Starting a new flock

[Exmouth Man]

Two years ago I took over a 44h permanent pasture farm in Devon. Because of other commitments I have let the grazing for the past 2 years. I am now in a position to focus on the farm and want to start my own flock. I have a great deal of "book" knowledge having read widely on the subject, and a little practical experience. I already have my SBI and CPH numbers. My questions are: A. What would be the best breed for me to buy initially, baring in mind I intend to sell to the end users as prepared meat. I already have access to this market.
B. I'm planning on starting small with 20 ewes, giving that I will be doing this full time what would be the max number I could grow the flock too.

Thanks

 

[Jackson4]

Local breed would be selling point but not the quickest or meatiest...? dunno of many sheep breeds from that way. Could get local breed and put onto a more butchers terminal breed like suffolk/texel/beltex/charollais etc. or forget local breeds and make the selling point the grazing, clover fed old pasture etc.
Max numbers hard to say 110 acres all pp.. 2 sheep an acre? Hard to say really pp can be poor dry hill land or fertile but not reseeded low land??

 

[cotswoldcs]

The grass in Devon grows more than enough for 2 ewes to the acre! To answer your question - the sky's the limit! Why think about just your 44ha?

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[spin cycle]

you definately need shedders...no lleyns...no mules....no cheviots but which sort....i'm so confused

mind you i've just saved about 5 pages.....right where's the microwave popcorn

thought about jacobs?....or romneys?.....highlanders?

please note other breeds of sheep exist and apologies to OP and welcome to the forum

 

[Pasty]

Was in a similar position a couple years back and went for Wiltshire Horn and Jacob. Both hardy breeds and I'm not disappointed. The Wilts are less work as they shed and are cracking sheep. The Jacobs are a little wilder but OK. Need shearing but the fleece more than covers it's removal costs when sold to spinners.

Given your location, what about Exlana? A similar sheep to Wilt / Easy care but very carefully developed for the commercial market. Good feet, no shearing, good mothering, finish off grass alone. It's what I would do instead of Wilts if I wasn't just a lad with a few chickens playing at farming.

I would urge you to go for something easy to look after to start with. Or if not, something you like to look at.

Land wise, I don't know yet. I'm South Devon and have got up to 24 sheep on 40ac and they are not even touching it. I could carry 100 without a problem it would be tidier too. But I want to build slowly and get it right as I go.

 

[Ysgythan]

Exmoor Horns are good sheep.

 

[Danllan]

Why not make your introduction to sheep less labour intensive and stressful? Do you want to be pained with shearing, and dagging and fly strike? Do you like being up at all hours with your hand up a ewe? Do you like the smell of rotten feet or enjoy the fun of treating them? Do you want to get hurt by or spend time untangling sheep with horns? If your answer is 'no' to any or all of these questions, get a breed that is easy to care for, such as Easycare, or Exlana which is also available near you, @Tim W has these.

Numbers...? In Devon, on good grass, four or five hundred ewes +, just keep going until you see what the place can carry - but don't forget that just sheep on a place is not as healthy as sheep and cattle.

 

[Jerry]

I'm the other side of the estuary to you.

But I assume you're on red sand/light soil?

Don't underestimate the impact of a dry summer. Grass growth June to Oct can be very poor.

But in the flip side you can run ewes outside 12 months a year.

Local breeds.....nothing that local but Poll Dorsets have a good following. They wil lamb early which may be of interest?? But can run to fat before being fit.

I'm a mix of Dorset and Lleyn. Crossed to charolaise for both direct sales and live sales in Exeter market. The Lleyn cross do very well if you get the right genetics.

Numbers wise depends a lot on the grass and how you want to manage them. I like the hands off approach and Lleyn fill that role very well here. I Lamb them outside in Feb/Mar. Leave them to it over night, let nature do what it's meant to.

You say you have a local market, do you need to supply that 12 months a year or just prime months?

A good website helps, and Facebook.

Mine is www.exevalleylamb.co.uk

Feel free to pop over on the starcross ferry if you want!

 

[Man_in_black]

Are you planning on keeping any ewe lambs as replacement? Or do you really mean to sell all as 'prepared meat'?

Lambing in or out?
I'd say lleyn & put a high index charollais over them.

@Jerry

Ha jerry posted whilst I was writing!!

 

[Pasty]

Why not make your introduction to sheep less labour intensive and stressful? Do you want to be pained with shearing, and dagging and fly strike? Do you like being up at all hours with your hand up a ewe? Do you like the smell of rotten feet or enjoy the fun of treating them? Do you want to get hurt by or spend time untangling sheep with horns? If your answer is 'no' to any or all of these questions, get a breed that is easy to care for, such as Easycare, or Exlana which is also available near you, @Tim W has these.

Numbers...? In Devon, on good grass, four or five hundred ewes +, just keep going until you see what the place can carry - but don't forget that just sheep on a place is not as healthy as sheep and cattle.

Horns have their uses though. Sheep with handles!

 

[Jerry]

Horns have their uses though. Sheep with handles!

I value my knees.......and not having to untangle the buggers from a fence....,;-))

 

[Man_in_black]

Horns have their uses though. Sheep with handles!

You got Welsh in you somewhere boyo??

 

[Pasty]

I value my knees.......and not having to untangle the buggers from a fence....,;-))

Untangling is easier if you sing to them. Mine like 'Ride on' by AC/DC.

 

[Bones]

Two years ago I took over a 44h permanent pasture farm in Devon. Because of other commitments I have let the grazing for the past 2 years. I am now in a position to focus on the farm and want to start my own flock. I have a great deal of "book" knowledge having read widely on the subject, and a little practical experience. I already have my SBI and CPH numbers. My questions are: A. What would be the best breed for me to buy initially, baring in mind I intend to sell to the end users as prepared meat. I already have access to this market.
B. I'm planning on starting small with 20 ewes, giving that I will be doing this full time what would be the max number I could grow the flock too.

Thanks

If your planing on starting with 20 ewes ,I'd go scotch mules,that way you'll have 20 lambs to sell. good luck.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Ha @Jerry I thought of you and dry summers when Cotswold said about Devon grass!
Also thought of polled dorsets from the point of view of all year round supply of lambs.

I suspect breed is not that important as long as the op picks something suitable to whatever system they want to run. Hang it well and most breeds will have customers asking for more.
If you want a 'story' to sell your product then maybe a traditional breed of some sort. Watch they don't get too fat on good grazing though, my neighbour's experience direct selling suggests people still want minimum fat lean cuts.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Exmoor Horns are good sheep.

You've made me laugh with that suggestion before. What's your experience of them to say that?

 

[Danllan]

Untangling is easier if you sing to them. Mine like 'Ride on' by AC/DC.

You're in deep enough, stop digging...

 

[Danllan]

Ha @Jerry I thought of you and dry summers when Cotswold said about Devon grass!
Also thought of polled dorsets from the point of view of all year round supply of lambs.

I suspect breed is not that important as long as the op picks something suitable to whatever system they want to run. Hang it well and most breeds will have customers asking for more.
If you want a 'story' to sell your product then maybe a traditional breed of some sort. Watch they don't get too fat on good grazing though, my neighbour's experience direct selling suggests people still want minimum fat lean cuts.

I know someone who has twenty Balwens she wants to sell - but note that - she wants to sell them... Seriously though, as @Poorbuthappy has written, unless you want a super-twee 'story' behind the sheep you have an easy decision. Anyway, you can tell all your customers that your sheep are local from birth to slaughter, free range , and come from a 'happy' flock, you can even go organic if you want, what more could they ask for? From next year I'll be supplying my friend with lamb, she has a gastro pub, and my Easycare lambs look very cute in a nice photo' with the green valley behind them, yours will too.

 

[Bones]

If your planing on starting with 20 ewes ,I'd go scotch mules,that way you'll have 20 lambs to sell. good luck.

Ment to say 40 lambs ,,

 

[yellowbelly]

Ment to say 40 lambs

I just thought you were keeping 20 replacements