Valais sheep

Formatted

Member
Livestock Farmer
In what way? That seems to be a totally random remark that doesn't refer to anything in my post so we are left guessing. Can you explain please?

There was never any grant that allowed farmers to start keeping Valias black's that they've imported from New Zealand after a price crash there
 
The best scam (Oops! Sorry!) ever had to be fibre goats.

The rise in popularity here coincided with a collapse of the market in New Zealand and UK producers were able to buy NZ stock with UK grant aid, then sell the breeding stock at extortionate prices!

Just for fun, I phoned the grant awarding body (which would probably prefer to remain nameless) and asked if I could get a grant for rhinoceros farming as I intended breeding them for their horns. The inspector listened to me with serious attention until I had to admit that it was a leg pull. She replied, "Well, it does sound like something we would fund!":LOL:
Dad was saying the same about Angora goats just the other day, in relation to the Valais.

My wife fancied some Valais but I would have almost anything else. I think it's because you can't see their faces properly.
 

ewefool

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Loch lomond
Sheared fifteen on a place two years ago ,gimmers late July and they were the worst things I have ever had to shear. Lean as boards and absolutely terrible feet you could smell them coming up the ramp. After the first two or three i asked the farmer to split them out from the mules and did them as a batch at the end.
 

Dry Rot

Member
Livestock Farmer
My friend got in to fibre goats in I think the late 80's and yes grant to erect 3mt fence's buried in the ground at the bottom ( they went under or over if given a chance , a stud buck went up a vertical wall and over a 3mt fence ) grant to buy handling pens and I think some of the purchase cost's . Bought out of Perth mart ave bucks were £1500 4or 5 yrs later good bucks were £100

That was just part of it. A friend who had kept goats (for milk) for years, pointed out that goats hate the rain and would need shelter, so not ideal for the Scottish climate.

Also, the fibre grows according to the available food, so sparse grazing as in the Middle East grows the finest fibre, not Scotland!

New Zealand had discovered the above, plus a lot more.

I don't know who sold the idea to Scotland and who then encouraged the payment of grants, but as one market collapsed, the UK one grew. Maybe it was some brilliant form of overseas aid? You never know with bureaucrats. Genius PR whoever thought it up! I'll bet the Afghanis and Kashmiries were pleased!

But the Highlands and Islands Development Board were good. I even got a grant to import a gundog!:)
 
Dad was saying the same about Angora goats just the other day, in relation to the Valais.

My wife fancied some Valais but I would have almost anything else. I think it's because you can't see their faces properly.
A group of us were wandering through the NSA tent at the Highland Show on the Friday afternoon last year. Wasn't that busy at that time, but the crowd that was in was gathered in an excited huddle round some exhibit slap bang in the middle of the tent


Intrigued to see what was causing the fuss, I pushed my way through the hysterical throng and eventually arrived, exhausted and scratched, at the pen.

I gasped and stepped half an inch back in horror. There , in front of me was quite the most hideous Frankensheep I had ever clapped eyes on. It was enormous - about the size of a 1980's Charolais bull . It was covered in what looked like blonde dreadlocks from nose to tail. It had evil, lethal looking horns to impale you on.

OMG, murmured the worshippers, isn't he the most beautiful thing you've ever seen? How much for one of his lambs? £ 10000? . Can I have three please .

I merely curled my lip in silent contempt, but, as I turned to leave, I realised why this sheepie so chilled me - it had no eyes. I moved forward gingerly and with trembling fingers parted the copious fringe. The eyes of the Devil himself glittered menacingly back. He looked me up and down and hissed - " you can sod off commercial farmer, there is nothing for you here, for I am worth 100 times more than your lambs are, so you can kiss my, admittedly wooly, ass. "

That put me in my place, I can tell ye. :(
 
That was just part of it. A friend who had kept goats (for milk) for years, pointed out that goats hate the rain and would need shelter, so not ideal for the Scottish climate.

Also, the fibre grows according to the available food, so sparse grazing as in the Middle East grows the finest fibre, not Scotland!

New Zealand had discovered the above, plus a lot more.

I don't know who sold the idea to Scotland and who then encouraged the payment of grants, but as one market collapsed, the UK one grew. Maybe it was some brilliant form of overseas aid? You never know with bureaucrats. Genius PR whoever thought it up! I'll bet the Afghanis and Kashmiries were pleased!

But the Highlands and Islands Development Board were good. I even got a grant to import a gundog!:)
This is how I remember it went. I think a lot of people failed to do their research. :facepalm:Today, you would just Google them and promptly throw that idea out of the window :D.

We were a simple people back then .....:facepalm:
 
Have to say the weather never bothered them to much as he and others had a lot of feral goats to breed up as this was the way the Ag collages were advising , they even had a large herd at Sourhope and held open days . The problem was as you say the amount and QUALITY of fibre . Have to say baby goats beat lambs on cuteness and these little things popped out and latched onto teats like on the old shorthorn cow I learned to hand milk on , and bloody lambs struggle with a teat less than a half that size
 

delilah

Member
Nah. Govt doesn't bother checking up on you unless you're claiming subs.

If you were found doing something wrong, it'd cost them to get a fine out of you... if you claim subs they just dock your next payment - easy money.

they get to you in the end; we get no sfp and had our first inspection last month after 10 years of trading. Luckily it was a foul day and the chap wasn't overly keen on getting out of the van to look at ear tags and the like.
 

Highland Mule

Member
Livestock Farmer
they get to you in the end; we get no sfp and had our first inspection last month after 10 years of trading. Luckily it was a foul day and the chap wasn't overly keen on getting out of the van to look at ear tags and the like.

I had an inspection a few years ago whilst claiming minimal SFP. After successful completion, the auditor told me she was being lenient on a few technicalities and could have fined me 3% of my claim. "what, £20-odd quid" I asked, at which point the conversation ended abruptly...
 

newbie

Member
Location
Lancashire
They are nice looking sheep and most definitely have appeal but I would be concerned about their welfare going forward.
I imagine they are high maintenance with all that wool. Apparently they need shearing twice a year as their fleece grows up to 12inches a year. They could very quickly turn into a maggoty mess if sold as 'lawn mowers' to the inexperienced :unsure:
 

unlacedgecko

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Fife
They are nice looking sheep and most definitely have appeal but I would be concerned about their welfare going forward.
I imagine they are high maintenance with all that wool. Apparently they need shearing twice a year as their fleece grows up to 12inches a year. They could very quickly turn into a maggoty mess if sold as 'lawn mowers' to the inexperienced :unsure:

They are the alpacas of the future...
 

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