# Mixed Flocks



## Bridgemoof (Aug 17, 2012)

Some people on this board have one type of sheep, and I am almost envious of that! It seems easier to manage breeding and the health aspects of that particular breed.

I have a crazy mixed up flock. I kind have it divided right now into two flocks, with two rams. One flock is the big sheep and the other is the little sheep, lol. Some will be  meat breeders, some are for wool.

The big lambs that the big flock produces will most likely be sold as market lambs if they are males, I get to keep the ewes. (That's the deal DH and I made.)

So I have in the big flock: 3 Suffolk ewes (Cow'Malley-she's huge!), 2 Harlequins, Dipsy (the ram) LaLa and Po are Cormo (but I like them for their wool), LaLa had a baby ewe lamb so she will stay with the big flock, and 2 Tunis (1 just had a ram lamb, Mac, so he will be going I guess). 12 in the big flock.

In the little flock I have 4 Jacob ewes, 3 Shetland ewes, 1 Mini Cheviot, 1 Jacob ram lamb, and 4 Jacob wethers. 13 in the little flock.

I have the two flocks separated now to gear up for breeding season in the fall.

So what kind of crazy mixed up breeds do you have, and how do you manage them?


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## Roving Jacobs (Aug 17, 2012)

I have 5 Jacob wethers, a Jacob ram, another Jacob ram lamb I'm picking up next month, and a Cormo ram who all live out in their bachelor pasture year round. I go out and give the Cormo some cuddles every day and check on the Jacobs but they don't really need a lot of time or attention. At one point I had a big angora goat buck living with them too and everyone got along just fine. I was worried about Al the Cormo at first because he doesn't have horns but no one messes with him and he never instigates anything so it's not a problem at all.

I also have 11 Jacob ewes, 2 cormo ewes, and 3 angora goat does. They spend the day outside grazing together then come in at night so the goats can get some extra feed and because my diva ewes like sleeping inside. They start calling me at 7 every night, I could set my clocks by them. The goats are bossy but otherwise everyone gets along there too. This fall I'm breeding 2 groups of Jacob ewes and the Cormos and picking up 2 bred CVM/Romeldale ewes and 2 bred colored angora does. Should be a busy spring 

Except for during breeding season when they're penned into different groups and take turns grazing my main pasture all my girls hang out together and the boys do their own thing in their pasture. Some people prefer not to run horned and polled sheep together but I've never had any issues except for some holes in my sheep suits. I started with the Jacobs and love them for their personality and I've bred for some pretty awesome fleeces but I'm adding in more finewooled breeds because I mostly sell yarn and I have more buyers for fine wool and mohair.


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## Bridgemoof (Aug 17, 2012)

Where do you live Roving? I'm in northern VA. You sound like you like the same kind of sheep as me! I just love my Cormos and Jacobs. The Jacobs have a strong, independent personality, and the Cormos are super duper love bugs. I think my cormos are my favorite out of all the sheep. They have NO issues with them at all.

Have you tried a Cormo x Jacob cross? I bet their fleeces would be fab. If Beastie doesn't end up working out as my Jacob ram, my Cormo ram Dipsy might have to step up to the plate and breed all my ewes!


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## Roving Jacobs (Aug 17, 2012)

Bridgemoof said:
			
		

> Where do you live Roving? I'm in northern VA. You sound like you like the same kind of sheep as me! I just love my Cormos and Jacobs. The Jacobs have a strong, independent personality, and the Cormos are super duper love bugs. I think my cormos are my favorite out of all the sheep. They have NO issues with them at all.
> 
> Have you tried a Cormo x Jacob cross? I bet their fleeces would be fab. If Beastie doesn't end up working out as my Jacob ram, my Cormo ram Dipsy might have to step up to the plate and breed all my ewes!


I'm in NE OH. It's funny because not many people have Cormos and probably even fewer have Jacobs _and_ Cormos, you just need some goats now. 

I just got the Cormos this year so no crossbreeds. Maybe some day! They'd probably end up all black and on the softer side of medium-fine. If I don't get any ram lambs out of my CVMs I'll probably breed them to Al the Cormo next year. I just love his fleece and they really do have fantastic personalities. The big boy just follows me around like a puppy


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## Bridgemoof (Aug 18, 2012)

Goats, ugh. We have 11 of them. I want nothing to do with them, lol! They are Dh's project, 2 alpine and 9 boer goats. I do have an alpaca, though!

Dipsy the Cormo ram bred to my Tunis, who has a medium coarse wool, and the baby Mac has red wool like his mommy, but had white fluffy cormo patches on his head. We'll see what it's like when it gets longer!


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## ohiogoatgirl (Sep 18, 2012)

about sounds like what i want my sheep herd to be like 
i seem to be liking every other breed i look up. jacobs, shetlands, icelandics, soay, navajo churro,...
though right now i think soay and shetland are top on the list. then jacobs then navajo churro. course what i actually end up with once i actually start with sheep will depend on what i can find then. 
though i'm trying my darnedest to talk my family into a wether lamb being the perfect way for me to sorta "test" if i like sheep


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## TNOTV (Nov 22, 2012)

Barbado and Mouflon and its been a challenge since we aquired the mouflons they are the wildest tame sheep ive ever seen and can clear the fence with ease if they want since breding season has started we have had to separate them multiple times going to start fencing a new pasture that wont allow them to see each other and hope this helps good luck


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## Alice Acres (Nov 22, 2012)

Mine started out several breeds, and now have been integrated over decades into a melded mix!

We use 1 ram (swapped out every 2 yrs) on everyone now, so they more and more end up similar.


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## Four Winds Ranch (Nov 22, 2012)

I run a pretty mixed herd myself! I love the planning and managing it entails!!!!!  
I have 27 Tunis ewes, 8 Canadian Arcott ewes, 6 Cheviot/Tunis ewes, and 2 Kahdadin ewes!
Right now I have those ewes divided, for all different reasons, into 4 different pastures with the ram I chose for them this year!
I have 2 Tunis rams, a Suffolk ram and a Southdown ram!!!!

Sooooo much fun!!!!!!  

I would sooo love to get into some Cheviot ewes, and Rambouillet ewes!!!!!!!


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## BrownSheep (Nov 22, 2012)

Four Winds Ranch said:
			
		

> I run a pretty mixed herd myself! I love the planning and managing it entails!!!!!
> I have 27 Tunis ewes, 8 Canadian Arcott ewes, 6 Cheviot/Tunis ewes, and 2 Kahdadin ewes!
> Right now I have those ewes divided, for all different reasons, into 4 different pastures with the ram I chose for them this year!
> I have 2 Tunis rams, a Suffolk ram and a Southdown ram!!!!
> ...


I love our rambulliets! Great breed


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## purplequeenvt (Nov 24, 2012)

We have Border Leicesters mostly, but my personal project is Shetlands so we have a few of those guys (love my Shetlands!). We also have a couple Romneys, a handful of Border Leicester/Romney crosses, a Border Leicester/Dorper cross, and a Shetland/Friesian/Texel/Border Leciester/Dorper cross.


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## Bridgemoof (Nov 25, 2012)

purplequeenvt said:
			
		

> ....and a Shetland/Friesian/Texel/Border Leciester/Dorper cross.


Whoa, that's a mouthful!


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## LittleSpy (Jun 7, 2014)

I realize this is an old thread but would like some thoughts. I'm brand new to sheep. I started considering them about 5-6 months ago. Settled on Babydoll Southdowns. I haven't gotten any yet, because we needed a fence first. We should have a fence in the next 6 weeks or so, so I'm trying to buckle down and decide what I want. We only have room for 3-4 sheep right now. We could expand to 7-8 later, if expand or add fencing. Anyway, now I am really loving Icelandics. For a very small mixed flock, not for breeding (at the moment), would 2 of each of those breeds be too crazy? Or maybe 2 southdowns, 1 icelandic? Their main purposes here will be as lawn mowers/fertilizers, for fiber, and to be "pets." I may also be interested in breeding/milking down the line.


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## Ruus (Jun 7, 2014)

It would probably have been better to post your question in a new thread, instead of bumping one that's almost two years old.
A mixed flock isn't crazy, especially if you're not breeding, but I'm not sure how well Icelandics and Babydolls would get along. I keep Soay breeding stock with a castrated Shetland and everybody plays nice (most of the time) but I have heard that Icelandics can be bullies and don't get along well with other breeds of sheep. I've never been around Icelandics except at fiber festivals, so I don't have first-hand knowledge, but I've heard it from several different people with no connection to each other, so I tend to believe it's true.


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