Sheep and horses

I have a soft spot for sheep dating from a childhood of feeding pet lambs. However, we used to let our hay fields for winter grazing and I seemed to spend the whole time rescuing the bu**ers from the unsuitable places they'd got themselves into. Honestly they do have a death wish :oops:
Oh and they were always getting into my garden :mad:
 
We had Soays for about 5 years. They came running for their feed, but try catching one and it ran away as fast as it could. They do NOT flock together but scatter, and think all human contact is to be avoided because they are next for the pot. They make lovely, lean lamb when they are there.
They need catching up regularly in order to be wormed, to have their feet trimmed, and to be plucked in summer as the coat gets very ragged, it can only be used to make felt.
Personally I'd choose another breed. Oh, and don't forget you will have to register your land and sheep with DEFRA, so a whole new realm of paperwork to enter into.
 
SlinkyMinxy said:
You must have particularly well-behaved Dartmoors then! I did grass keep for the neighbouring farmer's Dartmoor sheep when I first moved here and they were forever escaping. They perfected the art of climbing the bank between the fields and then diving between the top of the stock netting and the upper strand of plain wire in order to escape, I used to watch them do it. One morning I came out and found about 6 of them up in a tree..... Someone later told me that Dartmoor sheep come with their own grappling irons!
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Haha ours are far too lazy to do that. They whiteface dartmoors are quite athletic, not sure our fat ladies would be up to climbing trees they don't tend to range more than a few hundred meters from their favourite spot
 
Thanks everyone. Sounds like soays are out, due to jumping ability! I had a lovely image of halter training the new sheep - sounds like zwartbles might do this... but they look quite big and I have three acres for my horse, mini Shetland and the sheep (although everyone gets hay over autumn / winter). Maybe will see if I stop missing our sheep and be happy to borrow some... the sheep stories are putting me off, clearly we had well behaved sheep :).
 
Leam_Carrie said:
Thanks everyone. Sounds like soays are out, due to jumping ability! I had a lovely image of halter training the new sheep - sounds like zwartbles might do this... but they look quite big and I have three acres for my horse, mini Shetland and the sheep (although everyone gets hay over autumn / winter). Maybe will see if I stop missing our sheep and be happy to borrow some... the sheep stories are putting me off, clearly we had well behaved sheep :).
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Zwartbles are lovely but very big and heavy so you need to be very tactical when turning them to do feet etc.

We've never had issues with behaviour with Charolais, South Downs or ryelands really.

Your hill breeds tend to be more independent and wild
 
The only time my Zwartbles get turned over is when the chap comes to clip them. I stand them on a ledge and pick the feet up like the ponies. The current advice is not to trim feet at all.
 
rabatsa said:
The only time my Zwartbles get turned over is when the chap comes to clip them. I stand them on a ledge and pick the feet up like the ponies. The current advice is not to trim feet at all.
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With the more flighty ones (although that is only 2/3 in a flock of 20) it's quicker and easier to turn them than have them throwing themselves on the floor from stress, I'm interested in the reasoning for no foot trimming though?
 
Apparently sheep feet have a couple of growth periods a year and then wear down before growing again. Trimming damages the hoof allowing bacteria in and making them prone to foot diseases and foot shears transmit disease. My vets had a sheep keepers evening and we were told to chuck the foot shears and to know what we were treating when there were any lame sheep.
 
Leam_Carrie said:
We inherited two elderly sheep as tenants on our horses field. Sadly they have passed on. Having them convinced us of the value of sheep to manage the pasture. So now we are thinking of getting some. Any advice?

We don’t want to breed or eat them. So I’m thinking a pair / trio of wethers? Saw some soay sheep advertised which look easy to keep - any thoughts? Or for looks am quite attracted to the herdwicks...
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I have Soay sheep and would say they are fairly easy, but as they age their fleece doesn’t shed on its own - we’ve had to round them up and shear them.
They do a fab job of neatly trimming and fertilising grazing.
Re fencing, mine are very respectful but will jump if they can clear the height (4 ft ish).
Rounding them up takes a lot of routine of feeding in the same place and sneaky moves to shut them in. I’ve been known to hide, holding a transparent washing line tied to the open gate... waiting for them to get stuck in to some feed so I can do a mouse trap style sheep capture!! They scatter if you try to herd them, so my collie just waits at the gate!
All in all, they’re very sweet looking but given that their main feature is shed themselves - they don’t plus they still need their feet trimming and bums checking for fly. Hope that helps :)
 
I have 3 very friendly hebridean ewes I'm considering selling if your anywhere near Cheshire/merseyside. They are extremely hardy as a breed (although mine would rather be in when the weathers bad 🤦‍♀️) they eat weeds before they eat grass and they are very beautiful with their piercing amber eyes against the black fleece
 
We have one sheep at our yard, she was brought over by a livery who was doing work experience lambing and she was an orphan sheep so the yard raised her. She is hilarious but an absolute eating machine, you have to watch your horses' feed if she's around as she will literally run at it. You also have to make sure the riding school kids put their lunches over any height she can get to otherwise she will eat it. I've caught her eating a chocolate orange before... consequently she is rather fat so doesn't do any jumping but she is very tame and will come over for a scratch. She will also shout at anyone who she sees when she wants to go through a gate!

I have no idea what breed she is but I love having her around, even when she's being a pain! Her name is Violet, here's some photos of her...
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PapaverFollis said:
Oh I really want some sheep now. But every farmer I've ever spoken to has said "don't do it! They make you work really hard and then they die for no reason"
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Sheep farmers do say that but when you really get to know a small number of sheep, you can tell when they are 'off colour'. Not that there's much you can do about it because there isn't much medication that's licensed for sheep :(
 
I am fairly new to sheep. Have 4 Southdowns .Yes they do like to plot how to die unexpectedly for no reason. And love to get their heads stuck in safe sheep proof fencing ! However, get to know them. Have a good worming regime. Have a friendly sheerer and lots of time. Train them to come to the bucket so you can stable them and do health checks. Fly strike is your biggest enemy, sheep are the only animal that are easier to care for in the winter rather than summer. Just to add, there are some great petrol mowers out there...😁
 
rowan666 said:
I have 3 very friendly hebridean ewes I'm considering selling if your anywhere near Cheshire/merseyside. They are extremely hardy as a breed (although mine would rather be in when the weathers bad 🤦‍♀️) they eat weeds before they eat grass and they are very beautiful with their piercing amber eyes against the black fleece
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They sound lovely, we’re in Warwickshire so a bit far. Just googled them, how striking... not sure I could cope with double horns...
 
Used to have Wiltshire Horn and they were lovely. Didn't ever escape, easy to tame and didn't have to be shorn!! Had them as grass improvers for the horses which worked perfectly. They do have horns, obviously, but useful for giving the terriers a nudge from time to time so no bad thing! I would have them again in a heartbeat if I ever have any land again. My friend has easy care sheep but they are more reticent than the Wiltshire Horn.
 
I am the proud owner of over 1000 sheep (for my sins lol) and would definitely suggest either Wiltshire Horn or Easycares. Shearers hate tiny flocks with a passion and if you have woolly sheep it will be an annual ballache getting them shorn plus the risk of flystrike which is horrific if you don't spot it instantly. Ideally attach yourself to a nearby sheep farmer and piggyback off their routine worming and vaccination schedule - we have a friend who does this with us and it saves her a fortune buying meds off us at bulk prices instead of having to, say, buy a litre of wormer for 6 x 10ml doses or a 25 dose bottle of vaccine to end up throwing away 3/4 of it!
 
My sheep have been surprisingly easy (so far) but my sheep shearer is a lovely man and always available for advice.
Now, when he shears he does a fly strike treatment which lasts for the summer 6months and has worked so far (I think you can only use it in pets not ones you plan to eat shortly). They mainly self trim but are easy to trim if needed and his view is that as I cross graze with horses worming is unnecessary - but do a worm count if any concerns.
Currently clicker training them to lift feet if necessary!!
PS a word of warning, the oldest pet sheep he shears is 17yo 😬
 
It really rather depends on whether you want ‘pretty’ sheep or some that will do the job..texel crosses, ask your local farmer next spring if he has some orphan lambs for sale, keep petting them etc and they will be easy to handle when you need to. Foot trimming,(yes they do need trimming, the hoof curls over underneath and traps dirt n such underneath) worming and shearing all needed, a bit of shelter (yes they do like a field shelter, my horses never used theirs, the tups used it all the time). If there’s enough grazing, they shouldn’t really jump out, however a wee gap in the fencing or hedging and they’ll find it! Good luck, I love sheep and miss lambing all 500 of them 😳😂
 
I keep my ponies on a sheep farm, there must be well over 1000 sheep. They do compliment the grazing beautifully and we have lovely turf as a consequence. The farmer keeps all sorts, and I can't name the breeds, but I can definitely say that the smaller they are the more athletic/naughty/independent they are!
I find that when the lambs are getting big and boisterous our electric fencing, set high enough to keep ponies in but sheep can go underneath, is one of the first things to suffer.
We have walls rather than hedges and I have seen sheep scale walls that have lost a couple of stones at the top and before you know it you have a tsunami of sheep all following on and a fallen wall 10 feet across.
The farmer uses a travelling band of New Zealand shearers who turn up for the day and in the summer and shear them all. They are a bit rough looking but my god they are fast. I think they must just come over to the UK for the shearing season then go back.
 
My only exposure to sheep is livestock at fiber festivals, so obviously not an expert here. However, at the last festival there were some Gotland sheep that were incredibly friendly, really almost like large happy dogs.
 
If you have sheep you'll need a holding number and ear tags (and the tagging thingy to fix them). You have to notify the authorities when you move the sheep, years ago it was by post (notification by post, not moving the sheep:rolleyes:), but I think now you can do it online.
 
PapaverFollis said:
Oh I really want some sheep now. But every farmer I've ever spoken to has said "don't do it! They make you work really hard and then they die for no reason"
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lol, yes - that can happen - although I confess when I bred Charollais and Lleyn, we had virtually NO unexplained deaths. Foxes on pregnant ewes getting cast got a few - and lost a few lambs beore I found a copper deficiency in the land (easily fixed.) But if you keep sheep, you do need to register. Read it at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/sheep-and-goat-keepers-register-your-holding-and-flock-or-herd

If you just rent grazing for a few months at a time to a local famer, he already has one and can just add your land as a location. Any breed is pretty easy to train to come to a bucket. Shearing, fly control, and feet (hard on the back) are the main things you HAVE to worry about.
 
D66 said:
If you have sheep you'll need a holding number and ear tags (and the tagging thingy to fix them). You have to notify the authorities when you move the sheep, years ago it was by post (notification by post, not moving the sheep:rolleyes:), but I think now you can do it online.
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Yes it can be done online, once you've got a cph number it's really easy to do
 
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