North country cheviot

[Agrivator]

The way the fancy ones are going, I’m not sure you’d want on

What way do you think they are going? Apart from a suspicion that one or two breeders of Park Cheviots are surreptitiously putting a bit of Border Leicester into them, I don't think there is much wrong with them. Especially since you can buy any amount of good Park or Hill Types for under £900. with some as low as under £500.

There is a very significant interest in using both types as crossing sires to breed replacements, in the knowledge that the wether lambs are perfectly saleable. The main reasons are: there is a demand for white-faced sheep, there are disease issues in the Scottish Blackface, the conformation of the Swaledale has been ruined in the quest to breed bonny mules, and the crossing type of BFL maybe wasn't such a good idea.

 

[Macsky]

What way do you think they are going? Apart from a suspicion that one or two breeders of Park Cheviots are surreptitiously putting a bit of Border Leicester into them, I don't think there is much wrong with them. Especially since you can buy any amount of good Park or Hill Types for under £900. with some as low as under £500.

There is a very significant interest in using both types as crossing sires to breed replacements, in the knowledge that the wether lambs are perfectly saleable. The main reasons are: there is a demand for white-faced sheep, there are disease issues in the Scottish Blackface, the conformation of the Swaledale has been ruined in the quest to breed bonny mules, and the crossing type of BFL maybe wasn't such a good idea.

I think some influential breeders of hill type sheep have let length slip a bit too far down the priority list, and it is reflected with what they get when selling their wedders store. Those that can sell breeding stock for top prices might be able to make it work very well, but I don’t think it does the breed as a whole any favours.

 

[Agrivator]

I think some influential breeders of hill type sheep have let length slip a bit too far down the priority list, and it is reflected with what they get when selling their wedders store. Those that can sell breeding stock for top prices might be able to make it work very well, but I don’t think it does the breed as a whole any favours.

Traditionally, hill sheep couldn't be too long because they would lose too much flesh on poor going or in a hard winter.

But in upland situations, where the provision of good winter feed is guaranteed, and access by tractor or snacker is much easier, the traditional virtues of true hill sheep are now of less importance.

 

[Macsky]

Traditionally, hill sheep couldn't be too long because they would lose too much flesh on poor going or in a hard winter.

But in upland situations, where the provision of good winter feed is guaranteed, and access by tractor or snacker is much easier, the traditional virtues of true hill sheep are now of less importance.

Traditionally, they were bred smaller, to fit more in the same area and maximise headage sub.

 

[Top Tip.]

Traditionally, hill sheep couldn't be too long because they would lose too much flesh on poor going or in a hard winter.

But in upland situations, where the provision of good winter feed is guaranteed, and access by tractor or snacker is much easier, the traditional virtues of true hill sheep are now of less importance.

Personally I never agreed with this tradition , in my experience it was never necessary to sacrifice length for hardiness. If you keep the length the ground will put them to the size it can carry. It was very noticeable yesterday that those who had kept the length in their ewes were earning a substantial premium.

 

[Hilly]

Personally I never agreed with this tradition , in my experience it was never necessary to sacrifice length for hardiness. If you keep the length the ground will put them to the size it can carry. It was very noticeable yesterday that those who had kept the length in their ewes were earning a substantial premium.

Short sheep are just sh!t no one wants short sheep , they never weigh for anyone short sheep, I hate short sheep .

 

[Top Tip.]

Short sheep are just sh!t no one wants short sheep , they never weigh for anyone short sheep, I hate short sheep .

Can’t like this enough

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Short sheep are just sh!t no one wants short sheep , they never weigh for anyone short sheep, I hate short sheep .

In case anyone was in any doubt. @Hilly doesn’t like short sheep…

 

[AftonShepherd]

In case anyone was in any doubt. @Hilly doesn’t like short sheep…

Are you sure? Final answer?

 

[west coast angus]

I personally find the whole small sheep more hardie a load of crap, the hill will grow the ewe to the size it allows, we have a hard enough job trying to get size in our lambs with out, selecting little 3 shear tups that stand not much higher than your knee cap, and missing 2 ribs! I have a friend who bought alot of these small really tight skinned tups in lairg for a number of years, while I tried to buy the bigger longer type of sheep usually in Dingwall, and basically 10 years later their lambs and ewes are really small and lost all growth, and the ewes are not any more fleshed or scan any better! The end result is I was selling wedders lambs in the £70s and they lambs were selling in the £50s.

Suppose you just have to go with the type of cheviot you like, there's a type for everyone

 

[sheepwise]

What way do you think they are going? Apart from a suspicion that one or two breeders of Park Cheviots are surreptitiously putting a bit of Border Leicester into them, I don't think there is much wrong with them. Especially since you can buy any amount of good Park or Hill Types for under £900. with some as low as under £500.

There is a very significant interest in using both types as crossing sires to breed replacements, in the knowledge that the wether lambs are perfectly saleable. The main reasons are: there is a demand for white-faced sheep, there are disease issues in the Scottish Blackface, the conformation of the Swaledale has been ruined in the quest to breed bonny mules, and the crossing type of BFL maybe wasn't such a good idea.

Correct on all counts.

 

[Top Tip.]

I personally find the whole small sheep more hardie a load of crap, the hill will grow the ewe to the size it allows, we have a hard enough job trying to get size in our lambs with out, selecting little 3 shear tups that stand not much higher than your knee cap, and missing 2 ribs! I have a friend who bought alot of these small really tight skinned tups in lairg for a number of years, while I tried to buy the bigger longer type of sheep usually in Dingwall, and basically 10 years later their lambs and ewes are really small and lost all growth, and the ewes are not any more fleshed or scan any better! The end result is I was selling wedders lambs in the £70s and they lambs were selling in the £50s.

Suppose you just have to go with the type of cheviot you like, there's a type for everyone

When I first started into Cheviots I used to go up to Lairg lamb sale and watch the wedder lambs sold because I reckoned that gave you the best perspective of what type of sheep each breeder was turning out. Invariably it was the breeders with the lengthy sheep that got top dollar. On a proper west coast hill farm your main source of income is your wedder lamb so it is vital that you get top dollar for them and it costs the same to produce a short one as a long one.

 

[Agrivator]

When I first started into Cheviots I used to go up to Lairg lamb sale and watch the wedder lambs sold because I reckoned that gave you the best perspective of what type of sheep each breeder was turning out. Invariably it was the breeders with the lengthy sheep that got top dollar. On a proper west coast hill farm your main source of income is your wedder lamb so it is vital that you get top dollar for them and it costs the same to produce a short one as a long one.

A lot of Scotch Mule breeders didn't dare sell their wethers in the local store market.

 

[shearerlad]

Home bred

Canna

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Prefer the homebred lad? Better shoulder?

 

[Macsky]

Who sired the home bred?

 

[Macsky]

Prefer the homebred lad? Better shoulder?

He is pointing downhill tho

 

[shearerlad]

Who sired the home bred?

Torrish out of a Ose ewe

 

[west coast angus]

Torrish out of a Ose ewe

How big was the Ose ewe?

 

[Top Tip.]

How big was the Ose ewe?

Now , that is a leading question!!!