Getting started with sheep

[Highland Mule]

Thanks for all your help - I do want to buy some ewes, fatten their lambs and then sell the lambs on while keeping the ewes. What do I need to do with regards to EID, and would herdwicks be a good, low maintenance breed (I work a full time job?). Could I make any profit?

Please read what I’m writing. The very fact you are asking questions like this is a positive thing, but also demonstrates that you should not have custody of farm animals until you have that knowledge and experience already. Take a season and let someone else use your field - you will get almost as much pleasure, learn new skills from watching and helping and (most importantly) the animals will not suffer from your inabilities.

But no, in my (limited, I’ve had a few but didn’t get on with them and prefer other breeds) experience of Herdwicks they are not low maintenance, and you will most definitely lose money - at a rough guess a small number of thousands invested and most of it irrecoverable.

 

[twizzel]

Thanks for all your help - I do want to buy some ewes, fatten their lambs and then sell the lambs on while keeping the ewes. What do I need to do with regards to EID, and would herdwicks be a good, low maintenance breed (I work a full time job?). Could I make any profit?

Aside from what everyone else said, if you work a full time job, does that job have flexibility if something was to go wrong with the sheep at home- escaped one morning, poorly, what will you do at lambing- still work ? I know a lot of people have sheep alongside other work (me included) but the flexibility does need to be there to some degree, either with you or someone else at home to keep an eye on things. I am lucky and most of my work is within agriculture (so people are understanding) apart from a business I run myself.

 

[CopperBeech]

Not being funny, but lots and lots of folk
Manage to keep six sheep in a paddock by their house whilst having a full time job and the world has thus far not ended. It’s not rocket science. But I’d bin off the herd wicks. Make life easy for yourself. By half a dozen dry wool shedding ewe lambs, enjoy watching them grow abs learn off them for a year. Then either sell as shearling or tup and lamb them. Forget about making money.

 

[primmiemoo]

Has anyone mentioned the importance of a good set of bathroom scales? If you only want a few sheep, then they are by far the best and cheapest way to weigh.
There won't be any need for a big weigh crate until the flock is above 150 ewes.

 

[twizzel]

Not being funny, but lots and lots of folk
Manage to keep six sheep in a paddock by their house whilst having a full time job and the world has thus far not ended. It’s not rocket science. But I’d bin off the herd wicks. Make life easy for yourself. By half a dozen dry wool shedding ewe lambs, enjoy watching them grow abs learn off them for a year. Then either sell as shearling or tup and lamb them. Forget about making money.

Yeah I agree, but likewise it doesn’t mean you can buy low(er) maintenance sheep, shove them in a field and forget about them. As you say buying ewe lambs would be the best bet rather than throwing lambing into the equation.

 

[CopperBeech]

Aye the shedding suggestion was just because no one wants to mess about shearing, crutching, dagging etc 6 sheep. Save any possible hassle you can! If you only have six, buy the best and least hassle animals you can.

 

[K35TR3L]

What'd be the best breed?

 

[Highland Mule]

What'd be the best breed?

Easycare have less potential for complications involving wool, but still need some skills and knowledge of sheep husbandry.

Do you have a flock number and CPH number yet? Identified a large animal vet practice who are prepared to take you on? There’s a whole lot of preparation required before you take on any commitment.

 

[K35TR3L]

Easycare have less potential for complications involving wool, but still need some skills and knowledge of sheep husbandry.

Do you have a flock number and CPH number yet? Identified a large animal vet practice who are prepared to take you on? There’s a whole lot of preparation required before you take on any commitment.

No, this is purely hypothetical so far - that’s why I’m here.

 

[7610 super q]

Forget the sheep, buy a new Fendt, 8m no till drill, and grow corn. You can then mix with a better class of people on the arable sectors of this forum.

 

[7610 super q]

Just kidding.

 

[7610 super q]

Or was I....

 

[K35TR3L]

Forget the sheep, buy a new Fendt, 8m no till drill, and grow corn. You can then mix with a better class of people on the arable sectors of this forum.

Yeah, I would really like to deal with the fun discussions about the growth of corn. Much more interesting than real live animals who actually move?

 

[Highland Mule]

No, this is purely hypothetical so far - that’s why I’m here.

Have a read of the links on post 34. Pay particular attention to the first box on page 6. Once you’ve sourced that, the rest will be easy to get.