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K&K

Joined: 03 Jan 2011
Posts: 19
Location: east midlands

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 11 5:22 pm Post subject: KERRY HILLS
THANK YOU ROB

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 44456
Location: yes

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 11 5:54 pm Post subject:
im not a sheep fan until they are in the kitchen but kerry hill are less worrying than many the rosewood flock try not to be difficult even if the gloves and masks give em a dick turpin look

Ty Gwyn

Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4633
Location: Lampeter

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 11 7:56 pm Post subject:
Less worrying,thier only one step behind the Glamorgan for jumping, They are very smart sheep,we used to use them for crossing with the improved Welsh,but unless your prepared to plough and sow some Rape or Turnips,you`ll have a job to finish them on some farms The area thier from maybe upland,but the fertility is there,thats why they have thrived in that area.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Wed Jan 05, 11 6:40 am Post subject:

They do make very good jumpers

Some, nay, many farms struggle to finish without supplementary feeding, though it's true that they don't respond as well to the high input rapid fat carcass category as some. However if you're into that game you're better off with a breed that puts less quality into the wool and taste into the meat. I wouldn't call them a good supermarket lamb but for direct sales it's hard to beat.

It's tempting with Kerry's to run the ones that don't reach 40kg in their first year on to get an extra wool crop and kill them when they have a decent cover for the skins. Specialisation is why their popularity fell, I think, but the bigger picture is becoming more important now that input costs are rising and the wool price improving.

Mrs R

Joined: 15 Aug 2008
Posts: 7202

Posted: Wed Jan 05, 11 8:56 am Post subject:

When stressed or under pressure the kerrys will jump/crash through anything, but I wouldn't say they go looking for escape routes really, as long as we leave them alone they're fine, which suits us and keeps the lamb, wool & skins cheap.

You'd have to feed them to get the lard on them to compete with texels at market but if you want economical lamb then really don't bother. (but manage your grassland of course, nothing gets fat licking soil longterm

)

VSS

Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2845
Location: Llyn Peninsula, North Wales

Posted: Wed Jan 05, 11 11:10 am Post subject:

If your land will support them then kerrys are as good a choice as any other of the native breeds. They are strong, smart sheep with good personalities. The are native to Wales, but primarily the area on Wales/ England border, east of Welshpool, north west of Ludlow.

If your land is anything like mine, it probably wouldn't carry Kerry Hills. If you need something abit lighter and abit more thrify, you could try Badger Faced welsh. They have all the hardiness and toughness (not when on the plate though) of a welsh mountain, but have pretty markings to go with it.

I would avoid the Balwen as they have been bred primarily for markings and have lost almost all of their size and quite possibly a lot of their vigour too.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Wed Jan 05, 11 11:49 am Post subject:
As he's considering horticulture and suckler cows, I assumed there is more than enough fertility to support KHs.

VSS

Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2845
Location: Llyn Peninsula, North Wales

Posted: Wed Jan 05, 11 1:01 pm Post subject:
Well i have to admit I didn't read the whole thread

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Wed Jan 05, 11 1:06 pm Post subject:
Torwen/Torddu are real escape artists based on our experiences with them at the medieval village. The flock there were originally on a hill farm but find the lower lying ground at the village a bit 'easy' and spend their days dreaming up ways to be evil wossnames and breaking into teh orchard and veg gardens

SheepShed

Joined: 08 Nov 2006
Posts: 332
Location: In the middle of a Welsh forest

Posted: Wed Jan 05, 11 1:16 pm Post subject:

sally_in_wales wrote:

Torwen/Torddu are real escape artists

We have a neighbour with Badger Face - we see a lot of his sheep, as does everyone nearby. I even saw a bunch of them by the bus stop recently, presumably attempting to get into town

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Wed Jan 05, 11 1:22 pm Post subject:
I can believe it. I like them as sheep, but they do seem easily bored

BadgerFace

Joined: 25 Mar 2009
Posts: 915
Location: Sussex

Posted: Wed Jan 05, 11 1:59 pm Post subject:
I keep Torddu Badgerface, none of mine ever go walk about unless I ask them.

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9970
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Wed Jan 05, 11 2:37 pm Post subject:
hi K&K good luck withoyour plans cant help provide any animals, but would suggest going with local breeds - there is something to be said for having the local breed in the right area, and is a selling point.

Pel

Joined: 29 Mar 2008
Posts: 2366
Location: Sennybridge

Posted: Thu Jan 06, 11 8:08 pm Post subject:

Round my area (Aberaeron, Aberystwyth) we see a lot of welsh mules, texels and crosses of, border leiceister and crosses of though they tend to be the universities sheep. near me rams are texel, suffolk, charlois (spelling?), Lleyn. The national trust place near me has pedigree llanwenogs. Round this area there is almost every breed of pig (rare and not), same with cattle there is a lot of variety, just got to know where to look.
The coastal belt round by me is very fertile, the farmers grow maize, barley, and i think one year someone tried OSR. The soil can be quite clay-ey in regions. Though since you havent said which part of the coast your on can't really help more than that.

Lorrainelovesplants

Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 11 7:51 am Post subject:
Ive had LLeyns - nice, streetwise, easy to lamb.....

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