Keeping Sheep - what breed

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GrannieAnnie

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Re: Keeping Sheep - what breed
« Reply #45 on: September 12, 2010, 21:46 »
We watched Countryfile tonight, and the man who lives on Ramsey Island said you need something hardy when you live in Wales.  Because of the harsh winters.   He rears Welsh Mountain Sheep!

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spottymint

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Re: Keeping Sheep - what breed
« Reply #46 on: September 13, 2010, 16:53 »

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John

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Re: Keeping Sheep - what breed
« Reply #47 on: September 13, 2010, 17:23 »

Not a sheep keeper, just branched into reptiles.  ???

Err, we're talking N Wales - not Jurassic park :)

Besides, I'm pretty sure sheep are easier than velociraptors!
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noshed

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Re: Keeping Sheep - what breed
« Reply #48 on: September 13, 2010, 21:32 »
Will you need a dog or will the cats just branch out a bit?
Self-sufficient in rasberries and bindweed. Slug pellets can be handy.

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John

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Re: Keeping Sheep - what breed
« Reply #49 on: September 13, 2010, 23:54 »
Squeak will hiss them into place - just like he does me!

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arugula

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Re: Keeping Sheep - what breed
« Reply #50 on: September 14, 2010, 07:15 »
Perhaps a sheepcat is called for?

:)
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Iain@JBA

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Re: Keeping Sheep - what breed
« Reply #51 on: September 16, 2010, 20:35 »
I have got a Zwartable coming next week so I will be able to give you more info soon John.
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Kate and her Ducks

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Re: Keeping Sheep - what breed
« Reply #52 on: September 22, 2010, 10:38 »
My aunt keeps Shetland sheep in north Wales.

They are a small breed and very independent so not a huge amount of day to day work. She kept them as they have fantastic fleeces and she is a spinner. The boys go in the freezer and are very tasty and she sent off their skins to be tanned which were absolutely wonderful.
Before she lived there my Grandad kept Jacobs on the same land but they were more pets and lawnmowers.
Be like a duck. Calm on the surface but always paddling like the dickens underneath.

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John

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Re: Keeping Sheep - what breed
« Reply #53 on: September 22, 2010, 10:55 »
You'll have to introduce us to your Auntie when you come over. :)

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Iain@JBA

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Re: Keeping Sheep - what breed
« Reply #54 on: September 22, 2010, 20:15 »
I got the Zwartable and the first thing he did was escape :D
I thought here we go but I saw him in the field next door and shouted over to him.
He just trotted back to the fence and jumped through the hole. Ideal sheep if you ask me.

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John

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Re: Keeping Sheep - what breed
« Reply #55 on: September 22, 2010, 22:49 »
Do they sit, beg and roll over?  :D

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Iain@JBA

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Re: Keeping Sheep - what breed
« Reply #56 on: September 23, 2010, 17:58 »
Not yet but I will see what can be done :D

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bownty

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Re: Keeping Sheep - what breed
« Reply #57 on: September 23, 2010, 22:17 »
HEBRIDEAN!!!! You wont be disappointed. I can give you loads of info. I wish I had more land to keep more(I run 30) I had nearly 200 last year(inc lambs) but found it stressfull goiung to work as well so decided to limit my self sensibly to 30. Get Hebs You will love them!!!
KJB

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sion01

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Re: Keeping Sheep - what breed
« Reply #58 on: October 29, 2010, 17:47 »
If you are living 600 feet up in North Wales then welsh mountaine sheep are your best bet.They are very thrifty sheep that won't need any suplimentary feeding in winter .If you mate them with a welsh mountain ram they will lamb easily which is something you have to seriously think about if you have no experiance of lambing,they also have a great mothering instinct.
If you don't want the hassle of shearing you could consider easycare sheep.They have no fleece just corse hair and so blow fly strike is something that you won't have to worry about.
I was a bit sceptical about the name easycare but my nephew has 50 of them and they realy are.They lamb as easily as some other sheep fart :tongue2:.But they are a bit more expensive than welsh mountain.I have experiance of soay sheep and a lot of running about is what I recall because they don't flock as stated in an earlier post.

If you like something a bit more fancy then the standard welsh mountain you can have the black welsh mountain,improved welsh mountain,south wales type and badger faced which is very popular with smallholders.

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John

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Re: Keeping Sheep - what breed
« Reply #59 on: October 29, 2010, 19:36 »
Wow! What a choice. The local farmer's collected his sheep now - it's incredible how that dog worked. I asked if he needed any help and he said 'No thanks, the dog will get them' - he just stood and whistled / shouted and the dog had them rounded up and in the trailer. I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd shut the door and driven the land rover at this point :)

Today I think we need heavy sheep - the lighter ones are being blown off in the wind!



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