[Small Farmer]

There's at least two threads running on wormers and pour-on fly treatments at the moment but if you go to the SCOPS site you will find a list of every current wormer.

Find a vet you like and make friends with her round here all vets under 40 are female.  They usually much prefer to give free advice than to rescue you at six o'clock on a sunday morning. 

I recall someone posting a thread to the effect that the Wiltshire Horn will demolish her way out of any shed.

[Crofterloon]

I've never brought a wilts indoors. I dont have any buildings anyway. They are thrifty sheep - try not to overfeed esoecially when they are in lamb.

I would agree with Steve mine seem to do best on grass, I have been told over feeding with dry feed can lead to lambing and milk problems. I lamb indoors and outdoors depending on conditions I have a small shed. Some years I have lambed everything out of doors.
I  have hay feeders on wheels for square bales which work well and a big round bale feeder for sheep with horns.
Got to be honest here I really like them.

[SteveHants]

My first mistake in my first year with Wilts was that I felt sorry for them when there was snow on the ground so I caked them, even though I could see they were blowing the snow off and grazing.....I ended up with some awful, massive singles to pull....never again.

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Well its great to hear that those of you with Wilts give them the thumbs up
Borrowing a tup or returning the flock to be served would be mu prefered option rather than investing in one. This would mean that I use a different tup for any new ewe lambs that I keep.
I have a great vet practice that I have used for years and they are brilliant at giving sound practicle advice and saving me money. The vet that used to treat my last horse keeps sheep and recently recomended a can of spray for foot scald that has worked a treat. I will ask him to recomend a starter kit of essential supplies.
The Tim Tyne book is on order awaiting reprint.
I just need to  find a place round here where I can hire a trailer from.
 
 
 
 
 

[Small Farmer]

You will rarely find an owner of a native or rare breed who doesn't talk up his/her chosen breed.  One gets used to their deficiencies.


There's a massive flock of Wlltshires not far away from us at Offley but I know a few people locally who tried them and didn't get on with them.  One farmer who runs 500 commercial crosses said he couldn't be bothered with difficult sheep.  I guess bucket fed animals will be different.

[tizaala]

Add a drenching gun to your list, and a double ended crook, long rubber gloves,  and the mort mans phone number to your phone list.