Horny Sheep

voz es

Why are they all you see on the high body lands? isit that they are so skrany that they wont sink or what it is?

IH784man

Don't need to eat as much to keep them full which suits the hills as there aren't a lot for them,also good feet that are suited to boggier or wetter land

MayoAreMagic

They aren't the only ones that have been tried to be fair.

The others just didn't last very long..

Out west, even some horn ewes are not able to last. The Lanark ewe wont manage more than a few years out here. If your stock will be on the hills for the majority of the year then it is mayos or nothing

cuff92

There a great breed really. Very hardy and have very hardy lambs. We get good conception rates outta them usually 1 or 1.1 and to be honest over this side one good strong lamb is better than two lambs that she will struggle to rear naturally.

Put her in good grass though and she will manage the two no bother. There great mothers it's rare to see one a them leaving there lambs to go following a bag, and God help the poor dog that gets too close.

Hill farming is hard to manage at the best a times but a good horney ewe at least u know she will have a lamb and will rear him. Other breeds and mixes especially in a hill system take alot more care.

Anyone hear have a full hill Cheviot flock? How do ye find them?

MayoAreMagic

Exactly right cuffe. I find it is a slightly different way of thinking to the lowland farm. I dont want couples either. Singles are better for me. Guys would think that is crazy on here, but the thinking is you lamb the ewe, give them a couple of weeks down off the mountain, and then let her and her lamb off up again. You wont see them again until shearing time (july or august over here). If she has a ewe lamb you let her off up again after being sheared.
Come selling time you will have a gang of healthy lambs that cost you very little that you have had to handle only twice. It is a minimum input system and so the farmer can have higher numbers with a fraction of the work. I suppose it is more like the new zealand way of sheep farming

cuff92

MayoAreMagic wrote: »

Exactly right cuffe. I find it is a slightly different way of thinking to the lowland farm. I dont want couples either. Singles are better for me. Guys would think that is crazy on here, but the thinking is you lamb the ewe, give them a couple of weeks down off the mountain, and then let her and her lamb off up again. You wont see them again until shearing time (july or august over here). If she has a ewe lamb you let her off up again after being sheared.
Come selling time you will have a gang of healthy lambs that cost you very little that you have had to handle only twice. It is a minimum input system and so the farmer can have higher numbers with a fraction of the work. I suppose it is more like the new zealand way of sheep farming

Yeah that's right that's why were trying to breed a bit into Lanark into some a the ewes to see can we finish some of the weather lambs. We've hilltex ewes too and we'll see next year will we stop breeding them for replacements and have a full horny flock of full mayo and half Lanarks. Have to say we're impressed with how the lambs and hoggets are coming outta the hill.

ganmo

cuff92 wrote: »

Anyone hear have a full hill Cheviot flock? How do ye find them?

cheviots here

not perfect sheep but they do well up on the hill

cuff92

ganmo wrote: »

cheviots here

not perfect sheep but they do well up on the hill

Do u cross them then with anything? are the Wicklows or north county or anything like that,!?

ganmo

cuff92 wrote: »

Do u cross them then with anything? are the Wicklows or north county or anything like that,!?

wicklows

put a suffolk ram on about half