Our  Experience  with  Rare  BreedSheep

Romney  Sheep

Our  Flock

• Selected  for  fleece  quality  for  over  25  years

• Great  mothering  insCnct– Group  lambing

– No  lamb  rejecCon

– ProtecCve• Weak  flockers

ProducCon

• May  –  November  RotaConal  grazing– Never  on  the  same  piece  of  pasture  twice  in  thesame  year

– Never  wintered  on  the  same  piece  of  pasture  inconsecuCve  years

• Winter– Baleage  rolled  out

Profit  Centres

• Meat• Wool– Raw  Fleece

• Hand  spinners– Washed  locks  (&  dyed)

• Felters  and  fibre  arCsts– Roving– Yarn

• Natural• Hand  Painted

• Skins

Lessons  Learned  So  Far

• Lambing  in  February  beats  May– Higher  ferClity– Twinning  %  went  from  10%  to  almost  50%– BeXer  lamb  growth• Parasite  loading  is  nill  iniCally

• Wet  hay  beats  dry– Sheep  will  eat  the  whole  plant– SubstanCal  reducCon  in  vegetable  maXer  in  thefleece

Lessons  Learned  con’t

• Flystrike– Shear  in  late  May

– Is  possible  in  a  wet  August• Set  up  proper  handling  faciliCes– Slight  modificaCon  to  our  caXle  handling  workswell

QUESTIONS?

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