Starting out?

[Lakeland Novice]

Hi, based in the Lakes, would like to have a go at keeping / breeding sheep. there is some land close to the house I may be able to rent but do not know what I need or where to start! looked a little at registering for parish number and tagging requirements etc but interested in views / advice on breeds, numbers, equipment, feeding, vet care, vaccinations etc... costs and workload

Many Thanks
D

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Hi, based in the Lakes, would like to have a go at keeping / breeding sheep. there is some land close to the house I may be able to rent but do not know what I need or where to start! looked a little at registering for parish number and tagging requirements etc but interested in views / advice on breeds, numbers, equipment, feeding, vet care, vaccinations etc... costs and workload

Many Thanks
D

Hi LN
Welcome.
What do you want from these sheep?
How much do you want to spend and do they need to earn their keep?
How many acres potentially available? Would it be on a short term (seasonal) let?
How much time can you/ do you want to devote to them?

You could do anything from keeping and showing pedigrees of 1 sort or another (the highest cost route in both in time and money) to running a few easy care types that will look after themselves.

Do you have sheep farmers locally?
Before you start to keep sheep of your own it would be wise to get some experience of working with them if possible. Though be aware that to go and experience 1 farm's system won't give you the breadth of possibilities there are with sheep.

 

[Walterp]

Whilst PBH is generally on the mark, here he's way off it - sheep are ideal to start in off the deep end, as Julie (who knew nothing about sheep, nor does she have an ag background) would confirm.

Going into sheep is like getting married: if it's 'right' for you, there's really no reason to put it off.

Just buy some ewe lambs so you can spend a while getting accustomed to 'em before buying a tup, and a copy of 'Practical Sheep Keeping' by Kim Cardell. Excellent book.

 

[Anonymous...]

Tim Tynes (sp) sheep books a handy reference

 

[Yale]

Whilst PBH is generally on the mark, here he's way off it - sheep are ideal to start in off the deep end, as Julie (who knew nothing about sheep, nor does she have an ag background) would confirm.

Going into sheep is like getting married: if it's 'right' for you, there's really no reason to put it off.

Just buy some ewe lambs so you can spend a while getting accustomed to 'em before buying a tup, and a copy of 'Practical Sheep Keeping' by Kim Cardell. Excellent book.

But you're not on the mark fully.

Far more experience and fun can be had by getting involved with a local farm offering free labour for experience with sheep.

In a year of weekends and evenings of volunteer helping on a well run sheep farm you would gain more experience than a lifetime keeping a few yourself.

It would be far more rewarding also to be in the thick of it.

Best of all when you go home you leave any sheep responsibilities behind and have no losses.

 

[Walterp]

Free labour? In exchange for 'experience with sheep'? Really?

I'm struggling with that idea: in this area there's loads of garden flocks, some very well-managed (to a better/higher standard than many commercial flocks, due to less numbers and more facilities) and I'm not really convinced that just starting off isn't the best idea.

In the sheep world, isn't it true that a keen amateur with a small flock can out-perform any commercial sheep-farmer?

 

[Yale]

In the sheep world, isn't it true that a keen amateur with a small flock can out-perform any commercial sheep-farmer?

The trick is to run a big flock with the attention to detail of a well run small one.

You cannot learn this fine art from a small flock,only a sh1t hot large one.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Walter with respect I would say Julie was not totally green when she started keeping sheep.
She had livestock experience with running a suckler herd, (many of the principles are transferable) and you've kept sheep in on tack.

I agree a small flock can potentially out perform a large flock (as long as you don't count labour), but the potential for large vet bills, and losses due to inexperience is high too. And with a small flock, 1 or 2 losses can be a big % age.
The majority of sheep work (other than preventative flock health planning) our vets see is hobby farmers and pedigree flocks. A friendly neighbouring sheep farmer can save an inexperienced new entrant a lot of money and heartache.

 

[Walterp]

The trick is to run a big flock with the attention to detail of a well run small one.

You cannot learn this fine art from a small flock,only a sh1t hot large one.

How many sh!t hot large flocks do you reckon there are, then?

I'd had the impression that most of them end up going down the easier-care route, whilst a garden flock can afford the time and attention to keep, say, Dutch Texels, Beltex, Suffolk, etc

 

[Walterp]

Walter with respect I would say Julie was not totally green when she started keeping sheep.
She had livestock experience with running a suckler herd, (many of the principles are transferable) and you've kept sheep in on tack.

I agree a small flock can potentially out perform a large flock (as long as you don't count labour), but the potential for large vet bills, and losses due to inexperience is high too. And with a small flock, 1 or 2 losses can be a big % age.
The majority of sheep work (other than preventative flock health planning) our vets see is hobby farmers and pedigree flocks. A friendly neighbouring sheep farmer can save an inexperienced new entrant a lot of money and heartache.

Maybe my views are coloured by the number of garden flocks in the area, with lots of small and well-cared for sheep - numbers from 2 or 3, to 50 or so, and cared for with interest and devotion. I'm doubtful that any of those flockmasters would've gained much from chasing a bigger flock around a bigger field? I'd suggest it's down to the individual: 'don't do it if you don't want to' would be my advice.

But maybe we're lucky in the amount of advice available? From kindly neighbours, to helpful Co-Op staff, to the supremely-knowledgeable CCF sheep specialist Sally Harmer (Hello, Sally).

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Depends how you describe 'sh!t hot' Walter!
The 1 for my money would be something run like Creedmoor's off bff. Don't think they're particularly large, but very high performance off a grass based system. High attention to detail - breeding and grazing management.
Chucking cake, money and labour at a flock doesn't necessarily make it pay well.

 

[Blod]

I would say that at the very least get someone to show you how to catch and turn a sheep without damaging yourself or the animal. Get a copy of a health plan from someone who knows what they are doing so you don't neglect your sheep through ignorance and be prepared to eat them even if they have names.

 

[cooksey]

in my opinion having someone else to guide you through keeping sheep as you wouldn't start doing any sort of business with out proper guidance from someone would you plus you may have all the books in the world but it doesn't equate to a friendly neighbour coming and having a look at your sheep and help you pick your sheep when you go to buy them