Castlemilk Moorit

[llamedos]

Jay, can you expand on "fit our needs,"

We may be able to help you more.

If you are dead set on CMs then all I can suggest, is that you ask a local experienced sheep keeper if they would go along with you to view any prospective purchases, and give you a view on how easy or not, they think you will be able to work with, given what handling facilities you will have, and how large/small your paddocks are etc
Be honest about your own capabilities.

 

[Old Tip]

The plus sides of the breed are
They look amazing in a parkland landscape
The meat I'd like venison very lean and dark and tastes wonderful
They lamb easily and are the most attentive mothers you will ever find
The wool is valuable but you def need to shear
They are very light so easy to handle for routine tasks

But
They like plenty of space and behave very like deer liking to flock at night but scatter when alarmed
They are hard to round up
They love hard feed
It's difficult to get new bloodlines

Three years in from getting ours we now have them trained and have a nice flock we can handle but it's been a journey. Easier to work with the other 400 ewes we have than those 25.
Of you still fancy them pm me and we can chat some more.

OT

 

[spin cycle]

wiltshire horns would fit the bill for you IMO......have a day out and come and see mine

 

[jemski]

What about southdowns?

Or black Welsh mountain? They can be very docile, are low maintenance, aren't too big and taste delicious.

 

[jemski]

Personally I'd avoid anything with horns as generally they know how to use them!!!!!

 

[unlacedgecko]

Did they taste nice though

24+ months to finish. I didn't have them long enough to taste, the whole lot went to the renderer after 5 months.

 

[Ukjay]

Jay, can you expand on "fit our needs,"

We may be able to help you more.

If you are dead set on CMs then all I can suggest, is that you ask a local experienced sheep keeper if they would go along with you to view any prospective purchases, and give you a view on how easy or not, they think you will be able to work with, given what handling facilities you will have, and how large/small your paddocks are etc
Be honest about your own capabilities.

Hi

By suits our needs, that was more in relation to claimed size of the animal and their alleged hardiness, as it is claimed the ewes are small in comparison to commercial sheep (but as stated previously, we do not simply believe everything we read), hence seeking information from people who actually do keep this breed, as a small breed was in our thinking going to be easier to physically handle - not the actual catching etc.

I have tracked down a farm who has a flock of these, but I have not contacted them yet to ask about the breed, but it is obviously something that will be done to gather as much information as possible to alliw us to get a well rounded view of the breed, which may lead to us not going down that route at all.

I would ideally prefer not to shear, but like many things, the animals care and wellbeing is priority - whereby I am not too proud to ask someone to show me how, then with practice will get better.

We still have to buy all the ancillary equipment yet and install more fencing, so we are only at the research stage yet, and obviously things may change, but as we are not looking to go full commercial - a rare breed which by all acounts has fantastic meat due to the length of time to grow on, is something we are looking at.

We have an area of around 4.5 to 5 acreas that we will be using for whatever sheep breed we finally decide upon, so numbers will be very low - but thinking ahead when we get more experienced at handling them, we would move them through the horse paddocks to keep the grass down also, which adds another 3 to 4 acres approx.
(We do also have another 14 acreas of pasture that we are going to try and provide hay if we can, but is also there to provide grazing if needed).

In relation to me, my ability with sheep currently would be limited to what I would call apprentice status. I have handled sheep and pigs many years ago as a simple pair of hands when a friend of the family needed some help, but by no means would I ever say I am experienced.
I know it is going to be one bumpy ride for me, but I will say that no animal in my care is ever left to suffer, I can't stand to see any animal suffer, and if I felt I wouldn't be able to cope - this would never move forward.

I am a confident person who takes pride in anything I do, so I believe I can learn what is required to keep them happy and more importantly healthy.

Jay

 

[Forever Fendt]

The Mrs has some Ryeland they are as docile as could be and are no bother at all and lamb easy and are great mothers, just have a lot of wool though

 

[Ukjay]

Hi

The breeds we were researching (rightly or wrongly we are not sure yet, hence asking questions) are below, just to show what we are / have been looking into:

Castlemilk Moorit

Kerry Hill

Balwen

North Ronaldsay

Soay

 

[Forever Fendt]

Hi

The breeds we were researching (rightly or wrongly we are not sure yet, hence asking questions) are below, just to show what we are / have been looking into:

Castlemilk Moorit

Kerry Hill

Balwen

North Ronaldsay

Soay

We have had a few kerry they have been as wild as hell ,as for the little goat type things i have seen them make £2 in the culls @ Bakewell myself i would look at Ryelands and Hampshires nice and docile and good meat whatever you cross them with ours lambs to texal just have to watch they don't go over fat and you will have some thing you can sell to friends and relations

 

[RedMerle]

On I would consider looking on the farm skills website and going to do some of the sheep courses.

They are run at veternary surgeries through XL vets and it's a vet that runs them. I've been on a few and it's a different mix of people you get on them, from smallholders to farm workers on large farms.

As someone said above it didn't get warm enough here really to take wool off the primitive Scottish breeds and I still had to get the blades out. I've done 3 shearing courses though and got my Bronze seal plus some blade shearing with a contractor so I was confident to do it. It takes more practice than folk would have you believe and I'd you're going to do it then do it the day after your course not months later when you've forgotten (I speak from experience). You will find a shearer but may have to pay more for it because small numbers cost the shearer.

I don't have a farming background. But network with the right people and you'll get there.

If you want to train the dogs to herd get some help. I've got what I would consider to be a very good dog and the Shetlands have been known to give her the run around when young.


http://www.farmskills.co.uk/

I forgot to add I blade sheared some Shetlands (supposedly self shedding) for someone this year and found maggots so if self shedding is important go with one of the more commercial self shedding breeds.

 

[JP1]

Personally I'd avoid anything with horns as generally they know how to use them!!!!!

Never had a bad experience with Wilties

 

[llamedos]

Hi

The breeds we were researching (rightly or wrongly we are not sure yet, hence asking questions) are below, just to show what we are / have been looking into:

Castlemilk Moorit

Kerry Hill

Balwen

North Ronaldsay

Soay

North Ronaldsay, can just be as wild as afore mentioned, they do not need seaweed, despite what you may read, still need shearing or blade clipping, they know how to use their horns, know how to annoy the heck out of the horses and steal grub from under their noses, so your horses need to be accepting of them.
Ask about Johnes status of the flock, again, I would go for a few in lamb bucket trained ewes.
They will laugh at a dog, love eating nettles. Never touched a hoof on mine and seem immune to foot rot.
.If there is a gap in your fence they will find it, they will manage to go over and between top of stock net and under top wire, laugh at electric fencing, poor dentition.
If your ground is extensive, you will rarely see them, but if there is danger, they find one another in an instant.
If you get calm ones, they are indeed a pleasure

There are some very poor line bred specimens about.

About as honest as I can be.

 

[Ukjay]

On I would consider looking on the farm skills website and going to do some of the sheep courses.

They are run at veternary surgeries through XL vets and it's a vet that runs them. I've been on a few and it's a different mix of people you get on them, from smallholders to farm workers on large farms.

As someone said above it didn't get warm enough here really to take wool off the primitive Scottish breeds and I still had to get the blades out. I've done 3 shearing courses though and got my Bronze seal plus some blade shearing with a contractor so I was confident to do it. It takes more practice than folk would have you believe and I'd you're going to do it then do it the day after your course not months later when you've forgotten (I speak from experience). You will find a shearer but may have to pay more for it because small numbers cost the shearer.

I don't have a farming background. But network with the right people and you'll get there.

If you want to train the dogs to herd get some help. I've got what I would consider to be a very good dog and the Shetlands have been known to give her the run around when young.


http://www.farmskills.co.uk/

Thank you for the additional information, it is appreciated. With regards to the dogs, we are also looking at places to inquire about getting help to train the dogs - as they may not be suitable, as it is an unknown if they would be suitable.

Will also look at the courses you mention.

 

[JP1]

Thank you for the additional information, it is appreciated. With regards to the dogs, we are also looking at places to inquire about getting help to train the dogs - as they may not be suitable, as it is an unknown if they would be suitable.

Will also look at the courses you mention.

I love having my collies. I think you will be taking on too much with new sheep and then training a dog.

I'd go for a biddable breed of sheep and with the numbers you're thinking of, it won't take long to train them to come to a tiny morsel of corn / nuts

I no longer have Wilties but I think @spin cycle makes a good suggestion. Only when you have suffered the angst of fine downland woolled breeds succumbing to fly strike in late june / early July when conditions are right, might you understand this. Finding anyone willing to come shear 6-10 ewes may be tricky too

Good luck and welcome to the crazy but addictive passion of stock keeping

 

[RedMerle]

Everyone has different expectations from their dogs as well. I've had people say my red and white one is sufficient as a work dog. I'm a bit of a perfectionist though and she drives me mad.

I love sheepdogs but for a lot of people 6 sheep and a bucket does the job .

 

[Ukjay]

OK, so if I get this right - the Wiltshire Horn fully sheds its fleece, thus no need to shear? Also, we are saying they are somewhat docile, and would be a good starting breed for someone like myself to get the basics?

Additionally - is it better to ask someone to assess our dogs first for potential ability to herd sheep, or is this not necessary?
How far should the training ideally be at this time for a potential sheepdog, or is that irrelevant at 14 months old?

 

[Ukjay]

Everyone has different expectations from their dogs as well. I've had people say my red and white one is sufficient as a work dog. I'm a bit of a perfectionist though and she drives me mad.

I love sheepdogs but for a lot of people 6 sheep and a bucket does the job .

I love ours too. Lovely dogs, we have Blue Merles, not to everyones liking I know, but they are fantastic animals.

I do not want show winning calibre, just something that can obey the commands needed to rally them up would be great.

 

[2YardOfLard]

Hi

We are seriously looking at the Castlemilk Moorit sheep for our venture into sheep headaches, whereby I was wondering if anyone on here keeps, or has kept them?

Obviously we know they are not a commercial flock animal, but for our purposes they appear on the face of it to fit our needs, so was looking for some real life experiences with the breed.

Thanks in advance.

Jay

Great that you're going into sheep. The very best of luck to you, hope you enjoy it.
Don't discount commercial breeds. There's no such thing as "farmers' sheep" and "hobby" sheep. A lot of the fashionable rare breeds are actually much wilder than the boring ones and there's no shame in making a profit from your hobby.

The easiest beginners' breed is the same one as most of your neighbours keep. That way you'll be on the same annual routine as them & they'll keep you right, & you can share with them to reduce costs. You can always branch out into something unusual once you're more confident.

You're not really going to need a dog for your number of sheep - just bucket train them feed them now & then in the handling pens & make a funnel shaped entrance. Have someone walking behind with a dog on a lead in case the couple at the back get cheeky. That said, a trained dog is a joy to own, so do it if you want to, not because you have to.

 

[spin cycle]

OK, so if I get this right - the Wiltshire Horn fully sheds its fleece, thus no need to shear? Also, we are saying they are somewhat docile, and would be a good starting breed for someone like myself to get the basics?

Additionally - is it better to ask someone to assess our dogs first for potential ability to herd sheep, or is this not necessary?
How far should the training ideally be at this time for a potential sheepdog, or is that irrelevant at 14 months old?

i've handled 60+ wilts using only a bucket....getting to the stage now a dog might be useful.....put any commercial ram on a wilt and you get a nice lamb....BUT i wouldn't reccomend a wilt ram as they can be fearsome