Does anyone have sheep?

[reindeerlover]

I was thinking of getting a couple of weanlings next year to grow for chops. How hard/easy is this? Do they get wormed/vaccinated etc if they are for eating? Can you just go to the markets and buy one like you would do a pony? Do they need any care that is specific to sheep? How long do they take to grow big enough? How much is slaughter and butchering etc?

P.s Extended trot is pretty.

 

[Cuppatea]

I was thinking of getting a couple of weanlings next year to grow for chops. How hard/easy is this? Do they get wormed/vaccinated etc if they are for eating? Can you just go to the markets and buy one like you would do a pony? Do they need any care that is specific to sheep? How long do they take to grow big enough? How much is slaughter and butchering etc?

P.s Extended trot is pretty.

if they are 'weanlings' and dont need milk and you have an airtiht field then its easy.
If they are molly lambs and you have to feed them or if you have even slightly suspect fencing, its hard!

One of the hardest things will be NOT naming them and taking them to the abbetoir..... If you cant do this bit, dont get them at all!

 

[reindeerlover]

if they are 'weanlings' and dont need milk and you have an airtiht field then its easy.
If they are molly lambs and you have to feed them or if you have even slightly suspect fencing, its hard!

One of the hardest things will be NOT naming them and taking them to the abbetoir..... If you cant do this bit, dont get them at all!

Molly lambs? Like orphaned ones? I think if I had to bottle feed them they would become pets so prob best to wait til they are weaned I expect, or even enough to be bucket fed (or is that just calves? ) I will be able to take them to the factory, I'm not that soft although making sure nobody names them may be troublesome.... I have a small paddock next to my fields that I thought I could sheep fence for them- it's meant to be a "starvation paddock" but it's a bit too big and the grass is a bit too good

When you say it's easy is it just a matter of sticking them in the field and waiting til they have eaten enough??

P.s Haylage is great

 

[iconique]

We are looking at doing this early next year, the first thing we have done is apply for a holding number (CHP), its the Rural payments agency you contact for this. Then you contact animal health who will ask you some questions, they then give you a flock number, then you need to find the sheep! Bit of a palava but we want some easy to keep rare breed type and have some serious fence work to do next!

 

[mon]

will need a holding number and check what ear tags needed EID ones if not on holding of birth, worming a couple of times and prehaps a pour on fly treatment, most lambs go 6-9 mths of age slaughterhouses to kill an cut up around £25 and suitable trailer to take to abatoir friend took them in back of pick up and ministry man said not suitable silly man, whereabouts are you? I took 30 to abatoir this week not gruesome,

 

[lizness]

I should think to have sheep you would need a farm holding number (name escapes me) to comply with the many forms. You can buy them from auctions, simular to horse ones

 

[reindeerlover]

Aha! I know there would be some red tape somewhere! Don't they have to be ear tagged already if they are at market though? Do they get on together or should they be from the same flock? Surely they can't bite....?

Great info, thanks folks I'd best start organising. I'm In Buckinghamshire- not far from Thame market, I think they do a livestock sale there (I am bound to look like a starey eyed fool the first time I go, never been to a real farmy sheep sale!)