier to do and I will not fall foul of any regs...

[sabrina]

We have a holding number, last year we raised 4 orphan lambs to slaughter weight. I have in the past run on our own lambs until almost a year old but we no longer keep breeding ewes and just wondered what the difference in cost would be from feeding orphan lambs to buying and running on over the winter. We use our local slaughter house which is at Elgin so know how they work and my OH does the butchering himself. will check out the local paper to compare prices.