Zwartbles sheep

Conmaicne Mara

Anyone here got them? If 2014 goes OK for me I'd like to treat myself to maybe 5 ewes or ewe lambs. I think they are spectacular looking sheep. This intensive commercial craic I'm at has me longing for a hobby flock

Are there sales or shows people see them at regularly?

eire23

Bonniconlon show had a class for them this year and from what i can remember there was a good few in it, likewise for tullamore. I suppose if yer going buying a society sale would be the best place to go? Ya would want to get one wit the right kind of markings and id imagine any for sale at them sales would have been approved by the society? I could be completely wrong though.

Fine looking sheep alright, is there many breeders in the country?

Conmaicne Mara

eire23 wrote: »

Bonniconlon show had a class for them this year and from what i can remember there was a good few in it, likewise for tullamore.

Their nice looking sheep alright. Is their many breeders in the country?

There are a few, mostly small flocks. More up North proportionally to down here I think.

When is Bonniconlon on again, I must go check it out. Already planning on going down to Tullamore.

They had a stand at the ploughing, smashers of lambs in it, triplets, bigger than my ewes lol.

eire23

Bonniconlon is on on the monday of the agust bank holiday weekend.
Tis a good show in fairness, would be far more sheep at it than tullamore.

Persume they are a maternal breed?

tabby aspreme

Fine looking sheep, have seen them for sale on DD

jomoloney

go along to bonniconlon or tullamore and have a chat with some of the exhibitors,

not many in this area, but seen some crossbreds ok

derferjam

i have them and cross them with suffolk ewes to try give them fleshy as they are great milkers and mothers but hard to put flesh on them

dave66

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Anyone here got them? If 2014 goes OK for me I'd like to treat myself to maybe 5 ewes or ewe lambs. I think they are spectacular looking sheep. This intensive commercial craic I'm at has me longing for a hobby flock

Are there sales or shows people see them at regularly?

Have you checked http://zwartblesireland.com/

Conmaicne Mara

derferjam wrote: »

i have them and cross them with suffolk ewes to try give them fleshy as they are great milkers and mothers but hard to put flesh on them

Hi derferjam, are you only crossing Zwartbles rams onto suffolk ewes or do you have a Zwartbles ewe flock also? I have heard differing opinions both ways on fattening. I am thinking at this stage of starting a very small purebred flock.

dave66 wrote: »

Have you checked http://zwartblesireland.com/

Thanks dave, yes I've been on that site and by a stroke of luck met Suzanna Crampton at the Ploughing this year, held her up way too long asking a gazillion questions

eire23

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Hi derferjam, are you only crossing Zwartbles rams onto suffolk ewes or do you have a Zwartbles ewe flock also? I have heard differing opinions both ways on fattening. I am thinking at this stage of starting a very small purebred flock.

Tbh a lot depends on the type of ram you buy i think. Done similar to what you are thinking of doing last year con and bought some purebreds of another breed and was advised that they were hard fattened. Found that not to be the case but thats just my take on it.

ganmo

A neighbour of ours have a few of them. They are very leggy they grow their legs first.

a bit of background on the breed is that they're a dual breed...that is meat and milk.
And they colour all their lambs black no matter what the cross.

The hobby farmers over in the east seem to like them Jacob yolks

grassroot1

I fail to see what they bring to the sheep industry but each to their own. Some pedigree breeders of other breeds use crosses for embryo transfer dams maybe there is a marked there for them

derferjam

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Hi derferjam, are you only crossing Zwartbles rams onto suffolk ewes or do you have a Zwartbles ewe flock also? I have heard differing opinions both ways on fattening. I am thinking at this stage of starting a very small purebred flock.



Thanks dave, yes I've been on that site and by a stroke of luck met Suzanna Crampton at the Ploughing this year, held her up way too long asking a gazillion questions

I don't have a Zwartble flock I just put a ram to the suffolk to them to increase hardyness in the lambs and I find they get to their feet a lot quicker. Its also how surprising how little handling they need.
Purebred sheep is very hard work.

Conmaicne Mara

I've was looking at Jacobs earlier on in the year too. But, seeing as I'm only let have a few I'll go for the Zwartbles instead. They reckon you should buy things you like, and I like the Zwarts better. If things change I might try a few Jacobs for the craic.

Embryo transfer is something I must look into also.

The Zwartbles are supposed to be very easy lambing, which is an attraction as well. I've no experience really with purebreds or the work involved? Still wouldn't mind giving hem a bash.

eire23

derferjam wrote: »

Purebred sheep is very hard work.

Wouldn't agree with ya there. Have purebred sheep here and they get the exact same treatment as the commercial sheep. no extra work or minding on them.

randomperson12

zwartbles are nice sheep brown crossbred ones are nice too

dave747

http://www.donedeal.ie/sheep-for-sale/smashing-ewe-lambs/6176067

tabby aspreme

No demand for Jacob sheep except for hobby farmers they make small money in the marts

foxylock

tabby aspreme wrote: »

No demand for Jacob sheep except for hobby farmers they make small money in the marts

They are a nice looking sheep though. One or two in the flock would be no load, I've been promising myself that I'll treat myself to a couple of ewe lambs for a while.

Christ that sounds terrible!! But ya know what I mean ..... Don't ya:D:D

tabby aspreme

foxylock wrote: »

They are a nice looking sheep though. One or two in the flock would be no load, I've been promising myself that I'll treat myself to a couple of ewe lambs for a while.

Christ that sounds terrible!! But ya know what I mean ..... Don't ya:D:D

Its ok we believe you, its horned sheep you want not horny sheep

ganmo

eire23 wrote: »

Wouldn't agree with ya there. Have purebred sheep here and they get the exact same treatment as the commercial sheep. no extra work or minding on them.

That's the way it should be...no soft sheep with you

randomperson12

good sheep for shows saw one get first prize in roscommon

jfh

grassroot1 wrote: »

I fail to see what they bring to the sheep industry but each to their own. Some pedigree breeders of other breeds use crosses for embryo transfer dams maybe there is a marked there for them

i have to agree with you, i've seen them in a few places now & am not impressed. IMO there's other options for milk rather than going down this route. llyens are also good mothers, much smaller sheep.

randomperson12

funny no one has started mikling sheep in this country sheep milk died out in the famine

Conmaicne Mara

randomperson12 wrote: »

funny no one has started mikling sheep in this country sheep milk died out in the famine

There are people milking sheep in Ireland, AFAIK, in Tipperary to make cheese.

jfh

randomperson12 wrote: »

funny no one has started mikling sheep in this country sheep milk died out in the famine

There's a guy near me milking sheep for the last 20 years if not more, tough old slog. Making cheese

Conmaicne Mara

jfh wrote: »

There's a guy near me milking sheep for the last 20 years if not more, tough old slog. Making cheese

Is he milking many? What part of the country, if you don't mind me asking.

Cran

jfh wrote: »

There's a guy near me milking sheep for the last 20 years if not more, tough old slog. Making cheese

Spent few weeks in Aquitaine Pyrenees sheep milking area last year. Amazing set ups seemed to be making living from mixed farms based around approx 100+ milking ewes.

jfh

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Is he milking many? What part of the country, if you don't mind me asking.

Not sure how many, cratloe hills cheese, he's been selling it for a good while now. Say with a good marketing campaign it could be the "new" goat cheese;-)

randomperson12

ive heard of a few english crowd doing it in parts of the country on ear to the ground last year there was a big deal about it
in new zealand and they had 10000 arces full of sheep and 2 acres of milking parlours in it