Breeding a good hill ewe

[Old Tip]

I don't know much about them, except that seeing as they've been popular with the smallholders -none intended- the selection criteria will have been down the toilet for years.
(in fact, do I recall aficionados breed certain colours?)
Subsequently wouldn't want unless they were a last resort

(says a man who keeps funny coloured cattle....)

If you want Shetlands buy them from the Island, much better sheep, make a good cross with the Cheviot, think @scholland has some

 

[Alias]

The Derbyshire Gritstone is one of the few breeds that can change colour. It used to be a dirty grey, now its almost white.

Can anyone explain that? And anyway, its more of an upland breed rather than a hill breed.

Grandad said that when everyone was working in the mills and all the chimneys were going, a dark fleece was a sign of a harder sheep from off the moors. Some folk would even rub a bit of soot into the wool to help sell them.

 

[Andy84]

Best left to their own devices but you need a good holding dog if anything is wrong

or one with plenty eye to get close enough with the cleek!

You want to be careful there too, a lot are trending to sending hoggets to dairy grass then feeding when they come home.

just to be controversial what’s caused more damage to the the Blackie breed - windmills, Irish or hot nuts.....

 

[sheepwise]

5 crop northie with twin Charollais lambs this morning.

 

[Bill dog]

5 crop northie with twin Charollais lambs this morning.View attachment 955218

And you have a 10 minute window from it’s birth to tag it, before it’s too fast/ wild/ hardy to get near again !

 

[sheepwise]

And you have a 10 minute window from it’s birth to tag it, before it’s too fast/ wild/ hardy to get near again !

Aye sucked and away from lambing spot within 10mins for lambs to lie and sleep in safety, always a good sign.

 

[Old Tip]

Grandad said that when everyone was working in the mills and all the chimneys were going, a dark fleece was a sign of a harder sheep from off the moors. Some folk would even rub a bit of soot into the wool to help sell them.

I remember going to store lamb sales in the Pennines and the lambs would be a full grey colour and look sickly. A couple of months in the rainy lakes and they looked different sheep.

 

[unlacedgecko]

If you want Shetlands buy them from the Island, much better sheep, make a good cross with the Cheviot, think @scholland has some

I've had an artic load this past 2 years. I'm very happy with them.

If anyone wants a part load this autumn let me know.

 

[Top Tip.]

I've had an artic load this past 2 years. I'm very happy with them.

If anyone wants a part load this autumn let me know.

What breed of tups do you use on them?

 

[unlacedgecko]

What breed of tups do you use on them?

Easycare

A few of this year's March born lambs

 

[Estate fencing.]

This is my contribution. Welsh ewe, hard as nails, lives on fresh air and if she’s does die doesn’t break your heart. Wish I had 2000 of them and no mules. Only reason to check them is to ring and tag the lambs.

 

[Bones]

Yeah I don't like the look of easycares, and you have got to farm what you like looking at everyday haha. Let's stop talking about easycares it's a non starter.. For me there are 4 main hill breeds blackies, swales/dalesbred, cheviots and Welsh mountain. What I want to know is can anything compare or nearly match them for hardiness? Like a texdale or a this innovis highlander or even a romney.. Just after ideas and theories. Iv a Lleyn x texel flock and I need a Hardy Cross haha?

What about chevease ewes,, this is a genuine breed

 

[shearerlad]

My experience of Lleyns does not fit what you're saying at all.
But I'm well aware they are not all the same (bred up from many different origins, and running at vast different altitudes/locations)...

Lleyn Sheep Society :: Lleyn Perform as well as others in the Scottish Highlands

But anyway, I agreed with the suggestion of the Hill Northie

Not sure if I’d use that flock as an example of a thriving hill hirsel of Lleyns
Probably the Laga flock on Orkney has the tougher conditions and thrive on it

 

[Y Fan Wen]

Very interesting, I'm in Yorkshire dales on high ground about 1500 to 1800ft of limestone rushy ground. We actually restocked after foot and mouth with Welsh mountain and black ie drafts as a cheap way of stocking farm whilst we bred the swaledale back up. Preferred WM, Always found them to be good mothers and grew stonking Welsh mule lambs. If anything they were just a bit flighty but I suppose they werent hefted. Is a WM x lleyn or texel good ewe or not? Any experience?

Well, you can do things on limestone that we W coast acid rock farmers can only dream of.

 

[Nithsdale]

Not sure if I’d use that flock as an example of a thriving hill hirsel of Lleyns
Probably the Laga flock on Orkney has the tougher conditions and thrive on it

Aye. It's still proof to the contrary of some comments in this thread, though. It's SRUC backed article so it's not all promotional rubbish

It depends on the individual flock/breeding (just like every breed and flock) - but there are flocks out there doing it and the bred is capable. Laga would be a good example, but I don't know much about his ground other than being on Orkney
The problem is, folks go to Lleyn (same as Mule, blackie, Cheviot) sales and they fart their brains out and go for the big showy types... which have been pushed with feed on low(er) ground and know too well what the inside of a shed is like, then moan they aren't hardy enough or don't do on poorer ground

 

[shearerlad]

Aye. It's still proof to the contrary of some comments in this thread, though. It's SRUC backed article so it's not all promotional rubbish

It depends on the individual flock/breeding (just like every breed and flock) - but there are flocks out there doing it and the bred is capable. Laga would be a good example, but I don't know much about his ground other than being on Orkney
The problem is, folks go to Lleyn (same as Mule, blackie, Cheviot) sales and they fart their brains out and go for the big showy types... which have been pushed with feed on low(er) ground and know too well what the inside of a shed is like, then moan they aren't hardy enough or don't do on poorer ground

I’ve shorn the kirton sheep and it’s a hard couple of days
I think at some point in our lives we have all had a ringside rush of blood to the head, only to regret it later

 

[unlacedgecko]

What breed of tups do you use on them?

1st cross May born Hogg with a March born lamb.

 

[Top Tip.]

View attachment 955298

1st cross May born Hogg with a March born lamb.

I have serious grass envy

 

[M-J-G]

I don't know much about them, except that seeing as they've been popular with the smallholders -none intended- the selection criteria will have been down the toilet for years.
(in fact, do I recall aficionados breed certain colours?)
Subsequently wouldn't want unless they were a last resort

(says a man who keeps funny coloured cattle....)

I lambed ShetlandXCheviots and Shetlands and I've yet to have an easier time doing an outdoor lambing.
The dropped Texel and Beltex/Texel lambs and stuck to them like glue.

I don't doubt that some will have bred with no selection and ruined some hobby flocks, just like has happened with Highland cattle.
But if anyone is bothered enough to do their homework there are populations of Shetlands that haven't been ruined by smallholders.

 

[jamesy]

Typical outfit - NCC hill type, Suffolk x lambs

UK Suffolk at that!