advise on sheep breed!

bullnuts

I have about 30 acres of soft rushy ground cattle tend to poach it in wet weather and am considering sheep only I know nothing about them! Wouldnt be interested in lambing them just graze it and fatten ! It's well fenced ! And part has cover of trees ! A breed I like the look of are texals but I know nothing of sheep on wet ground apart from dosing regularly for fluke worms ! Foot rot be a problem?

Future Farmer

bullnuts wrote: »

I have about 30 acres of soft rushy ground cattle tend to poach it in wet weather and am considering sheep only I know nothing about them! Wouldnt be interested in lambing them just graze it and fatten ! It's well fenced ! And part has cover of trees ! A breed I like the look of are texals but I know nothing of sheep on wet ground apart from dosing regularly for fluke worms ! Foot rot be a problem?

Buy the cheapest stores you can (EDIT: Without compromising too much on quality!)

Anything on it at the moment?

bullnuts

Future Farmer wrote: »

Buy the cheapest stores you can.

Anything on it at the moment?

Sucklers on it at the moment ! Would like to buy about 30 sheep to graze a block of about 60 acres ! Is fenced into paddocks for cattle with one strand but sheep will go under this

ganmo

bullnuts wrote: »

Sucklers on it at the moment ! Would like to buy about 30 sheep to graze a block of about 60 acres ! Is fenced into paddocks for cattle with one strand but sheep will go under this

3 strands with a good shock will keep most sheep in

30 sheep would have trouble keeping 60 acres grazed during the summer, over winter no problem

Future Farmer

ganmo wrote: »

3 strands with a good shock will keep most sheep in

30 sheep would have trouble keeping 60 acres grazed during the summer, over winter no problem

How many Sucklers?

For your own sake, think about getting it fenced - FRS or something... 3 divisons.

Have you a suitable/convertable pen.

You'd be putting more sheep on it than that....

MayoAreMagic

For the job you has described Id recommend buying mountain or mountain cross stores. They would handle the wet, are tough in general and wouldn't be terribly expensive for you to be starting out. Maybe a mix of the two and see how they do for you.
I wouldn't buy the cheapest you can though, because there are some very poor lambs out there that you might end up having to keep until next spring.

You often see reasonable lots on donedeal for fair money but Id give it a month or so yet. Prices will come down.

bullnuts

MayoAreMagic wrote: »

For the job you has described Id recommend buying mountain or mountain cross stores. They would handle the wet, are tough in general and wouldn't be terribly expensive for you to be starting out. Maybe a mix of the two and see how they do for you.
I wouldn't buy the cheapest you can though, because there are some very poor lambs out there that you might end up having to keep until next spring.

You often see reasonable lots on donedeal for fair money but Id give it a month or so yet. Prices will come down.

I wouldn't be fencing they would only go out when the cattle go in ! Just to ramble and eat any ragwort that sprouts in Feb and March ?

Future Farmer

bullnuts wrote: »

I wouldn't be fencing they would only go out when the cattle go in ! Just to ramble and eat any ragwort that sprouts in Feb and March ?

Sorry I thought you were going out of cattle...

Username John

bullnuts wrote: »

I have about 30 acres of soft rushy ground cattle tend to poach it in wet weather and am considering sheep only I know nothing about them! Wouldnt be interested in lambing them just graze it and fatten ! It's well fenced ! And part has cover of trees ! A breed I like the look of are texals but I know nothing of sheep on wet ground apart from dosing regularly for fluke worms ! Foot rot be a problem?

bullnuts wrote: »

I wouldn't be fencing they would only go out when the cattle go in ! Just to ramble and eat any ragwort that sprouts in Feb and March ?

When you say well fenced - do you mean it has sheep wire up or stone or hawthorn ditches? I know just ditches with briars and the likes, will be low enough come winter time, and wont be very sheep proof...

I think for store lambs, anything else and you could be meeting your neighbours often enough...

bullnuts

Username John wrote: »

When you say well fenced - do you mean it has sheep wire up or stone or hawthorn ditches? I know just ditches with briars and the likes, will be low enough come winter time, and wont be very sheep proof...

I think for store lambs, anything else and you could be meeting your neighbours often enough...

Well fenced for cattle but no sheep wire ! Are they really that hell bent of breaking out? Would store lambs be my best option? Want the least amount of hassle with them ! Not looking to make anything out of them just improve the pasture

Bscan86

bullnuts wrote:

Well fenced for cattle but no sheep wire ! Are they really that hell bent of breaking out? Would store lambs be my best option? Want the least amount of hassle with them ! Not looking to make anything out of them just improve the pasture

Texels are a good breed to have around, generally easily fleshed. As regards breaking out you can be lucky or unlucky, we've ewes and touch wood they're generally well behaved thank god. One thing that can help regarding ditches, if the ditch is tight and they can't see through it they generally don't go at them but if there's a weakness they will find it. And if it's ragwort your looking to have grazed go for a lowland breed they generally from what I've seen favour them more than mountain sheep.

kk.man

Don't attempt to buy mountain nor cheap sheep they are nothing but trouble. Get someone who knows something about sheep to buy 4 u. It will pay off. BTW sheep do not break as much as u think its all in the way they are kept.

MayoAreMagic

kk.man wrote: »

Don't attempt to buy mountain nor cheap sheep they are nothing but trouble. Get someone who knows something about sheep to buy 4 u. It will pay off. BTW sheep do not break as much as u think its all in the way they are kept.

Considering mountain sheep are less susceptible to disease and footrot, last far longer and are much hardier animals in general, I would have considered them to be a lot less trouble to be honest.

Username John

MayoAreMagic wrote: »

Considering mountain sheep are less susceptible to disease and footrot, last far longer and are much hardier animals in general, I would have considered them to be a lot less trouble to be honest.

Depends on what yer used to, and what your facilities are.

Not disputing they dont have their place, but for store lambs with potentially not super fencing, I'd be inclined to steer away form the mountainy breeds.

MayoAreMagic

Username John wrote: »

Depends on what yer used to, and what your facilities are.

Not disputing they dont have their place, but for store lambs with potentially not super fencing, I'd be inclined to steer away form the mountainy breeds.

If you are 'used to' doing more minding then fair enough.

Re the fencing, well stores wouldn't actually be too bad on that front - older ewes fair enough.

Username John

MayoAreMagic wrote: »

If you are 'used to' doing more minding then fair enough.

Re the fencing, well stores wouldn't actually be too bad on that front - older ewes fair enough.

I guess like everything, you cant have it all - mountainy are like you say, hardier, but then are generally less meaty. So you have to weigh up do you want more meat and maybe more work, or less meat and less work...

You think stores would be quieter than older ewes?

MayoAreMagic

Username John wrote: »

I guess like everything, you cant have it all - mountainy are like you say, hardier, but then are generally less meaty. So you have to weigh up do you want more meat and maybe more work, or less meat and less work...

You think stores would be quieter than older ewes?

Less meaty, but for a guy to be starting out with them they are a fairly bulletproof starting point, which is why I suggested them in this context.

Yes they wouldn't be as cute as the older sheep. They would generally stay where you put them. The older ladies have been around the block.

bullnuts

As mentioned its ragwort i want rid of and clean up under fences where cattle can't reach like the driveway and that ! I have no sheep facilities but a gate inside the crush would do fine for dosing?

Username John

bullnuts wrote: »

As mentioned its ragwort i want rid of and clean up under fences where cattle can't reach like the driveway and that ! I have no sheep facilities but a gate inside the crush would do fine for dosing?

A gate into a corner of an old house would do for dosing em... Tis little you'd need when you are planning to get a few of em...

Sure give it a go and see how you get on... Let us know...

It might be no harm to give em a shake of ration every day. Not much, enough that they want it is and will come to it. Plus, if you give it to em every day they'll come to expect it and be waiting. Makes minding em easier to see em all there, than to be going off looking for em. Like I say, doesn't have to be much, just a small bit...

bullnuts

So which type would require the least work? I don't mind dosing but foot baths and dipping wouldn't have the facilities! What about maggots? Are they only a summer problem? If so I'd only keep them over the winter ! Read somewhere that they repair poached ground with their little hooves? Would this be remotely true?

ganmo

bullnuts wrote: »

So which type would require the least work? I don't mind dosing but foot baths and dipping wouldn't have the facilities! What about maggots? Are they only a summer problem? If so I'd only keep them over the winter ! Read somewhere that they repair poached ground with their little hooves? Would this be remotely true?

latest I've seen maggots is september
earliest would be mid may.

a footbath would be simple enough to set up in a crush but its not essential

Bscan86

bullnuts wrote:

So which type would require the least work? I don't mind dosing but foot baths and dipping wouldn't have the facilities! What about maggots? Are they only a summer problem? If so I'd only keep them over the winter ! Read somewhere that they repair poached ground with their little hooves? Would this be remotely true?

A foot bath would be easy enough to set up, the thing is to treat them as quickly as possible. Yes they're brilliant for levelling poached ground, we often have fields which would have a few cows in them for the winter and the sheep leave the roughest of surfaces like a pane of glass.

Also they will thicken the grass for you.

Regarding what breed would require least maintanance we've had all different breeds and tbh they all throw up their problems.

It does no harm if you're going to be keeping lambs for the winter that they be shorn in or around September so there's less chance of them getting caught in briars, a lad said once that there's cobalt in the briars and that they'd go after the briars if they're deficient.

bullnuts

Bscan86 wrote: »

A foot bath would be easy enough to set up, the thing is to treat them as quickly as possible. Yes they're brilliant for levelling poached ground, we often have fields which would have a few cows in them for the winter and the sheep leave the roughest of surfaces like a pane of glass.

Also they will thicken the grass for you.

Regarding what breed would require least maintanance we've had all different breeds and tbh they all throw up their problems.

It does no harm if you're going to be keeping lambs for the winter that they be shorn in or around September so there's less chance of them getting caught in briars, a lad said once that there's cobalt in the briars and that they'd go after the briars if they're deficient.

Briars would be a problem! Plenty briar ditches with holes for calves shelter and the sheep will no doubt head for those ! Having second taught now ! I remember when I was young uncle pulling sheep out of a field he rented

Siamsa Sessions

The options for store breeds can be limited enough. Often you have to take what you can get and the breed can be secondary, especially with lowland breeds.

We buy stores and, in order of priority, go for ewe lambs or wethers, short tails, 30-35kg max, preferably clean backsides, and if we can spot a few pens of these at the mart, then we're ready to bid on them. It's almost a bonus if they've some meaty strain in them like Texel or Suffolk after that.