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- #11
mikiz
Loving the herd life
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- Jan 16, 2015
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Only reason I considered milking sheep is that they're easier to keep contained than goats, and aren't as large as cows. I also have an intolerance for cow's milk, but not really a fan of goats milk. The only thing I really use milk for is potato mash or the odd bowl of cereal so I don't need a lot. The Wilt ewe's udders look almost like goats, and they rarely have single lambs so if they make enough milk to support multiple lambs I assumed they would have plenty to milk out. But having said that I could scrap the milking altogether and just have them for meat and hides/wool.
The reason I would be keeping them separate would be to prevent crossbreeding when I have to have a ram in with the girls. If I wanted to breed either type pure I'd have to somehow keep them separate at least during breeding season.
The concern I have with the Damaras is that they are a drought hardy sheep, which means the girls might get severely overweight on good pasture and end up difficult to breed. They're probably more suited to arid desert country like the place they originated.
From what I can find on Wilts, they're good on both grassy or browse type pasture, and are easily trained to come when called.
I was considering scrapping the wool breed altogether until I work out what I want to do, I'm sure I will be handed some bum lambs at some point!
I could get a few damara ewes and a few wilt ewes and breed them to the opposite ram and keep what I like out of them. I can always cross to a wool ram of any sort one year when I want meat and don't intend on keeping any ewe lambs, that's mainly to have coloured woolly hides for tanning. At this rate I will probably just get a few of all three and decide which ones I like best! Since breeds on paper are never the same as the real life personalities.
Will certainly keep you updated when I finally know what I'm doing!
The reason I would be keeping them separate would be to prevent crossbreeding when I have to have a ram in with the girls. If I wanted to breed either type pure I'd have to somehow keep them separate at least during breeding season.
The concern I have with the Damaras is that they are a drought hardy sheep, which means the girls might get severely overweight on good pasture and end up difficult to breed. They're probably more suited to arid desert country like the place they originated.
From what I can find on Wilts, they're good on both grassy or browse type pasture, and are easily trained to come when called.
I was considering scrapping the wool breed altogether until I work out what I want to do, I'm sure I will be handed some bum lambs at some point!
I could get a few damara ewes and a few wilt ewes and breed them to the opposite ram and keep what I like out of them. I can always cross to a wool ram of any sort one year when I want meat and don't intend on keeping any ewe lambs, that's mainly to have coloured woolly hides for tanning. At this rate I will probably just get a few of all three and decide which ones I like best! Since breeds on paper are never the same as the real life personalities.
Will certainly keep you updated when I finally know what I'm doing!