WILF 46,566 Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 I am working towards having a flock on the ground soon enough, just working hard to bring my fields back to decent pasture after years of neglect. It's quiet nice to be thinking about the quality of the grass will directly relate to the quality of the meat.....sort of a start to finish project. Word of warning, don't get started on thinking about grass.....it will take up every waking moment of your life !!! Bugger the working hard..... Get yourself some Shetland sheep! Let THEM do the hardwork of bringing back decent pasture, and as an added bonus fill your freezer with the best hogg mutton you ever tasted You don't get sheep and clear ground yourself lol! I have a lot of hard rush and bugger all eats it unless it's the young shoots, I also believe (and I could be wrong ) that a good clover sward makes for better lambs. I sort of want to arrive at the best product I can and I am working on the theory that you get out what you put in (fodder wise) 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Donna Wildwood 288 Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 Yup shetties would get too fat on clover and have a hard time getting in lamb. Mine eat the roughest stuff they can find and will turn their noses up at lush pasture in favour of weeds and scrub. But you could always get some to help clear the ground (mine eat sedge grass and the spikey stuff you get where land has flooded) Eat them and then get some beltex or summat to really go for the weights when the ground has come good. I personally think you can't beat Shetland lamb/mutton for taste BUT it can take 18 months for them to get there. That suits me as I get ground cleared, a crop or 2 of fleece to spin, a nice size carcass for the freezer and a skin worth tanning. If you want lamb ready straight off the ewe, they aint the right ones for you! Goats are good too, but IMO don't taste as good, but they do give lovely milk (if you make sure they have a cobalt supplement their milk won't taste goaty ) But if you can clear it without stock and get good grass..... Worm free pasture... definately worth trying for took me years of being pig headed about sharing grazing or lending stock to get my flock 'clean' but now haven't had to worm or trim feet in 2 years. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
WILF 46,566 Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 That's very helpful, thanks for your advice it's much appreciated. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NEWKID 27,047 Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 From limited experience with goats, nothing gets in there way when eating, they are absolutes machines at clearing the ground!! Look forward to seeing how yours comes on Wilf, hope it all goes to plan mate. Great info Donna. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ideation 8,216 Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 I keep sheep, pigs, ducks, chickens etc. They are very very cute when young, and in general a pleasure to be around. But I still eat them. It's just the cycle of life. It just is. It gets less and less of an issue as the numbers stack up. I.e, you rear 4 lambs, eating them is more of an issue than if you have 400. Mind you there are always a few I can't eat. Ive a pig here that I reared as a piglet on the bottle. Proper little character, the rest of the litter went for meat, but she'll stay. Same as the bottle lambs etc. And I can't eat the old ewes, unless the are a pain in the arse, then its easy. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
WILF 46,566 Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 From limited experience with goats, nothing gets in there way when eating, they are absolutes machines at clearing the ground!! Look forward to seeing how yours comes on Wilf, hope it all goes to plan mate. Great info Donna. I can't hack goats at all made, something about them just annoys me !!.........they would last about an hour before I was heading toward the gun cabinet !! Lol lol Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ideation 8,216 Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 Sheep are addictive lol. Started not too long ago and at last count have about 120 running around, and another 60 of someone else's. Looking to increase the size a bit more dramatically this year One word of advice r.e sheep, you can make them really hard work, or you can make them work hard for you. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
WILF 46,566 Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 You must have some decent acerage there mate, what level are you stocking at ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ideation 8,216 Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 (edited) I own just over 3 acres lol. After getting a few sheep realising it was what I fancied doing, and that I reckon I can make a go of it, I started asking about for land. Currently rent about 50 acres, with another 20 over winter, and getting offered bits of free land all of the time. I don't feed anything other than grass, lamb outside, try to interfere as little as possible etc. Run at varying stocking rates depending on grass. I.E I have one 5 acre field with 15 ewes with twin lambs on them, being moved this week though into another 5 acre field. Over winter they would be running at around 2 ewes and acre. You are right when you say you can obsess about grass lol. I also contract shepherd someone else's sheep, a small flock they are building up. Looking to tup around 150 of my own this year and about 75 of the other guys. Edited to add - If you can operate twitter and want to take a look at the sheep you can see lots of photos at my profile @1manandhisdogs Edited June 1, 2015 by Ideation 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
WILF 46,566 Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 Top man Quote Link to post Share on other sites
WILF 46,566 Posted June 1, 2015 Report Share Posted June 1, 2015 Had a look Jai at your pictures, nice healthy looking beasts mate...fair play to you. You have let yourself in for it now, I will be picking your brains all the time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ideation 8,216 Posted June 1, 2015 Report Share Posted June 1, 2015 Cheers Wilf. Thanks for the kind comments. You can pick my brains anytime. . . . . anyone who knows me. . . . . . . knows that dogs and sheep are a pretty safe bet, if you want your ear talked off! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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