Best flock for me?

[boykin2010]

I raise katahdins on 3 acres. It works great. Great lawnmowers,mothers,pets, friendly, easy to handle, meaty, disease resistant and everything else.
I am lazy and sheering just seems like to much work for me to do every year. Wool really isnt selling for very much in my area anyway

 

[jhamblin]

I really like Barbados Blackbelly Sheep, They look really cool, Any Input on that breed? Rusty I do like the Blackface as well, They are really nice looking. How is there temperament? and What is the weight of the sexes?

Thanks,
James

 

[RustyDHart]

Hi James..... The Blackface are a medium size breed......rams range from about 150-180 lbs. ....some may go to 200lbs. Ewes are about 110-130lbs...same may be more..... their disposition is great..... rams can be a handful during the breeding season (hormones).....the breed is a seasonal breeder. I don't keep ANYONE that is aggressive..... I think part of their attitude is how they are raised as well.....and some are just poops.....and they go bye-bye. This is a photo of "Irish Acres Highland Orion"..... 5 yrs. old in photo..... his personality was great...... I used him for 2 years... He went to another breeder down State. I have two of his sons..... they are in the collage photos....the bigger ram with the all black face his one of his sons. Hope this helps..... Getting a breed of sheep is like getting a new car...... get what YOU like and never mind what others like or tell you. You'll know what you want when you see it..... It's always worked for me..... and there are MANY people in this group that will give you any advice that you may want and are willing to help. Good Luck!!! Rusty

 

[SheepGirl]

If you're just starting and you have no experience with sheep, talk to a few local sheep farmers about their stock. I wouldn't start with any sheep with too much value...like registered purebreds. Get some mature crossbred ewes. Once you're comfortable with sheep, then I would start investing in some really nice stock (be they rams or ewes) to improve the genetics of your flock.

Just some advice.

 

[zzGypsy]

so what are you looking to do with the wool?
are you looking to use the fiber yourself? spinning? felting? for rugs? next-to-the-skin clothing?
or are you looking to sell it?

there are lots of good meat breeds out there, some make good quantities of medium wool, others make wool suitable for rugs and hard-wear items, a few make fine wool (although often not as good a carcass). and of course there's hair sheep that don't make a usable or saleable fleece at all.

a sheep that's making a nice hand-spinning fleece is a different breed than one making an average fleece.

need more info and details to help you choose the right breed for your use.

 

[jbourget]

how about jacobs!!!??? one of the best meat tastes you can get from the sheep world, lean carcass and just awesome animals overall, with one of the best fleeces for handspinning i always sell out of my fleece right away. the photos speak for themselves, i did like the scottish blackface flock photo!! i have one similar

newest lamb...first time moth although they can breed at 6 months old! amazes me...this ewe was 3 and someones pet so she was never bred till i got her. couldnt ask for a better job

my big guy oliver loves to be sctrached under the chin, and no he is not mean i get right in with him during breeding yes it is all how they are raised...

this is a ram lamb from this year, a 2 horn with a great wide spread!! cranstons my buddy

some of the girls

Reno!! my friends awesome ram

 

[RustyDHart]

Beautiful sheep......Scottish Blackface are my all time favorites.....but I've always had a great interest in Jacobs....again...very nice!

 

[EllieMay]

I agree.
Very nice Jacobs.

 

[jhamblin]

What are the genetics of the Jacob's horns?? Is there a 4 horned and 2 horned verity or are they one and the same?

 

[jhamblin]

What I would like is a flock of sheep and a herd of goats that can produce fiber meat and milk, so I am trying to find a couple breeds that I can get all of that, Yeah, I know, i am complicated... I am just trying to find the most for my money....