Certain sheep for certain land?

[Tommy_T]

I live in a valley and parts of my land are therefore quite sloped. I have a gang of Badger Faces that seem to get on well on the hill (which is what I expected from a Welsh Mountain sheep!).
I wanted another breed with a bit more meat on them and when I researched what would suit best I read that the lowland/upland/hill categories were more related to their eating habits (with hill sheep more able to forage rougher land) and that all sheep could go on all types of gradient.
I ended up with some Hill Radnors which are really great, but am worried as they are that much heavier. Every now and again they look a little lame, although it clears up, I don’t want them to be pulling muscles all the time. I’m getting them all in tomorrow to check feet.
Although I see heavy sheep like Texels etc on steep hills I’m worried these girls aren’t going to cope. Can anyone put my mind at ease? (Please!!!)

 

[neilo]

I live in a valley and parts of my land are therefore quite sloped. I have a gang of Badger Faces that seem to get on well on the hill (which is what I expected from a Welsh Mountain sheep!).
I wanted another breed with a bit more meat on them and when I researched what would suit best I read that the lowland/upland/hill categories were more related to their eating habits (with hill sheep more able to forage rougher land) and that all sheep could go on all types of gradient.
I ended up with some Hill Radnors which are really great, but am worried as they are that much heavier. Every now and again they look a little lame, although it clears up, I don’t want them to be pulling muscles all the time. I’m getting them all in tomorrow to check feet.
Although I see heavy sheep like Texels etc on steep hills I’m worried these girls aren’t going to cope. Can anyone put my mind at ease? (Please!!!)

The angle of the slope won’t effect them at all (apart from keeping them fitter) apart from the effect of the quality of the grass.
I’d be very surprised if they have pulled any muscles, more likely to be scald from long/rough grass.
When you get them in, check between their clays for any sore looking patches, and treat with antibiotic spray to clear it up.

 

[Tommy_T]

So no need to worry about the weight/slope thing then. Good. I’ve only just started keeping sheep this year and am desperate to do everything right!!
The grass isn’t the best quality but it’s not the worst. Some areas are longer than others. With it being on a slope I can’t top the upper part so seeing what they make of it and taking a brush cutter to parts of it too. The people I bought the place from only had about ten old sheep in the end, and had given up managing it for a few years, so it needs a bit of love (and use!).
They have a mineral lick and am getting some extra zinc blocks to help with feet. Got antibiotic spray and will definitely check them all over.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Choice of breed is more about how much time you want to spend with them unless you farm on high exposed hill

 

[Tommy_T]

Choice of breed is more about how much time you want to spend with them unless you farm on high exposed hill

In what way?

 

[Pistonbroke]

My geography teacher told the class that all hill breeds had been bred with left legs shorter than right for walking across slopes and got me to confirm it. Townies.

 

[Tommy_T]

Does that mean they roll down the hill when they walk right to left??!

 

[Pistonbroke]

Of course not!! They walk anticlockwise round the hill until they get back

 

[AftonShepherd]

My geography teacher told the class that all hill breeds had been bred with left legs shorter than right for walking across slopes and got me to confirm it. Townies.

He was obviously thinking of haggi rather than sheep!

Does that mean they roll down the hill when they walk right to left??!

You've not read the beginners guide to catching a haggis yet?

 

[Tommy_T]

Maybe I should invest in some haggis instead, sounds like they’d do well on our terrain!

 

[Ffermer Bach]

why not have easy care or exlana, so no shearing costs?

 

[Pistonbroke]

Depends what you call a hill. I only put Welsh mountains on the common but the other side of the hill ( same height ) there's a couple of people putting texel crosses and weaned mules out. Some breeds won't thrive on certain soil types, Glamorgan Welsh will waste away here. What do your neighbour's keep

 

[Ysgythan]

I bob ddafad ei chynefin - every ewe has her patch.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Your own choices - which breeders you use, the ewes you keep and cull, the stocking rates and seasonal flock management will have far greater bearing on your success than sheep breeds employed.

Generally, single-bearing ewes are put on the hills (sometimes, triplets also) and twin-bearing ewes lambed on the flat - simply because of abandonment issues with lambing twins on hills, where one lamb slides or rolls away and the ewe forgets it.

Generally speaking, a small to mid-sized ewe is much more efficient simply due to the lesser feed requirement for maintenance, which means a better % of her weight is weaned per year.
Certainly some breeds are rare for good reason, especially the woollier types and the plain awful types.

You could consider running an A mob and a B mob, in time; breed the best ewes to type and use a terminal type ram over the B mob, to both advance your ewe base and profit without trading too much of either.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

In what way?

A Welsh Hill breed will Lamb out and survive with very little help from you . Lowland Breeds need a lot of help and lambing and are a lot more problematic through the year . 2000 Mules Lambing indoors . 5 men very busy. 3000 Welsh ewes lambing outdoors . 1 and a half men not busy at all

 

[TripleSix]

We get on very well with Lleyns at home.

A limestone valley that doesn't grow much, even though we're only at about 600ft asl.

Very rare to get foot problems.