First time sheep.

[Danllan]

No, that would make it haylage...

It was 8-10” tall lush ryegrass regrowth after hard grazing. It was destined for wrapping but 30 degree temperatures meant I could make it into hay that actually had some feed value.

Little difference here, just dried for longer - we still call it hay if it's dry enough and wrapped; sounds good stuff though.

 

[steveR]

I’ve been feeding 4 yr old hay that was made from lovely young grass in a heat wave in my lambing pens. I’d wager it will be better feed value than much of that made last summer.

Although it does deteriorate slowly in storage, the quality & condition of the crop when it was baled is far more important than age.

I agree, really dry, well made hay is a reasonable long term insurance in the barn any day...

I have pulled out 8-10 year old hay before now and while the outside was discoloured, the middles were still grand for feeding. I had anticipated chucking iit under stock, but ended up in the ring feeders. I was far from convinced it had a lot of feed value, but it all disappeared.

 

[toquark]

Why bother with shearing, dagging, flystrike, hoof-trimming and difficult lambing? Get some Easycares / Exlanas and you'll be saved from all that, get lots of N into your ground, have decent meat in the freezer and, for what it's worth, hate sheep far less that would otherwise be the case.

As for the land, divide the six acres in to two - or three...? - and get as few ewes as you think you can get away with. I'd start with less than 20, and go from there to see what the land can carry. Sage advice above in re silage, asking for trouble, if you can have hay instead go for it.

Good advice.

Easycares aren't easy on the eye at times but they are low maintenance. Numbers-wise start small, you can always ask a neighbour to cut hay or run a topper over the grass if it gets away from you in the summer. Get a feel for what the ground can take and adjust numbers appropriately, its better to be looking at grass than looking for it.

 

[farmerm]

No, that's boring . I'm expecting growing pains here but I'm going to give it a go. Though I'm ignorant with sheep I'm more than familiar with working around the smallholding in other ways. We eat our own chicken and veg and I'm very well aware that it's all about three times the price of the supermarket I may well agree with you in a year or two but I'd rather do it and regret it than not do it and regret it.

well just don't come to me and say I should have told you good luck

 

[Fake it ‘til you make it]

Portland. Nothing tastier for the freezer, and if you've kept goats you're half way there .

Agreed about the eating quality: the tenderest and sweetest English lamb I have had was Portland.

 

[delilah]

Agreed about the eating quality: the tenderest and sweetest English lamb I have had was Portland.

Proper farmers regularly take the mick out of such breeds, which I find unfair as I don't see keepers of rare breeds similarly criticizing mainstream breeds. We are slowly building Portland (and Manx) numbers up as most people who have a hogget box don't then want to go back to the lamb box we also offer.

 

[Fake it ‘til you make it]

Proper farmers regularly take the mick out of such breeds, which I find unfair as I don't see keepers of rare breeds similarly criticizing mainstream breeds. We are slowly building Portland (and Manx) numbers up as most people who have a hogget box don't then want to go back to the lamb box we also offer.

Do any of your Portlands have twins? Chap I know who had them told me it was nearly always singles.

 

[delilah]

Do any of your Portlands have twins? Chap I know who had them told me it was nearly always singles.

Had them 10 years not had twins yet, add to that 75% of the lambs are male, no wonder they are rare lol.

 

[Fake it ‘til you make it]

Had them 10 years not had twins yet, add to that 75% of the lambs are male, no wonder they are rare lol.

 

[rancher]

We've a hobby flock here on 11 acres, not too worried whether we make money or not, we've 75 ewes and don't make silage if we can avoid it.
We feed them ration in the winter and bed them with fresh straw every day.
But they don't cost money.
Breed is mainly Lleyn x texel

 

[Estate fencing.]

We've a hobby flock here on 11 acres, not too worried whether we make money or not, we've 75 ewes and don't make silage if we can avoid it.
We feed them ration in the winter and bed them with fresh straw every day.
But they don't cost money.
Breed is mainly Lleyn x texel

7 ewes to the acre! Christ I struggle to get 2.5, you must have some strong ground.

 

[rancher]

7 ewes to the acre! Christ I struggle to get 2.5, you must have some strong ground.

Not really, we don't have to close up for winter feed and always prepared to go with concentrate,
Just a bit of messing here. We had to feed for three weeks during the drought last year and feeding for the last few weeks..... but them isn't everyone
It's getting serious in Ireland now with no real prospects of growth.
Retired now with most of the land leased but used to run 550 ewes on 110 acres

 

[Petroldrinker]

Just to tie this thread off in case anyone finds it useful in the future. After much deliberation and a few disappointing auctions I bought half a dozen draught ewes and an unrelated ram from a moorland farmer who thought that these old girls might prefer the comforts of my smallholding. They are my favourites, the Devon and Cornwall Longwools. The ram is a former award winner and the ewes, in my eyes at least, are beautiful so hopefully I have the foundations for a nice little flock. After a bumper harvest of hay this year I ought to be able to sell enough to cover all additional fodder and bedding as well keeping the mums-to-be well fed.

Thank you everyone for your advice. I'm sure I'll be back!

 

[steveR]

Just to tie this thread off in case anyone finds it useful in the future. After much deliberation and a few disappointing auctions I bought half a dozen draught ewes and an unrelated ram from a moorland farmer who thought that these old girls might prefer the comforts of my smallholding. They are my favourites, the Devon and Cornwall Longwools. The ram is a former award winner and the ewes, in my eyes at least, are beautiful so hopefully I have the foundations for a nice little flock. After a bumper harvest of hay this year I ought to be able to sell enough to cover all additional fodder and bedding as well keeping the mums-to-be well fed.

Thank you everyone for your advice. I'm sure I'll be back!

Enjoy them....

 

[Cab-over Pete]

I didn’t see this thread back in May, glad you’ve got going.

We plumped for Hampshire Down sheep about 7-8 years ago and they were brilliant. Nothing like the bother and work that people say they are, quick growing, local farmers liked the rams we bred and buyers loved the lambs.

Anyway, just to say that in the years we kept them they never lost money and when we sold them earlier this year we were £4000 up on our little investment when we started.

A great and rewarding hobby that didn’t cost a Penny, just some time, mostly enjoyable.

 

[Petroldrinker]

That's great to hear. I'm loving having them.