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Starting out in sheep

blonde10

Evening all.
I hope to be lambing this time next year..I'm looking to get a flock of sheep lambing early 2020.I've a few things I'd like some opinions on.like should I buy in a few nice store lambs bring through the summer as hoggets and let to the ram nxt Autumn. Or what would people's views on buying in ewes in lamb..I'm goin to tackle the fences this year and home to have a shed up to lamb ..
Any other opinions please feel free..
Thanks

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ganmo

blonde10 wrote: »

Evening all.
I hope to be lambing this time next year..I'm looking to get a flock of sheep lambing early 2020.I've a few things I'd like some opinions on.like should I buy in a few nice store lambs bring through the summer as hoggets and let to the ram nxt Autumn. Or what would people's views on buying in ewes in lamb..I'm goin to tackle the fences this year and home to have a shed up to lamb ..
Any other opinions please feel free..
Thanks

Buying scanned in lamb ewes is a quick way to get up numbers fairly quickly and you get another year before investing in a ram

AgriLad

How many ewes are you thinking of starting out with?
Would like to do something similar myself soon.

Would also agree with the above to purchase in lamb ewes to a good ram.

Buford T. Justice XIX

ganmo wrote: »

Buying scanned in lamb ewes is a quick way to get up numbers fairly quickly and you get another year before investing in a ram

And the ewes also know what's happening and are well clued in in looking after their lambs.
Ewe lambs and hoggets can be a bit clueless at times so take a wee bit more looking after before they get going.

razor8

My advice would be to buy off farm or if going to mart know what your buying is genuine

I’d be very afraid of buying trouble. Ewes with lambs at foot are dearer but it would give you a chance to learn how to handle them before you go into lambing with no experience

roosky

I would be very very slow to buy in lamb ewes for a few reasons:

your trusting that the scanner was right and the farmer is honest
no farmer sells inlamb ewes for no reason so if reducing numbers will sell bad ones or sell ones with issues.

As your starting out go to someone you know who is a good sheep farmer and let them source sheep for you.

Where are you based I might be able to put you in touch with some genuine sellers or at least someone who could advise.

I would buy hoggets early next summer, then put ram with them in oct and lamb in march its the simplest way when your starting out

Siamsa Sessions

Maybe hedge your bets - buy a few ewes with lambs at foot now and a few hoggets to leave to the ram in August/September.

I agree the ewes with lambs at foot could be someone else's trouble, but you could look at them as part of the learning experience for when you start "your own" flock in Aug/Sept.

arctictree

Best way in my opinion to buy breeding stock is to ask a farmer to show you the lambs he is keeping for breeding. Then select the best of these. You'll pay for it but you can be sure you have the best.

BTW, I started sheep farming in 2013. Bought a dozen of a neighbours ewes with twin lambs at foot.

charolais0153

arctictree wrote: »

Best way in my opinion to buy breeding stock is to ask a farmer to show you the lambs he is keeping for breeding. Then select the best of these. You'll pay for it but you can be sure you have the best.

BTW, I started sheep farming in 2013. Bought a dozen of a neighbours ewes with twin lambs at foot.

Either buy from a dispersal sale or as hogetts. Buy right once imo. A good start is half the battle. Buying in lamb ewes that could start prolasping mastits,bad milker,poor mother,big teats etc. Id buy nice Hooggets anyways

carrollsno1

Could be going home to farm in a few years probably part time starting out either calf to beef or rearing replacements id be looking at getting sheep aswell get stock numbers up and improve the soil (outwintering on fodder crops) ill be fencing the farm first anyway into a paddock system however the block of ground id be hoping to use for sheep has a lot of dogs around it am i wasting my time even attempting to put them there or is it worth a shot? Never any dogs out with the cattle much and most of the neighbours have respect for the farmers around the place but we've one set of neighbours who arent irish and are vegan so they could be a problem. What do ye reckon plough on or let it go? There are 2 sheep farmers within a mile radius of us but they arent surrounded by as much houses as us and there are a few sheep farmers around the nearest village (population would be close to 1000 i reckon) altough not as much as before.

Buford T. Justice XIX

carrollsno1 wrote: »

Could be going home to farm in a few years probably part time starting out either calf to beef or rearing replacements id be looking at getting sheep aswell get stock numbers up and improve the soil (outwintering on fodder crops) ill be fencing the farm first anyway into a paddock system however the block of ground id be hoping to use for sheep has a lot of dogs around it am i wasting my time even attempting to put them there or is it worth a shot? Never any dogs out with the cattle much and most of the neighbours have respect for the farmers around the place but we've one set of neighbours who arent irish and are vegan so they could be a problem. What do ye reckon plough on or let it go? There are 2 sheep farmers within a mile radius of us but they arent surrounded by as much houses as us and there are a few sheep farmers around the nearest village (population would be close to 1000 i reckon) altough not as much as before.

I'd always be wary of dogs. I'm lucky as I have one neighbour bounding me that has sheep and he takes care of the dogs from his side so I only have to worry about my side. But he's getting old now and I'll be left as the only sheep farmer round the immediate area when he goes.

A lot will depend on the dogs that neighbour has. Big dogs and you should be grand once you have the gate properly fenced against dogs. Small dogs will be able to fit under the sheep wire easily enough. Maybe a chat with them before you get the sheep might be enough for them to properly fence their dogs?

davidk1394

As a young farmer my honest opinion is to stay away from sheep. Buy calves instead. Whatever money you make in sheep you earn every penny of it. From lambing to dealing with foxes to dogs then you’ve to shearing, maggots, lameness and ewes dropping dead for no reason. Factories pull the prices once they think there’s the slightest chance. Even fencing for them is hardship.

Compared to calves and cattle 2 strands of wire
on the boundary and a few strip wires then.

Dinzee Conlee

carrollsno1 wrote: »

Could be going home to farm in a few years probably part time starting out either calf to beef or rearing replacements id be looking at getting sheep aswell get stock numbers up and improve the soil (outwintering on fodder crops) ill be fencing the farm first anyway into a paddock system however the block of ground id be hoping to use for sheep has a lot of dogs around it am i wasting my time even attempting to put them there or is it worth a shot? Never any dogs out with the cattle much and most of the neighbours have respect for the farmers around the place but we've one set of neighbours who arent irish and are vegan so they could be a problem. What do ye reckon plough on or let it go? There are 2 sheep farmers within a mile radius of us but they arent surrounded by as much houses as us and there are a few sheep farmers around the nearest village (population would be close to 1000 i reckon) altough not as much as before.

See what things are like in a few years when you get back...

You could always buy some store lambs, fence em in with 2-3 strands of electric fence and see how you get on... If you are talking about fodder crops, this might be a good way to go anyways...

If you like working with em, and you have no issues with dogs, then you'll be better able to judge if the fencing is a worthwhile investment.

wrangler

davidk1394 wrote: »

As a young farmer my honest opinion is to stay away from sheep. Buy calves instead. Whatever money you make in sheep you earn every penny of it. From lambing to dealing with foxes to dogs then you’ve to shearing, maggots, lameness and ewes dropping dead for no reason. Factories pull the prices once they think there’s the slightest chance. Even fencing for them is hardship.

Compared to calves and cattle 2 strands of wire
on the boundary and a few strip wires then.

You haven't seen the cattle price lately then

Young95

Sheep are easy to get into and lower cost etc but start small with good hoggets and breed away I started with 24 ewes in 2015 and I’ll be lambing 130 this March all my own replacements so no problems with feet etc so patience is key ðŸ‘ could buy in poor stock if buying in lamb ewes

blonde10

Young95 wrote: »

Sheep are easy to get into and lower cost etc but start small with good hoggets and breed away I started with 24 ewes in 2015 and I’ll be lambing 130 this March all my own replacements so no problems with feet etc so patience is key ðŸ‘ could buy in poor stock if buying in lamb ewes

Thanks young 95
That's exactly where I'm looking to go myself,start with 25 good ewe hoggets see how I go with them,and try build up a nice flock breeding my own replacement..
Did you ever consider lambing for the Easter market,i know it might tempt a few with the mild winter,is it a costly game?

Mad_maxx

blonde10 wrote: »

Evening all.
I hope to be lambing this time next year..I'm looking to get a flock of sheep lambing early 2020.I've a few things I'd like some opinions on.like should I buy in a few nice store lambs bring through the summer as hoggets and let to the ram nxt Autumn. Or what would people's views on buying in ewes in lamb..I'm goin to tackle the fences this year and home to have a shed up to lamb ..
Any other opinions please feel free..
Thanks

If you can afford it, get a fencing contractor in, otherwise its a constant battle

Mad_maxx

Young95 wrote: »

Sheep are easy to get into and lower cost etc but start small with good hoggets and breed away I started with 24 ewes in 2015 and I’ll be lambing 130 this March all my own replacements so no problems with feet etc so patience is key ðŸ‘ could buy in poor stock if buying in lamb ewes

Sheep cost as much as cattle in terms of the material spend at the outset, costs as much to fence forty acres as build a slatted shed

Young95

blonde10 wrote: »

Thanks young 95
That's exactly where I'm looking to go myself,start with 25 good ewe hoggets see how I go with them,and try build up a nice flock breeding my own replacement..
Did you ever consider lambing for the Easter market,i know it might tempt a few with the mild winter,is it a costly game?

I do lamb a few for early lambs and they went well this year so hopefully weather will be good but did it last year n was a disaster so I’m unsure of it unless u grow cover crops etc I don’t think it’s viable

Young95

Mad_maxx wrote: »

Sheep cost as much as cattle in terms of the material spend at the outset, costs as much to fence forty acres as build a slatted shed

Ur right but I’d rather keep ten ewes to the hectare than a suckler cow n the cow would still cost more than ten ewes to keep

orm0nd

For any body wanting to get in or expand, there have been lots of genuine flocks sold this spring by new entrants to dairying.

Another 450 flock selling in March. Thinking of buying a few of those myself.

Siamsa Sessions

orm0nd wrote: »

For any body wanting to get in or expand, there have been lots of genuine flocks sold this spring by new entrants to dairying.

Another 450 flock selling in March. Thinking of buying a few of those myself.

I’d be interested in buying from a clearance sale too, depending on the breed.

Is that 450 flock selling any place around the south-east by any chance? Or do you know of any other clearances around the south-east?

I could probably get as far as Tullamore too.

orm0nd

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

I’d be interested in buying from a clearance sale too, depending on the breed.

Is that 450 flock selling any place around the south-east by any chance? Or do you know of any other clearances around the south-east?

I could probably get as far as Tullamore too.

no its up west / north west . keep an eye on donedeal over the next couple of weeks

Ard_MC

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

I’d be interested in buying from a clearance sale too, depending on the breed.

Is that 450 flock selling any place around the south-east by any chance? Or do you know of any other clearances around the south-east?

I could probably get as far as Tullamore too.

Nice llyens in Wicklow on dd this evening for sale.

White Clover

Ard_MC wrote: »

Nice llyens in Wicklow on dd this evening for sale.

They are nice ones alright. What's the story with the belclare X Texel hoggets in another ad? They seem cheap, although no mention of scanning.

razor8

Ad here

Cran

Ard_MC wrote: »

Nice llyens in Wicklow on dd this evening for sale.

Would be top class stock & genuine sale

Siamsa Sessions

Ard_MC wrote: »

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

I’d be interested in buying from a clearance sale too, depending on the breed.

Is that 450 flock selling any place around the south-east by any chance? Or do you know of any other clearances around the south-east?

I could probably get as far as Tullamore too.

Nice llyens in Wicklow on dd this evening for sale.

Had a look just now but can’t see the ad. Have you a link by any chance? Are they in-lamb?

roosky

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

I’d be interested in buying from a clearance sale too, depending on the breed.

Is that 450 flock selling any place around the south-east by any chance? Or do you know of any other clearances around the south-east?

I could probably get as far as Tullamore too.

I seen a clearance sale in tullow ewes lambing march 20th...ish

Scanned 1.9 maybe contact tullow mart i cant remember where i saw the ad but it was only two days ago

roosky

And then I see Razor bet me to it .......... this sheep forum has become too efficient with sharing information !!! haha

Siamsa Sessions

roosky wrote: »

And then I see Razor bet me to it .......... this sheep forum has become too efficient with sharing information !!! haha

Thanks folks. Will probably head to Tullow on 12-Feb where there’s 80 SF-X ewes being sold.

Mule clearance last week there averaged 155 Euro for twin-bearing ewes according to the Journal so I’ll be using that as a ball-park figure