sheep and horses pros & cons

P

pipstar

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 March 2010
Messages
132
Visit site
Hi

My field has gone from 5 ponies to 2! I seem to be drowning in weeds,buttercups and thistles.

I have been considering getting some sheep for a while and have done lots of research on the net.

I have never owned sheep before and I guess a few of you already do this so I was wondering if you could give me an insight in to what I am getting myself in to.

Any advice pros & cons gratefully received.

x
 
Sheep are fab for clearing fields and encourageing dense grass growth. A farmer used to put his sheep on our fields and the fields were great after.
As for owning sheep. They are a nighmare in my opinion and i would not give a home to one if begged. I know a few sheep farmers and the sheep often have something wrong.
I would try offering free grazeing for however long it takes to get your field in shape:)
 
our two are out with sheep as the sheep eat anything and the horses are picky by nature- unless you loan them from a farmer, you will need to have a fair bit of info. on sheep care!
 
Sheep are great & actually make lovely pets, we had a little ewe lamb for a while & she was such a funny thing, she used to play fetch with the dogs & liked cat crunchies & marmite on toast, sadly we lost her when she about 8months old when was attacked by a dog. The main thing you need to bear in mind is do your horses get on with sheep, my partners gelding is a nightmare with sheep, he killed 2 lambs this year & chased them constantly (obviously he was moved once we realised he was a problem). You will also need to consider whether you want ones that shed their fleece or if you are happy to get someone out to shear them, as you most definately dont want maggoty sheep...nothing worse that a sheep with fly strike! If it were me id look for some orphan lambs & hand rear them, that way it should make it easier for you to do things with them, but then if your intending to eat them definitely dont do this lol! Good luck!
 
If your fencing is decent for sheep (ie wire mesh) then you could offer grazing, much easier. You will still need to get an agric holding number tho, tho thats just a phone call.

If you get your own then you will get a lot of pleasure from them altho some work. Ideally they dont go in with the horses but rotate with them, this maximises the very significant reduction in horse worm burden (the horse worms are different to sheep ones and each type cant survive in the others bodies!). That benefit alone, plus the free application of low strength fertiliser (similar to horse manure but spread in ready application sprinkles!) on top of the weed control makes them brilliant for rotating.

If they are going to eat the weeds and control them, they need to be made to graze quite hard, so you can use electric netting to 'fold' them into a smaller area and then keep moving them on.

A lot of sheep diseases and problems are to do with lambing, if you have a group of young healthy ones you are not breeding from then you should not have as many issues.
I started out with 6 Shetlands for grazing with my horses and now have 28....incl a ram....love em! Shetlands are reknowned like most primitive breeds as wild and escapologists but mine have been fine with normal fencing and electric netting. Only once has one got out, and then she came to find me to ask why their sheep nuts were late...:-). They need hay and a few nuts in the winter (esp when deep snow), and you do need to ear tag them (with electronic tag, madness!) and trim their feet every couple of months.
 
Good point navaho on the getting on bit, I wouldnt risk either of mine with the sheep in the field together, esp not lambs or pregnant ewes. Quite a lot of horses kill them, altho some are fine.

Re the shearing, I did the 6 last year with hand shears which are about £15. Hard work but not complicated. Got 20 to do this year so have bought sheep blades for the horse clippers; we'll see if the clippers are up to it!
 
U guys r always so great!

L&M I had been looking at Shetlands they look gorgeous!, We have some sheep fencing and electric fencing too and I was thinking of rotating them with the ponies and not together, I couldn't bear them getting hurt.

Right looks like my DH will have to sort some more sheep fencing out in the other paddocks oh he will love me for that.......

I have looked up on Agricultural license, doesn't look too complex, I can get sheep nuts easily and I have a haybarn full of hay anything else I need?

How do I trim their feet? I have visions of them tied up in a headcollar and me saying 'up' to them! lol

I have a sheep farmer about 5 mins away from me I might ask if I can borrow a couple for a little while.

Anyone else any cons?

thanks to you all.

x
 
pipstar said:
How do I trim their feet? I have visions of them tied up in a headcollar and me saying 'up' to them! lol

I have a sheep farmer about 5 mins away from me I might ask if I can borrow a couple for a little while.

Anyone else any cons?

thanks to you all.

x
Click to expand...

To trim feet - you need feet trimmers (kind of scissors) or a hoof knife, my vote goes for lamb feet trimmers as they are lighter and easier to use than the ''grown up'' ones, they cost about £15 from any agri merchant:)
You turn the sheep upside down and sit it in front of you, facing away from you, you pick each foot and trim everything that is overgrown - it's not difficult and really easy to spot what to cut. You need to look between ''fingers'' and if any grottiness, spray it with a foot rot spray or just a general antiseptic/purple spray. I trim mine 2-3 times a year.

Another care things:
- spraying for fly strike (Crovect) or dipping, again, spraying is loads easier:) I do it as soon as it gets warm enough for flies (end April/May), the spray lasts for about 3-4 weeks and then the sheep are shorn.
- you might want to consider Bluetongue vaccination
- worming - this can either be done by administering a wormer down each individual throat or by supplying magnesium/wormer lick, the latter is easier and has added benefit of supplement magnesium.

TBH sheep are easy to handle and don't take that much looking after, unless you are breeding, then the whole lambing malarkey does get you knackered, but still, better that than calving continental cattle:D
 
I would ask your farmer neighbour if he's got a few, will save alot of hassle as he will deal with shearing, feet and maggots etc
 
Some sheep got into our fields by accident, our horses got ticks in their ears from them so I'd say no to sheep
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top