Sheep Chat Thread

[chooks4life]

Some good photos on this site of some not often seen breeds of sheep (and goats) --- some quite strange ones too.
Quote:

 

[Miggea]

I'm trying to convince the hubby that we should get a couple sheep so you guys aren't helping his no's!! hahaha I want to get a one ram and one ewe for now, preferably a black faced scottish ram and a milk/wool mixed ewe.

 

[TwinWillowAcres]

@Miggea what would be the goal for your flock? The two breeds you selected are very different.

 

[Miggea]

Since I don't have the space/resources to really care for more than 4 sheep I wanted a pair that would cover all the "the bases" so to speak. Ewe for milk primarily and a ram for meat/wool so that any offspring I keep would probably be for slaughter but I could keep if I needed it to to be an all around sheep.

 

[Miggea]

Also I love horned rams and those Scottish Black Face are freaking awesome looking... but thats just me hahaha

 

[TwinWillowAcres]

You can butcher any sheep you want. But if you have room for four sheep, I would get a Texel or Southdown ram (for siring heavy muscled lambs) and then for your ewes I would get either a Dorset or an East Frieisan for your milk production and depending on the type of wool you want to produce, a Merino (fine), Rambouillet (fine), Border Leicester (long), Bluefaced Leicester (long), Scottish Blackface (carpet), Karakul (carpet), Cheviot (medium), or Montadale (medium) ewe.

The problem with using dairy genetics also for wool production is that they put so much of the nutrition they consume into their milk production that their wool quality lacks severely, with many breaks in the wool. The adult sheep are what you are going to shear and get the wool off of, so depending on how much wool you want each year, choose 1-2 (the ewe and/or the ram) with the fleece qualities you like.

 

[TwinWillowAcres]

Check out my sheep breed selector:

http://www.selectsmart.com/plus/select.php?url=sheepbreed (lists common breeds)
http://www.selectsmart.com/plus/select.php?url=uncommonsheep (lists uncommon breeds)

 

[Miggea]

I have room for four but I really only wanted to start with 2 for now and see how it went lol I also live in the maritimes of Canada so I don't have access to a LOT of breeds unless I go hunting in the other provinces nearby so I don't know how many breeds I have ready access to but I will definitely use your site/info to make sure I make the right choice before I get my sheep A year or two away at least for me so lots of time to research. I just love the look of the black faced scottish so much but if they wouldn't be useful I cant REALLY justify it haha

 

[Penny Hen]

Check out my sheep breed selector:

http://www.selectsmart.com/plus/select.php?url=sheepbreed (lists common breeds)
http://www.selectsmart.com/plus/select.php?url=uncommonsheep (lists uncommon breeds)

That was cool I took the uncommon one and came up with California Red first and Clun Forest second. I think the Clun Forest is sooo cool looking!

 

[TwinWillowAcres]

Anyone else breeding their sheep? I have six ewes due between Feb 25 and Mar 4 & then a couple ewe lambs about a week or two later.