A couple of questions from a soon to be sheep owner

Baymule

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I recommend going slow. LEARN on these sheep and give it at least a full year. Don’t be in a hurry and overload yourself before you learn the ropes. In a year, you’ll have a better education on Merino sheep. Maybe even get a couple of Corridale sheep, just to compare wool, shearing, sale ability’s of the wool. Which breed is easiest to handle, shear, feed and care for.

By all means, have your dream. But go into it educated do it doesn’t turn into a nightmare.

I bought 4 bred ewes. They were mixed breed, Dorper and Katahdin. I thought I wanted Dorpers. I got a ram. I had a couple years of lambing and found out that I didn’t like the black head Dorpers and went with Katahdins instead. Now I’m moving to registered Katahdin sheep. I still have one of my original ewes. She is 9 years old and just had twins.

I called my first sheep my learning sheep. They taught me so much!

For all I know, you might be some expert with years of experience. I might be spitting in the wind. LOL. I just think it would be wise to take your time and not rush into a flock of 30. Get started with what you have, let them teach you, and take it from there.
 

goats&sheep19

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I recommend going slow. LEARN on these sheep and give it at least a full year. Don’t be in a hurry and overload yourself before you learn the ropes. In a year, you’ll have a better education on Merino sheep. Maybe even get a couple of Corridale sheep, just to compare wool, shearing, sale ability’s of the wool. Which breed is easiest to handle, shear, feed and care for.

By all means, have your dream. But go into it educated do it doesn’t turn into a nightmare.

I bought 4 bred ewes. They were mixed breed, Dorper and Katahdin. I thought I wanted Dorpers. I got a ram. I had a couple years of lambing and found out that I didn’t like the black head Dorpers and went with Katahdins instead. Now I’m moving to registered Katahdin sheep. I still have one of my original ewes. She is 9 years old and just had twins.

I called my first sheep my learning sheep. They taught me so much!

For all I know, you might be some expert with years of experience. I might be spitting in the wind. LOL. I just think it would be wise to take your time and not rush into a flock of 30. Get started with what you have, let them teach you, and take it from there.
Thank you, I do need reminding to take things slow sometime!

We spoke to a local farmer earlier today, and I asked if I could come over to help when he does things with the sheep.
He was very happy to help, and suggested I could come over in a few days when they are weighing sheep.
So that seems to be a very good way to go.
Right now, I feel like I never want to see a sheep again, after shearing all four. It went ok, although nothing I have seen online said anything about all the wrinkles! Partially around the underside of the neck. Poor sheep got cut a few times, and so did I.
I'll get some photos sometime, and you can see what you think, but right now I'm relaxing in an arm chair, and the sheep are enjoining the bigger paddock for the first time.
 

Baymule

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That’s what I’m talking about! Take it slow, LEARN and get some experience under your belt and you will make much better long term decisions. Our own Frank Egan has a radio show and raised sheep all his life. He made the switch to hair sheep from wool sheep, when the shearing got to be too much for him. Hi has a Facebook page for the hair sheep he is breeding.
 

Ridgetop

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I just finished shearing my whole flock. As long as they have food in their bellies and a place to get out of the wind and rain, they will be just fine.
Goatsandsheep19 is in Australia so her seasons are reversed. However, I agree with Purplequeenvt about shearing now. There is still time to grow back a partial fleece before the cold hits. Removing the fleece will also encourage the sheep to come into shelter in bad weather. Merinos are notorious for wrinkles and are bred for that. The wrinkles are because they have loose extra skin on their bodies. The extra skin is why they can grow so much fleece - more skin surface on which to grow wool. It does make it harder to shear though. The first time DS1 sheared a Merino for a friend (it was a pet) that wrinkled skin caught him by surprise and he cut a fairly large gash in the skin with the cutters. YO will get used to shearing that loose skin by pulling it taut beneath the blade.
 

goats&sheep19

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Here it is. If Frank says so, listen up. He recommended Corridale sheep for the very reason of wrinkles. You might want to try a couple. Like I said, go slow, learn, make sure of what you want before jumping in the deep end.

They do seem rather good.
I'm just not sure where one would get them, as around here everything seems to be Merinos, or first crosses.
I'm not on facebook, but it looks like an interesting group.
I think I'm just going to talk to the locals, and keep learning for the moment.
I we do jump in (and my dad is quite keen) something like first cross (Merino x Border Leicester) wethers might be a good way to go, as they are as low maintenance as you can get, I think.
 

goats&sheep19

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Is there a market for wool in Australia still or is the wool market government controlled?
What do you mean by government controlled?

As far as I know, there is still a fairly good market, and actually the farmer I was talking to the other day said it is looking rather good in the moment.
Where we live, it is called the Monaro, which is a bit of plateau, and one of the best wool growing areas. There is still plenty of wool sheep on it, so I think the industry is doing ok, anyway.
 

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