Why I bred from a rare breed

[Coximus]

As many know and some have seen - I've been breeding up my shedding easycare composites from hebridean base stock - aiming to always preserve the longetivty, hard as nails in all weather's and feed conversion of poor forage traits while also seeking higher growth rates when put onto good gras....
Below is a pic of what happens to rushes now from sheep which are 1/8 heb, 1/8 tex 1/2 easycare 1/4 swale and then un the process of stabilising for my land.

 

[Danllan]

As many know and some have seen - I've been breeding up my shedding easycare composites from hebridean base stock - aiming to always preserve the longetivty, hard as nails in all weather's and feed conversion of poor forage traits while also seeking higher growth rates when put onto good gras....
Below is a pic of what happens to rushes now from sheep which are 1/8 heb, 1/8 tex 1/2 easycare 1/4 swale and then un the process of stabilising for my land.

My pure Easycares take rushes right down too.

 

[Coximus]

The first pure ec I got wouldn't touch them but they did come from a dairy... Maybe it is to do with the base stock bred up from?

 

[Gulli]

The first pure ec I got wouldn't touch them but they did come from a dairy... Maybe it is to do with the base stock bred up from?

It would more than likely be a learned behaviour passed down to lambs.

Had a ewe the other day that ate a thistle! She'd been on her back over night and that was the only thing she could reach while I was holding her up until the feeling came back into her leg.
Shame they won't all do it

 

[neilo]

Goats will eat all manner of weeds too I believe, not that anyone would dare to say that shedding sheep have any similarity to those creatures....

 

[Keepers]

I believe it’s more a learned behaviour, I have had shetlands from lowland stock not touch rushes/thistles/scrub and then shetlands from Shetland eat all of it..

My welsh ewes and charmoise ewes also will eat rushes/thistles as I guess it’s where they originally came from and would have learnt it

Equally I have an old texel/mule ewe who eats thistles and nettles like spaghetti, and so do her lambs each year... but I bet if I went and bought a load of the same way bred sheep they wouldn’t touch them

 

[Al R]

M

Goats will eat all manner of weeds too I believe, not that anyone would dare to say that shedding sheep have any similarity to those creatures....

My neighbour with 4 goats takes in Christmas trees in January/February and there isn’t much left within a few days...

I find welsh will thrive on poor PP where a texelX(1/4 welsh) would starve themselves and stand in the gate

 

[Paul E]

They may well eat them, but I can't see them getting fat off 'nowt but rushes and boulders'.
(unless they're gonna reseed the field for you with PRG &WWC)

 

[Coximus]

They may well eat them, but I can't see them getting fat off 'nowt but rushes and boulders'.
(unless they're gonna reseed the field for you with PRG &WWC)

I measure growth rates and yes on rushy yorkshire fog pasture lambs tend to be going at between 100-150g a day, vs 250+ on better ground, but the issue is they are converting forage on ground that cant easily be worked or improved, into growth, and they are using it when other stock wont even graze it.
They are also improving it.... by removing the rushes letting other grasses in.

 

[onesiedale]

I dream of breeding heifers that will eat docks and thistles all summer long!

. . . and plastic and string all winter!!

 

[Agrivator]

I dream of breeding heifers that will eat docks and thistles all summer long!

. . . and plastic and string all winter!!

But you would eventually run out of docks and thistles, so then what would you feed them on

 

[Paul E]

But you would eventually run out of docks and thistles, so then what would you feed them on

Plenty of bulls**t going around at the moment..........