Arabiansnob
Ridin' The Range
Hello, I am intested in getting a sheep, but i dont know what breed i want. I just want one for a pet and maybe have a few lambs just for fun. Can anyone help me?
Best breed of sheep for me?
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Arabiansnob
Ridin' The Range
Anyone?
Beekissed
Herd Master
http://www.sheep101.info/201/
This site has the answers to many questions about sheep and has an extensive section on breeds and their characteristics.
This site has the answers to many questions about sheep and has an extensive section on breeds and their characteristics.
purplequeenvt
Herd Master
Well for starters, you are going to need at least 2 sheep. Sheep are a herd animal and they need to have a friend. As to what breed to get....that depends on you. Do you like big/little sheep, hair/wool, etc... There isn't going to be one "perfect" breed for you necessarily.
Some of my favorites are:
Border Leicesters - they are larger sheep (150-200lb range), but they have such personalities. And amazing ears! Easy to shear as they don't have wool on the head or legs.
Romneys - These are the teddy bears of sheep. About the same size as Border Leicesters. They tend to be pretty calm, but that depends a lot on breeding and handling. Harder to shear due to the amount of wool.
Shetlands - I don't think I would have suggested this breed a couple months ago, but since I was given a few, I actually grown to like them. They are a small sheep that come in a lot of different colors.
These are just the breeds that I have direct experience with. There are a multitude of sheep varieties out there.
You should avoid sheep such as: Merinos (way too much wool, extremely prone to flystrike), Columbias, Hampshires, Suffolks (all three are breed to be huge sheep and they take a lot of feed to get them that size)
Here is a picture of me (5' 8") with a yearling Suffolk ram to give you an idea of the size.
Another thing to keep in mind is your pasture. What is it like? Some sheep will thrive on weeds and shrubby plants, but others won't.
Climate.....Where do you live? Does it get really hot or really cold?
Are you willing to learn to shear? There are a lot of shearers who won't go to a place to shear only 2 or 3 sheep. When my family first got sheep, my sister and I sheared all the sheep by hand using regular household scissors.
Get either ewes or wethers (castrated males) or a combination of the 2.
Good luck in your search!
Some of my favorites are:
Border Leicesters - they are larger sheep (150-200lb range), but they have such personalities. And amazing ears! Easy to shear as they don't have wool on the head or legs.
Romneys - These are the teddy bears of sheep. About the same size as Border Leicesters. They tend to be pretty calm, but that depends a lot on breeding and handling. Harder to shear due to the amount of wool.
Shetlands - I don't think I would have suggested this breed a couple months ago, but since I was given a few, I actually grown to like them. They are a small sheep that come in a lot of different colors.
These are just the breeds that I have direct experience with. There are a multitude of sheep varieties out there.
You should avoid sheep such as: Merinos (way too much wool, extremely prone to flystrike), Columbias, Hampshires, Suffolks (all three are breed to be huge sheep and they take a lot of feed to get them that size)
Here is a picture of me (5' 8") with a yearling Suffolk ram to give you an idea of the size.
Another thing to keep in mind is your pasture. What is it like? Some sheep will thrive on weeds and shrubby plants, but others won't.
Climate.....Where do you live? Does it get really hot or really cold?
Are you willing to learn to shear? There are a lot of shearers who won't go to a place to shear only 2 or 3 sheep. When my family first got sheep, my sister and I sheared all the sheep by hand using regular household scissors.
Get either ewes or wethers (castrated males) or a combination of the 2.
Good luck in your search!
carolinagirl
Ridin' The Range
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Do you want wool? If you don't, and don't want to bother with having them sheared, you could consider hair sheep such as Katahdins or Dorpers. They shed their wool in the spring and you won't have to bother with shearing them.
I would say that if your not looking to shear them then Dorpers would be an ideal sheep, probs many other breeds of shedding wool sheep, or if your after wool i suggest you get some merino's which provide you with fine fleece which can be used for many purposes and are hardy. I suggest that if your new to sheep you should get someone to show you how to shear a sheep just so you know how to do it.
And because you are after them for just pets and to breed some lambs i suggest that you buy PTIL (preg tested in lamb) so that you don't have the hassle of a ram running around, and if you decide to get a ram i suggest a separate yard for him after he has been bred to the ewes, so you can manage your flock easier and know when they should be lambing.
Good luck.
And because you are after them for just pets and to breed some lambs i suggest that you buy PTIL (preg tested in lamb) so that you don't have the hassle of a ram running around, and if you decide to get a ram i suggest a separate yard for him after he has been bred to the ewes, so you can manage your flock easier and know when they should be lambing.
Good luck.
