jodie3
Well-Known Member
We can't make it too easy for them though, they need a little challenge in life before the mint sauce calls them!
grazing sheep with horses- thoughts/opinions please? thankyou!
- Thread starter cumbriamax
- Start date
We can't make it too easy for them though, they need a little challenge in life before the mint sauce calls them!
coss
Well-Known Member
hahahaha
martlin
Well-Known Member
Just to add, you need to keep sheep away from horse feed as the level of copper in it are dangerous for ovines.
You need a CPH - holding number from RPA.
Flock number from Animal Health.
Second the Ryelands - although a pain in the backside as not that hardy, they are known as ''stay at home sheep'' for a reason
Zwartbles are gorgeous and I like mine very much, but they are rather lively, hohum.
You need a CPH - holding number from RPA.
Flock number from Animal Health.
Second the Ryelands - although a pain in the backside as not that hardy, they are known as ''stay at home sheep'' for a reason
Zwartbles are gorgeous and I like mine very much, but they are rather lively, hohum.
cumbriamax
Well-Known Member
I have shed that would serve as sheep shed for ryelands!
christi
Well-Known Member
Just be carefull with electric fencing and sheep , as 1 of our sheep got caught in my electric fence in 1 of my horse fields and died just a few weeks ago !
breezing
Well-Known Member
Thankyou Alec swan for your post ,I am a sheep farmer as well as a breeder of sport ponies ,too many people get sheep as they think they are easy and the poor sheep suffer from inexperience .i have just today helped a couple that bought sheep for their smallholding they know nothing about their welfare and it has taken me 3 days to shear their dirty backsides worm them wean the lambs and treat several that had maggots ,I dread to think what would have happened if they had had no help ,they have already had several die and suppose this is just what sheep do .People also assume that sheep can live on pony paddocks with no grass ,I have been asked often to put my flock on such paddocks what do thy think sheep live on ? They can be a huge asset where horses are kept but their welfare should not be compromised .
cumbriamax
Well-Known Member
thats awful Breezing
, hope they get better now
the lady who offered me some ryelands is a farmers daughter and she rescued the sheep from some-one who bught them to graze thier orchard and she says they could hardly walk when she got them with foot rot and had no relevant paperwork. its suprising how many animals end up like this, the lady I know has number of dogs , donkeys, sheep, poultry and a pig amongst other things nearly all of which she got free from people who paid good money for them but had no idea how to look after them.
, hope they get better nowthe lady who offered me some ryelands is a farmers daughter and she rescued the sheep from some-one who bught them to graze thier orchard and she says they could hardly walk when she got them with foot rot and had no relevant paperwork. its suprising how many animals end up like this, the lady I know has number of dogs , donkeys, sheep, poultry and a pig amongst other things nearly all of which she got free from people who paid good money for them but had no idea how to look after them.
CBFan
Well-Known Member
Sheep are great! live one minute, dead the next and for no apparent reason. no need for veterinary intervention required!
Jokes aside they are a very good mix with horses as they tend to eat everything i.e soured grass and weeds etc, they will even keep your hedgerows nice and trimmed, whereas horses are a lot more picky. they also don't poach the ground and instead tend to firm it up so you don't get the great big divvots you do with horses alone...
they do require worming and spraying for flystrike and of course sheering and feet trimming (for helth reasons rather than growth)
Jokes aside they are a very good mix with horses as they tend to eat everything i.e soured grass and weeds etc, they will even keep your hedgerows nice and trimmed, whereas horses are a lot more picky. they also don't poach the ground and instead tend to firm it up so you don't get the great big divvots you do with horses alone...
they do require worming and spraying for flystrike and of course sheering and feet trimming (for helth reasons rather than growth)
Gucci_b
Well-Known Member
I had a few sheep (well 40 of them) in my horses field over the summer, and the grass has come up lovely, really green and thick. The horses did'nt mind the sheep being there one little bit.. Great idea I think
Alec Swan
...
thats awful Breezing
the lady who offered me some ryelands is a farmers daughter and she rescued the sheep from some-one who bught them to graze thier orchard and she says they could hardly walk when she got them with foot rot and had no relevant paperwork. its suprising how many animals end up like this, the lady I know has number of dogs , donkeys, sheep, poultry and a pig amongst other things nearly all of which she got free from people who paid good money for them but had no idea how to look after them.
Whilst my last post was light hearted, I'm going to tell you, in the kindest way that I can, DON'T join their ranks. It's vital that you find a local shepherd, and seek their advice, before you take on the responsibility.
Remember one thing, no sheep ever died for NO reason.
Alec.
touchstone
Well-Known Member
Very wise words from Alec!
I often toyed with the idea of getting a few sheep, but after consideration decided against it, they are blooming hard work! As everyone else has said there is parasite control, foot trimming, shearing, watching for bloat etc etc and you have to catch the blooming things in the first place!
Now I have the best of both worlds and just borrow a few sheep over the summer months, it meant that the paddock was kept down and all I had to deal with was one sheep getting caught in sheep netting fencing and hanging herself, (she'd tried to eat the grass on the other side of the fence and twisted her head through the adjacent square of netting.) One who was a persistent muck heap scrambler to escape into the adjacent crop field; and the remainder, who all learned how to push through the gate into the hay shed and scoff all the hay, as well as pooing on it. They very thoughtfully opened it up the next day so that the overweight pony could also munch to her hearts content! That meant that the front of the hay shed was wired up with electric fencing like macrame and needed great acrobatic skills to get into it twice a day.
Then there is the empty sack phenomenon, I poo pick straight into empty sacks, which resulted in a herd of sheep coming at me from across the field all shouting and running hell for leather to get a feed, and lots of shoving and barging with a disgruntled poo picker and upturned barrow in the middle of them.
And one word of warning - never befriend a sheep with food - you are then the object of its desires and everything you carry is potentially food! On more than one occasion a ewe would wedge itself between my knees to get to a feed bucket knocking me flat on my back.
I do enjoy having them, but like grandchildren, it's great when I can hand them back!
I often toyed with the idea of getting a few sheep, but after consideration decided against it, they are blooming hard work! As everyone else has said there is parasite control, foot trimming, shearing, watching for bloat etc etc and you have to catch the blooming things in the first place!
Now I have the best of both worlds and just borrow a few sheep over the summer months, it meant that the paddock was kept down and all I had to deal with was one sheep getting caught in sheep netting fencing and hanging herself, (she'd tried to eat the grass on the other side of the fence and twisted her head through the adjacent square of netting.) One who was a persistent muck heap scrambler to escape into the adjacent crop field; and the remainder, who all learned how to push through the gate into the hay shed and scoff all the hay, as well as pooing on it. They very thoughtfully opened it up the next day so that the overweight pony could also munch to her hearts content! That meant that the front of the hay shed was wired up with electric fencing like macrame and needed great acrobatic skills to get into it twice a day.
Then there is the empty sack phenomenon, I poo pick straight into empty sacks, which resulted in a herd of sheep coming at me from across the field all shouting and running hell for leather to get a feed, and lots of shoving and barging with a disgruntled poo picker and upturned barrow in the middle of them.
And one word of warning - never befriend a sheep with food - you are then the object of its desires and everything you carry is potentially food! On more than one occasion a ewe would wedge itself between my knees to get to a feed bucket knocking me flat on my back.
I do enjoy having them, but like grandchildren, it's great when I can hand them back!