Sheep Chat Thread

[Acresofchickens]

You guys seem pretty smart so I have question for you. I was told that Shetland sheep are jumpy. So I was wondering. What exactly jumpy in sheep talk? Is it the same as goat? My meaning is: are they literaly jumping? Or are they skittish?

 

[BigGFarms]

Shetlands are very skittish if not handled OFTEN. The ones I shear are handled pretty regularly but still seem to be quite crazy come shearing time.

 

[WallabyOfChaos]

Hi everyone! I would love to join this thread too, if you don't mind. We raise commercial hair sheep in Texas. The drought put us out again last year and we had to sell out our flock of Dorp-Croix ewes, but we are back in again this year with a mixed flock. They are just a hodge-podge mix with a few fullblood Barbado and Painted Desert ewes up to some higher percentage Dorper ewes, and everything in between.

Here is a picture of a few of last year's ewe lambs out of our Dorp-Croixs:

 

[SilkiesForEver]

Hi everyone! I would love to join this thread too, if you don't mind. We raise commercial hair sheep in Texas. The drought put us out again last year and we had to sell out our flock of Dorp-Croix ewes, but we are back in again this year with a mixed flock. They are just a hodge-podge mix with a few fullblood Barbado and Painted Desert ewes up to some higher percentage Dorper ewes, and everything in between.

Here is a picture of a few of last year's ewe lambs out of our Dorp-Croixs:

Beautiful ewes! They look so happy in that grass!

 

[ScottnLydia]

Hey Wallabyofchaos, first of all, welcome! Second, I have to ask, just how big are those Painted Desert sheep? There is a fella a couple of hundred miles from here that has some young rams for sale. I'm looking for good carcass size and meat quality, not necessarily horns. I haven't been having much luck finding any Dorper or Dorp-Croix rams like I want.

I have a feeling that they were bred for horns at the expense of body size, was I right?

As for this drought, this year is looking even worse for us where we are. Our snowpack (source of water for the year) is only 60% of normal. We depend on the snow melt to fill the reservoirs and the rivers. We only get 6 to 8 inches of precipitation a year, so everyone irrigates, if they can. Last year, no-one could! In the past 2 years, our hay prices have gone from $2.50 a bale to $15.00. FORGET GOLD, INVEST IN HAY!!!

 

[SilkiesForEver]

Just went out to find a new baby ram lamb!! Didn't have my camera, so I'll get pics later.
Also, we found an unexpected......... baby goat!!!!! I never ever thought my doe was pregnant!! But we have a lovely little gray/white/black doeling!

 

[WallabyOfChaos]

Hey Wallabyofchaos, first of all, welcome! Second, I have to ask, just how big are those Painted Desert sheep? There is a fella a couple of hundred miles from here that has some young rams for sale. I'm looking for good carcass size and meat quality, not necessarily horns. I haven't been having much luck finding any Dorper or Dorp-Croix rams like I want.

I have a feeling that they were bred for horns at the expense of body size, was I right?

As for this drought, this year is looking even worse for us where we are. Our snowpack (source of water for the year) is only 60% of normal. We depend on the snow melt to fill the reservoirs and the rivers. We only get 6 to 8 inches of precipitation a year, so everyone irrigates, if they can. Last year, no-one could! In the past 2 years, our hay prices have gone from $2.50 a bale to $15.00. FORGET GOLD, INVEST IN HAY!!!

Invest in hay, lol. That's how it is here too. You all to the north got the worst of the drought this past year. Even though we were still "exceptional" drought in 2012, 2011 was the really tough year here. We ended up with 8 1/2 inches of precipitation for the whole year then, and I think our normal is somewhere around 20. I think we have been downgraded a ways on the drought monitor this year.

As for the Painted Deserts, you have it right. They are being bred primarily for color and horns. The basis for the Painted Desert is the "Barbado," which typically isn't very big. I think the ewes we have probably weigh about 75 to 90 pounds. These are south Texas ewes though, so they are going to be a bit more on the wirey side. They aren't bad sheep though - good mothers for the most part, prolific, and super tough. We only buy the ewes though and always breed them to fullblood Dorpers, just to get a more desirable market lamb. The only thing I would caution people about the Painted Deserts is that those color genetics are absolutely hardwired into the breed. Even bred to fullblood Dorpers these ewes can throw ridiculously painted lambs of just about any color imaginable. Neat to look at, but not so neat when you get the check on them.

Your profile says you are in southern Colorado. How far are you from Texas? We know a gentleman in the southern panhandle that has some nice Dorp-Croixs and sells his commercial ram lambs at a very reasonable price. I have a picture of some that we bought from him last year if you would like to see them.

 

[Acresofchickens]

Welcome to our chat thread! I would love to have you join. Sorry about the droughts though. Our hay prices have always seemed pretty high where I live... But it has been surprisingly warm up here in the northwest. Washington rain sure does wash out your pasture.. UG! Wet dirty sheep...

 

[Acresofchickens]

It won't let me edit my first post so... Do not feel like I don't want to add you as a member just having some problems with tthe page.

 

[BigGFarms]

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