Starting with Sheep

[Robin2020]

I have 14 acres in a valley (Gloucestershire)
I live on site (Converting old mill)
I have water (Brook) and a grant for ram pump/troughs/fencing.
No buildings for lambing.
Looking to get sheep in a few months when set up. I have no experience . Any suggestions on breed and numbers? They would need to come close to paying for themselves (meat/wool). Fairly keen on the Cotswold breed but happy for a couple of breeds. Maybe work up to a flock of 30??
Any advice gladly accepted

 

[Bury the Trash]

 

[Ysgythan]

Get the easiest thing possible to start and work up. I’d suggest some draft hill ewes, the South Wales sales would be closest to you, and run them with a crossing tup. The Cottswold could do that job but there’s a readier market for breeding females out of a Blue Faced Leicester or even a Border Leicester.

 

[ewemustbekidding]

There's a lot of record keeping...you need a CPH number for your land and a flock number for your own sheep. You need to keep records of your flock and the medicines you give them (a vet will need to see your flock at least once every six months for you to get what you need - they can also show you how to administer injections etc). Have a look at https://www.gov.uk/topic/keeping-farmed-animals/sheep-identity-registration for info.
You'll get a lot of different advice on sheep breeds(!), but ultimately you have to like what you're looking at every day. The best way to start is to offer grazing to a local farmer so you can get some experience, because sheep are a steep learning curve if you haven't had them before, plus you'll start building up local contacts like shearers and people you can ask for advice.
Stocking density will depend on your land really - best to do a small flock well than a larger flock badly when winter kicks in. Lambing - best to get some experience in by volunteering next lambing season until you've got your eye for your livestock and you know when something might be wrong (and dont be afraid to ask for advice as your ewes will be depending on you). Depending on the breed, you can ask members of the breed society for advice - harder this year as the shows are cancelled. And think of what you want to do with the lambs you produce and what your market will be - be ruthless and only keep your best from the very start. Good luck!

 

[Estate fencing.]

My advice is not to bother with Cotswolds. They are a nightmare to look after and get struck for the fun of it. If I where you I would buy some ewe lambs and run them round for 12 months and sell them again. There won’t be much money in it but much better then trying to lamb sheep if you have no shed or experience. Where about in Gloucestershire are you I’m Gloucestershire/oxfordshire border and offer contract shepherding if you do get some sheep and would like I hand.

 

[Robin2020]

I am in the Slad valley Stroud. It does sound like the Cotswold breed is hard work so maybe get a few in the future but something else to start with. The Blue Faced Leicester was on my mind too, so maybe this is the way to go. I will check out the South Wales sales. I have my CPH sorted and am aware a lot of admin will be required.... Hopefully living amongst the sheep will work well as I wont miss much. I may have to look at a temporary laming structure as the council are very fussy about building in this area...

 

[neilo]

A BFL would likely be just as hard work, but in a different way. There is an old saying that when you buy a BFL you get a free spade (to bury it).

I would suggest you take @Electricfencer 's advice and think about getting some ewe lambs to run for the first year. Gain some experience with sheep first before you even think about any particular breed, or about lambing anything. Don't run before you can walk, that's where animal welfare issues arise.

 

[delilah]

You will know this already, but you've loads of options locally for working with others to learn the ropes. Maybe invite someone to send you some of theirs for a season first ? Options for keeping your costs down, and your revenue up, may present themselves quicker that way than going it alone from day 1.

https://www.stroudsladfarm.co.uk/

https://openfoodnetwork.org.uk/groups/stroud-landwise-network#/map

https://www.facebook.com/stroudco/

 

[toquark]

Last year we set up a similar sized sheep enterprise. I recall neilo offering some sound advice here which I think we more or less followed in the end. We bought 45 commercial cast ewes and tupped them, we'll keep the ewe lambs and sell the tups and most of the old ewes. We'll be understocked for a while but have shut one field off for hay and plan to top up with some more casts in the autumn and repeat the cycle until the stocking is about right.

The benefits of the above system is that its nice and simple, relatively cheap (though we caught a bad year for buying cast ewes) and if you're happy nursing some old girls through the winter, quite fun.

We had a notion to run a pedigree flock but steered away in the end. I've no regrets on that front.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

We’ve always done well with running a bunch of Texel x Mule ewe lambs. We’ve bought them at weaning, grazed through to about Christmas by which time grass has run out. Thereafter they’ve stayed on the ground (rotating around small paddocks) being fed hay and fodder beet until grass starts up again. Shorn in early May to get a nice bloom on them then sold July/August.
We’ve always made a small profit on them And only ever lost two from a total of 140 over four years.
They’re a pleasure to keep. Young sheep are easier to care for and we really enjoy them. It’s great going down there every morning and seeing them race about.

I have a lot of family in Stroud. If you’ve been there any length of time you’ll have heard of my aunt!! Mad as a box of squirrels, sadly gone now. She had a little flock and GOS pigs on a cliff next to the main road.
Is yours proper steep? Young sheep will have no bother on it if it is.

 

[Formatted]

They would need to come close to paying for themselves (meat/wool).

If you own a 14 acre development site in Gloucestershire you probably aren't short of money, just keep some sheep that are nice to look at and keep the grass down. Even easier if you rent it to your neighbour for 2 lambs for the freezer

 

[Robin2020]

Neilo- thanks for the advice on the BFL. I will most likely go for the easiest option now. It does seem mad to pick a breed that may give me problems when inexperienced.

Delilah - I wish I had offered to help at my local Slad farm this year. Just didn't think it would be an option....but they do ask for help on their website...

Toquark - Liking the system you run. It sounds very sensible. Not sure I can stretch to 40 to begin but I may start with 10 and follow a similar path.

Cab-over pete yes the lands quite steep. I will ask around about your gran. Yes, Ive been here 14yrs or so. Nice to hear some positive results on your methods. Much of what you read can put you off getting sheep, so good to hear this.

Formatted - Yes - short of money. Bought the plot as agricultural land and took the risk on planning permission. If it went wrong, I would have lost everything. From 1 bedroom flat to this was far from easy. Living in a caravan now for 1 year!!!!!!!!!

 

[SteveHants]

I suspect, after several pages of debate, the advice that you will take from this thread will be:
1) There's a fair bit of paperwork
2) Do what you bloody want, it'll be better than a 20 page argument about sheep breeds...….

 

[Yale]

Surely some wool shedders would be a good start,less to go wrong.

 

[Dan@JF]

There are lots of good shepherds around you valley, just chat with them. If were you I would be looking for 10 easy care ewes and go and get a ram off Aubrey Andrew at Miserden or Matt Hobbs at Elkstone. Don't try and brake the mould but produce something worth keeping/eating/selling

 

[neilo]

There are lots of good shepherds around you valley, just chat with them. If were you I would be looking for 10 easy care ewes and go and get a ram off Aubrey Andrew at Miserden or Matt Hobbs at Elkstone. Don't try and brake the mould but produce something worth keeping/eating/selling

Did @gatepost pay you to say that?

 

[Dan@JF]

Did @gatepost pay you to say that?

??? Didn't even know he was on here, just know the area very well ??