Sheep Chat Thread

[chooks4life]

Quote: That's a very good idea.

I've noticed strength differences in different breed's teeth and hooves, and probably would do what you recommend so I don't discover any problems down the track.

 

[boogburr37]

Hey guys! Im looking into showing sheep (perferably a suffolk) and im a newbie. I have looked and looked for as much info as i can, the problem is, there just isnt much. So could i please have as much as i can on show sheep info! And also im going to keep it in my backyard, Which is about an acre and build it a nice stall thing. Is that crazy? Or would that work?

 

[chooks4life]

Quote: I don't show sheep, so don't have any real advice for you there.

About the backyard, it should work. Places around here are advertised as having "room for the horse and cow" --- when it's got two acres or so. You'll probably end up supplementary feeding to maintain health. What's your backyard like? Toxic plants?

Best wishes.

 

[AlienChick]

Hey guys! Im looking into showing sheep (perferably a suffolk) and im a newbie. I have looked and looked for as much info as i can, the problem is, there just isnt much. So could i please have as much as i can on show sheep info! And also im going to keep it in my backyard, Which is about an acre and build it a nice stall thing. Is that crazy? Or would that work?

Yes, that will work.
You should section off paddocks within the acre so you can rotate the sheep in order to minimize the worm load.
Learn all you can about showing Suffolks; talk to folks who are showing; go to the shows and meet the breeders.
Breeders will be more than pleased to share information.

 

[Penny Hen]

Hey guys! Im looking into showing sheep (perferably a suffolk) and im a newbie. I have looked and looked for as much info as i can, the problem is, there just isnt much. So could i please have as much as i can on show sheep info! And also im going to keep it in my backyard, Which is about an acre and build it a nice stall thing. Is that crazy? Or would that work?

Check with your County Agent at the Ag Department. 4H kids show Suffolks all the time. I started raising sheep when I was 35. My mentor in sheep was a 17 year old who bred and showed Romneys. Some of the top flocks of Romneys today trace to Nathan Fry's sheep.

Sounds weird to speak of someone younger than your self as you mentor and in the past tense. Nathan died last year at the age of 30 after battling Lymes disease and Rocky Mt. Spotted Tick Fever for 5 years. He didn't even get it from working with his sheep. He was kayaking on the Harpeth River. Know the symptoms of these 2 diseases and don't take the doctors word that it couldn't be RMST fever because the last time he checked the Center of Disease Control (whenever that was) it wasn't in your area. If you don't get treatment in 2 week period (actually both diseases), it will colonize in your brain and spinal cord. Only 5% of people even live through that. If you do you have only about 4 to 5 more years to live as you struggle to stay ahead of the disease which is painful and takes you down by inches.

Sorry. don't mean to depress you. I miss Nathan a lot. There were times I called him at 2 in the morning with a birthing crisis and he was there for me. My story is to point out that don't over look a good mentor because of age difference. Nathan had been raising sheep since he was 13. He had been homeschooled and by the time he was 20 had successfully run 5 different businesses. He regularly made a profit of $3,000+ a showing season. That didn't include sales from lambs just the show prizes. I hope you are lucky enough to find a similarly talented person what ever their age.

 

[Penny Hen]

Hey guys! Im looking into showing sheep (perferably a suffolk) and im a newbie. I have looked and looked for as much info as i can, the problem is, there just isnt much. So could i please have as much as i can on show sheep info! And also im going to keep it in my backyard, Which is about an acre and build it a nice stall thing. Is that crazy? Or would that work?

When you contact the County Ag department ask to talk to the person in charge of the 4H sheep. Tell them that you are wanting to start out showing but know nothing. Then volunteer to help with the program. Your contribution is to give an adult presence and general supervision to kids. This is always appreciated by the person in charge of the program. Then you soak up everything these kids already know and learn from watching and helping. A helping hand when getting a sheep onto a stand or "fluffing out the wool with cards (like the wire dog grooming brushes but larger) so they can trim them smooth and even. Washing, cleaning, dressing the sheep in coats to keep them clean. Keeping water for the sheep filled. Soak it all in. Revel in the kids enthusiasm.

I worked more with the 4H in the horse section because that is what my girls were interested in but I enjoyed hanging with some of the 4H sheep kids too. Most of the 4H kids are using meat breeds and I was raising wool sheep but there is still relevant things to learn from them. 4H shows are often run in conjunction with open shows like at the State Fairs. So you can get a chance to see both types of showing. The main difference is that 4H kids don't show rams only wethers (castrated) or ewes. In open shows they show rams and even have a flock category where you show a ram lamb and two ewe lambs. Open shows also break down classes by breed in more varieties. The 4H's biggest class is called Club Lamb and can be crossbreds the main factor is being a big meaty lamb with the correct conformation. You will learn how to score a sheep from them which is very important no matter what kind of sheep you breed. This is the skill of feeling through the wool down the backbone and ribcage and knowing if they are fat, just right, a little under or skinny. Always important to check that at least once per month to see if you need to worm more often or spot some other problem (like bad teeth) that are making them skinny. Or the opposite, they are too fat and you need to pull back on the groceries a bit.

I hope this is a little more informative than my last post. I usually push through when I lose someone for quite a while and then out of the blue something makes me realize how much I miss their presence.

 

[groverlvchx]

 

[Penny Hen]

Hey guys! Im looking into showing sheep (perferably a suffolk) and im a newbie. I have looked and looked for as much info as i can, the problem is, there just isnt much. So could i please have as much as i can on show sheep info! And also im going to keep it in my backyard, Which is about an acre and build it a nice stall thing. Is that crazy? Or would that work?

One other thing you being from Ky.
In Louisville starting this weekend is N.A.I.L.E. - North American International Livestock Exposition. The sheep section doesn't beguin until November 15 - 22, 2013. If you can at all go GO!!!!!!
You will learn more than you ever dreamed. This is the "World Champion" of Sheep Shows. Everyone who is anyone in sheep showing will be there. Take a camera. If you have to camp in a tent at the nearest State Park and drive in to Louisville (because all the hotels are booked) DO IT! Many different breeds of sheep will be their. Take a notebook to gather names and take notes. Furthermore people bring stock to sell too. The best from all over the country converges. If you already have the cash for your sheep set aside you will never get a better chance to get the best. If you don't have it ready then shop and see who wins and talk to them and get their information and see if you can come back next year and get something from them. People come from California, Oregon, Washington and Canada.

OK, I looked up the detailed schedule. Here is the date and times of the sheep sales. These are auctions I do believe, not private contract.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2013
10:00 a.m. Stars of Louisville Shropshire Sale - East Hall
12:30 p.m. Stars of Louisville Southdown Sale - East Hall
2:00 p.m. Stars of Louisville Dorper Sale - East Hall
3:30 p.m. North American International Suffolk Sale - East Hall
5:30 p.m. Maine Anjou Sale - South Wing
6:00 p.m. Stars of Louisville Tunis Sale - East Hall


Here is the times for the sheep shows including the Shropshires

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2013
8:00 a.m. Junior Breeding Sheep Show & Junior Supreme Champion Ewe Selection - South Wing


MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

8:00 a.m. National Southdown Show - South Wing
8:00 a.m. National Oxford Show- South Wing
11:00 a.m. National Maine Anjou & Maintainer Show - Coliseum
12:00 Noon North American Corriedale Show - South Wing
2:00 p.m. National Border Leicester Show - South Wing
3:30 p.m. National Border Cheviot Show - South Wing


TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2013

7:30 a.m. National 4-H Livestock Judging Contest - East Hall

8:00 a.m. National Hampshire Show - South Wing
8:00 a.m. North American International Tunis Show - South Wing
9:00 a.m. NAILE Wool Show - South Wing Lobby

1:00 p.m. All American Columbia Show - South Wing
3:00 p.m. NAILE Dorper/White Dorper Show - South Wing
4:30 p.m. E.H. Mattingly National Montadale Show - South Wing


WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2013

8:00 a.m. North American International Suffolk Show - South Wing
8:00 a.m. National Polled Dorset & Horned Dorset Show -South Wing

5:00 p.m. North American Cotswold Show - South Wing
5:00 p.m. NAILE Shetland Sheep Show - South Wing


WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2013

8:00 a.m. North American International Suffolk Show - South Wing
8:00 a.m. National Polled Dorset & Horned Dorset Show - South Wing
5:00 p.m. North American Cotswold Show - South Wing
5:00 p.m. NAILE Shetland Sheep Show - South Wing

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

8:00 a.m. National Shropshire Show - South Wing
8:00 a.m. Regional Natural Colored Show - South Wing
12:00 Noon National Lincoln Show - South Wing
1:30 p.m. Katahdin Show - South Wing

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2013
8:00 a.m. Rambouillet Show - South Wing
8:00 a.m. Romney Show - South Wing
11:00 a.m. Selection of Supreme Champion (Sheep Show) -South Wing

 

[WallabyOfChaos]

Hey guys! Im looking into showing sheep (perferably a suffolk) and im a newbie. I have looked and looked for as much info as i can, the problem is, there just isnt much. So could i please have as much as i can on show sheep info! And also im going to keep it in my backyard, Which is about an acre and build it a nice stall thing. Is that crazy? Or would that work?

Here is a good resource for general breed information on many different breeds of sheep, Suffolks included. If you like the blackfaced breeds then you may take a look at Hampshires and Shropshires as well. http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/sheep/
Personally, I like the Suffolks. Here is a picture of 4 commercial rams we picked up from a breeder near Sterling City, TX two years ago. We bred them to our Dorp-Croix hair ewes to get a really growthy smut-faced market lamb, and we liked their lambs a lot.

Husband said it was in poor taste to take a picture of black and white sheep in black and white.

This is the United Suffolk Sheep Association website: http://u-s-s-a.org/index.html
Here is their breeders list by state: http://u-s-s-a.org/breeders.html
These will be registered Suffolk sheep, not the "club lambs" that you may find in the 4-H/FFA market lamb classes at the county fair. If you are looking for club lambs for the market classes then your county agent, a local ag teacher, or a 4-H leader should be able to point you towards a reputable breeder.
The USSA website does have a classifieds section too.

The general rule for stocking rate is 6 to 10 ewes where you can put one cow. This varies based upon the size of your sheep, and the kind and quality of available forage. For example, a really weedy pasture that would have a decreased stocking rate for cattle would likely support an increased stocking rate for sheep. It is really tough to say whether cross fencing an acre is worth the effort. Again, it depends on the kind, quality, and quantity of forage you have. It is important to remember that a pasture or paddock needs to be left unstocked for at least 90 days (in warm, wet conditions) to be considered "clean" and relatively free of parasite eggs/larvae. The time frame will be longer for dry/drouthy conditions. This resting period is something to take in to consideration when planning for rotational grazing.

 

[chooks4life]

Quote: Thanks for sharing that, Penny Hen. It strikes a few chords with me. He sounds like a remarkable individual, sorry to hear of your loss (and his family's). He sounds like he packed a fair bit of living into his short lifetime. Certainly far more than some much older people I know.

Best wishes.