| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| tahir |
No livestockTook the last 5 lambs to the abattoir this morning. So, how was it?Well I must admit we enjoyed it, the kids loved em, we even got fond of a couple of em (a couple of em got a bit fond of me too  ). All 10 survived, they were in good health too. It was handy to have Rich about just to monitor our progress but we coped OK (purple spray rules  ).
The kids are already asking when we'll get more but Rich is all doom and gloom about blue tongue, says we don't want to be keeping sheep again till the vaccines out. |
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| Cathryn |
So when are they arriving?
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| tahir |
 Spring
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| Nanny |
that's it then
you are no better than the rest of us we are going to get some in the spring as well so are on the look out for whatever those sheep are that are all black but have white tails anybody have any idea as to what breed that is? rather fancy them 5 girls in the spring and then a ram in the autumn and as they say come the next spring........bob is your uncle (if not mine) |
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| MarkS |
Re: No livestock
Sounds a handy place. take in 5 lambs get 10 back. but I think they're doing something wrong.... |
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| Marionb |
Do you mean Balwens, Nanny? They have 4 white socks and a white end on their tail. Pea is a big fan of them and has some so may be worth pm'ing her for info. |
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| Frewen |
Dear Tahir - you are as mad as a box of frogs..
and good on you 
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| Pea |
Yes I have Balwens, lovely sheep easy to handle and the rams have fantastic horns. I have a small flock of 6 ewes, 3 rams one of which is going to the freeze, one who is looking for a home and one who I will be using for the next two years.
Pea |
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| moonwind |
http://www.zwartbles.org/ ? or Badger Faced Sheep The hotlink made the page to wide LOL OR Opposite markings to Badger Faced is the Torfaen, both Welsh Mountain Breeds, Balwens are black and white too black and white We had badger faced about 15 years or so ago, and they were nutcases who would escape from anywhere LOLOL Zwartbles are a milky prolific breed and very easy to do, and are very human friendly. Finished lamb prices down here are no more than £18 Phone call from Gloucestershire last night, pure texel, and texel x Lleyn tops was £25 Top Price at the delayed PREMIER pedigree Texel sale Wales was £300 , in normal times you could add another 0 and then increase the first number for the top priced. If people want to do some research for themselves and make their own minds up, try typing EU Agenda 21 into your search engines. Also you could try Spatial Plan, Sustainable Development, http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/SustainableDevelopment/7382 http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/SustainableDevelopment/7368 http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/sustainabledevelopment/?lang=en http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/su...cations/susdevactionplan/?lang=en For a more in depth focus there is always http://www.warmwell.com/ |
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| Pea |
I have been told by everyone I talk to about Balwens is that they escape, mine have not yet. I have stock fence with strand of barbed underneath and two strands above, pehaps it is becasue Im used to goats and I had to make sure the fence was goat proof.
The badger faced are nice too, saw those at the Royal Welsh. A friend has Zwartbles and they are too big for me to handle, my friends are as big the suffolks. |
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| Rob R |
Re: No livestock
Bliss 
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| GSHP |
I have had two zwartble ewes for the past eighteen months.They are fantastic.One I reared from a few days old with a bottle, the second I bought in when she was about 8 months old.They are big ,but so friendly and easy to handle I haven't found their size to be a problem.( I am just under 5ft 3" )
I have had no problems with their feet or with flystrike.They are just about to go to the ram ,so next year will be my first lambs(I have been told their are easy to lamb - fingers crossed) I love them and secretly hoping to get some more. The meat is great aswell - we ate the male lamb. |
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| moonwind |
Re: No livestock
No good Rob. They are in your blood now! Makes you wonder if it's all worth it at times. Saw some bad press on local BBC today:- Farmer moved livestock during ban A Herefordshire farmer has been ordered to pay £550 in costs for defying a ban on livestock movements put in place because of foot-and-mouth restrictions. ...................... Full Article 
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| moonwind |
Himself and I both have a secret admiration for the Zwartbles too, they are kind sheep, our Texels are easy to do as well. Sheep milk is very nice, and an easy sheep will allow you to "beg and borrow" some for your cornflakes as well as having enough to do her lambs! |
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| NeathChris |
Lots of people seem to have zwartables now, getting popular. everyone i know who has them doesnt milk them though, so i dont really know what purpose they have them for, being a european milking sheep and all.
Are easy on the eye though. |
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| moonwind |
If I can pick a couple up somewhere I may see what they could be bred out with to make a good, prolific, milky breeding sheep? As in for this end of the Country. We have a colleague in Scotland who bred up a wonderful ewe for that area, and I don't think anything along those lines has been tried here, could be interesting if they are around long enough (or we are!!) to see what results we could get. The preferred criteria is easy enough to work out. Hmm! It would be a challenge if nothing else. It would take a good 6 years though to even begin to scratch the surface! 
Don't think the dodgy knees would last that long LOL .. Maybe having a small caravan site would be better! Trouble is my mind is whirring away with genetic choices from the traits already known! . oh bugger! |
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| Rob R |
Re: No livestock
It's not. But you carry on anyway for the sheer masochistic amusement. |
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| Nick |
It's either that, or get a proper job. You know, clean shirt, tie, office, 9-5... | ||||||
| Rob R |
no bluetongue... | ||||||
| NeathChris |
Just got back fro NSA ram sales in Builth. Zwartables were in same ring as we were buying in.
Lets say they didnt sell, no bids even at 10gns starting, a few reached 30gns and were withdrawn. this was for pedigree stock mind. Think top price was 110gns, but on the whole only 3or4 sold i think. Not much of a market for them in wales i dont think. |
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| NeathChris |
I only saw zwartables, blue texels and Beltex. Zwartables were poor, blue texels not great/poor, Beltex held their price, slightly down on last year. We were buying Beltex, think lowest was about 200gns.
Tesco lamb is bought down here by St Merryn abbatoir, take thousands. Average mart price is £0.74kg this week i think. I know a couple of hundred lights went for welfare this week, under 25kg lambs. Tesco's are raking it in!! At £150 lamb my prices seem very cheap!
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| Nick |
Then put them up.... | ||||||
| Marionb |
I popped in to look at the ram sale as my son was competing at a YFC event also at the showground.
I watched some of the texel ram lambs being sold.... got off to a slow start with several not sold, (but some were on the small side) cheapest I saw went for $80. One cracking lamb made around $550 he was a beauty though.
I was right by the ringside with my catalogue... but no pen...  so I am going from memory but I would estimate the majority that I saw sold went for $200 - $280.
Ruby - were any of your friends selling texels?? |
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| NeathChris |
didnt pop over to the Texel ring, only ring 4. | ||||||
| Rob R |
100% of liveweight price I would reckon, though at that price it is probably 200% | ||||||
| Nanny |
looks like i opened up a big debate and then didn't come back
i would think the ones i have seen are the balwen sheep i want some but will have to wait till the spring i would rather have a native breed personally and it would be just for our own consumption and those of the trust, won't be selling on the open market or at least i don't think i will at the moment the ram looks good...... |
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| NeathChris |
Balwens are a nice sheep. I dont think anything will beat the good old welsh mountain, fantastic all rounders.
chris |
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| Rob R |
They are good sheep (WM) | ||||||
| Nanny |
i always look at it with the thought that a native breed developed to be able to put up with the local conditions
like rain rain and more rain so hopefully they don't shrink when they get wet |
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| Nanny |
the links show a herd in llandeilo so quite handy for us as well | ||||||
| NeathChris |
Welsh mountains cope fantastically well. We have south wales mountains here or glamorgans, slightly bigger variety. Cant praise them enough. | ||||||
| VSS |
South Wales Mountain (Nelson) would eat Balwens for breakfast!
I agree, you cant beat the Welsh Mountaih for an allround sheep that will cope with tough conditions. I wouldn't swop ours for anything. |
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| Cathryn |
Don't they rather like swopping themselves around though! Fences, walls, hedges seem largely irrelevant to an awful lot of them
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| Nanny |
i believe it can be so
can't be any worse than the sheep that seem to wander willy nilly through our land anyway be much better when we have the rest of the stock fencing done which should be before the spring thus we can have the sheep then showed rolf the site and he thinks they will do as well i shall do the shearing................he does feet and dagging, the unpleasant bits are for him you see, i get to do the shepherdess thing |
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| tahir |
Agree |
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| Pea |
I will get my first taste Balwen soon. I have a ram lamb that I have been unable to register due to restrictions etc so he is now booked in for Wednesday, and they said I can have his horns back. Lamb for Christmas diner. Will hopefully take some piccys of my little lot soon |
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| judith |
You do shearing for fun?
Give me feet any day! |
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| Nanny |
i wouldn't say it was fun but at least i can do it i don't like doing feet and dagging isn't my scene either rolf is foot man, hooves of horse and cloven beasties i suppose i shall have to learn to spin at some time as well now or waste the fleece - and that would never do trouble is that i shall only ever be able to wear black do you suppose black could be the new black? |
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| Pea |
I dont mind the shearing, we share it and do it all by hand. Im hoping to save the fleeces until I have 25kg I can then send it off to be spun, then convince my mum to knit me a jumper. | ||||||
| tahir |
I'm in charge of feet round here, not had to do shearing or dagging. | ||||||
| alison |
I did all ours today, with my dad.
There is something very satisfying with a field full of clean, treated sheep, ready to be put with the ram.
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| Rob R |
Yes, I think "Thank *&%$ that's over & done with" is the general feeling. |
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| Nanny |
totally agree with you there alison to see any animal fit and healthy makes you feel good means you have done your job successfully i guess unfortunately someone who came to day and has two sheep would like me to go and shear hers as well in return for teaching me how to spin....... hadn't planned on doing other peoples' it is hard work but i suppose she only has 2 not 200 and i can learn how to spin for free |