OK, so how do you manage the rotational grazing with the chooks - as I understood they can decimate the grass, or ar you moving the chooks daily / free range etc to avoid the damage?
Castlemilk Moorit
- Thread starter Ukjay
- Start date
OK, so how do you manage the rotational grazing with the chooks - as I understood they can decimate the grass, or ar you moving the chooks daily / free range etc to avoid the damage?
No, nothing that organised yet. Lots of fencing to do.
If you are going to buy sheep then it is not fences or trucks that are next on the list - a good stout spade is what you will need!Steady on. There's the small matter of the fencing to resolve yet.
After the truck, can we start the debate on which trailer.........
Oh, and once the fencing questions are all ironed out, out of North Ronaldsay and Wilts - what are the differences in temperament, by that would they both be a good option as it appears maybe the Ronaldsay is getting some good feedback much like the Wilts, so I will be trying therefore to find a local breeder of quality stock?
It is of course now illegal to bury them- the reference is to the universal ambition to die for no apparent reason.I have heard that from an old work colleague - but he did not explain why, so as I believe it is illegal to bury them on yer land when they go belly up, why a stout spade if I may ask?
And - the fence issue is still not resolved
I am also informed that a good stout spade can be used (flat side) to partially sedate a ewe reluctant to accept that a lamb or lambs do actually belong to her
I suppose the main thing is, aside from temperament (which is much to do with where you have them from as much as the breed, I think, I've got aloof Rons and silly tame ones depending on which flock I bought them in from) what do you want from them? The key things the wilts have going for them is avoiding needing a shearer, and the fact they will produce a 'normal' lamb for meat. With the Rons you'll need to shear and you'll have to keep them til their second year for them to be worth eating.
Devil's advocate- any harm in having a few of each to start with and seeing how things pan out?
SLA
Member
- Location
- Lincolnshire
I've had/have North Ronaldsay, black Welsh, badger faced Welsh, herdwick, Leicester longwool, hebridean, zwartbles.
Will always have ronnies - love the small size, variety of colours and we started with two pet ewes to replace a milk goat 20 years ago- they are probably more like goats than sheep and love them, you do have to be careful with copper, North Ronaldsay Sheep fellowship are very helpful. Lots of breeders in Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and we're only just in Lincolnshire.
My black Welsh and herdwicks have been the easiest to handle don't escape and generally lovely and tame, still small so easy to handle, rarely any health issues and will produce decent lambs
Zwartbles quiet but huge, badger faced Welsh scatty buggers but pretty, slowly getting rid of these, Longwools are big and quiet but lots of fluff, hebridean can be fine or a bit scatty.
Go to a local show, Blaston show usually has a reasonable selection of breeds or go Melton rare breed sale in September. Good opportunity to see different breeds side by side and lots of breeders to get contact details, also get a good idea on value/prices
As said above if your unsure then try a selection, if you want them tame buy from a bucket trained flock.
If you just want to try some why not buy some wethers? No need to lamb and you could eat them or keep them as pets/lawn mowers.
Fences - have you seen the horse friendly netting? (not stock netting) Would be good to put around your boundary then if electric doesn't work 100% at least they won't go far.
Will always have ronnies - love the small size, variety of colours and we started with two pet ewes to replace a milk goat 20 years ago- they are probably more like goats than sheep and love them, you do have to be careful with copper, North Ronaldsay Sheep fellowship are very helpful. Lots of breeders in Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and we're only just in Lincolnshire.
My black Welsh and herdwicks have been the easiest to handle don't escape and generally lovely and tame, still small so easy to handle, rarely any health issues and will produce decent lambs
Zwartbles quiet but huge, badger faced Welsh scatty buggers but pretty, slowly getting rid of these, Longwools are big and quiet but lots of fluff, hebridean can be fine or a bit scatty.
Go to a local show, Blaston show usually has a reasonable selection of breeds or go Melton rare breed sale in September. Good opportunity to see different breeds side by side and lots of breeders to get contact details, also get a good idea on value/prices
As said above if your unsure then try a selection, if you want them tame buy from a bucket trained flock.
If you just want to try some why not buy some wethers? No need to lamb and you could eat them or keep them as pets/lawn mowers.
Fences - have you seen the horse friendly netting? (not stock netting) Would be good to put around your boundary then if electric doesn't work 100% at least they won't go far.
Zaphod
Member
- Location
- Norfolk/Lincs border
Jacobs are easy on the eye, prolific breeders with triplets v common. Tremendous mothers & v milky. They are also tribal, if one gets out then the rest will do their damdest to follow. They can clear a 4 foot fence no problem so my fences are electrified at the top. So now they burrow underneath the fencing! As a group they look out for each other and literally scream blue murder if one is missing or getting something the others want. They also enjoy sitting in the field & bawling like babies so i rush out to see what is wrong to find them chewing the cud. First few times i couldnt work out what was making the noise! They are cunning & lovable. Oh and i've got plenty for sale lol!
Thank you for this - very much appreciated. This bloody sheep lark is a minefield, Olympic Hurdlers now - what the hell am I letting myself into
The area they will be in has currently - P&R for the horses, a line of 2.5mm HT wire going along the bottom rail which could be electirfied if needed, so will see how that one goes, plus a line on the top of the P&R that can be electrified too if needed, so hopefully they will not get out, if they do - they will be in stock proof fenced fields, but they are not 4 foot high, just the std sheep stock fencing.
Have you had / seen any issues with feet problems with the Jacobs, also any pics of your stock you may have for sale, and are they 2 horn or 4?
Zaphod
Member
- Location
- Norfolk/Lincs border
Will get some pictures over the weekend. No problems with feet at all, you do have to act quickly in flystrike season as the flies particularly like the dark spots. Mine have 2 horns. The 4 horns are a nightmare to handle (I have a Golden Guernsey billy who wasn't dehorned and it can be hair raising to handle him with 2 or 3 feet of horn coming at you!). I would def electrify the ht wire, especially the bottom. The lambs are the cutest tho!Thank you for this - very much appreciated. This bloody sheep lark is a minefield, Olympic Hurdlers now - what the hell am I letting myself into
The area they will be in has currently - P&R for the horses, a line of 2.5mm HT wire going along the bottom rail which could be electirfied if needed, so will see how that one goes, plus a line on the top of the P&R that can be electrified too if needed, so hopefully they will not get out, if they do - they will be in stock proof fenced fields, but they are not 4 foot high, just the std sheep stock fencing.
Have you had / seen any issues with feet problems with the Jacobs, also any pics of your stock you may have for sale, and are they 2 horn or 4?
Thank you Old Tip,
As you are more likely aware from previous threads, we are not going commercial qty, so will not be buying as many as commercial buyers would - so one source to start is a definite
Also - as we are learning, we need to build our knowledge, rotational grazing model etc - that too many sheep would be a disaster I believe, so playing things safe.
Zaphod
Member
- Location
- Norfolk/Lincs border
Yes took today will upload shortly!
Zaphod
Member
- Location
- Norfolk/Lincs border
Lol! Your life will never be the same again!Cool, wanna see the little feckers tht are causing so much angst in my simple life