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Louisdog

Joined: 22 Mar 2005
Posts: 716
Location: South Wales

Posted: Mon Apr 03, 06 12:55 pm Post subject:
Hi Mochyn I think you're right - we have a horrible book of sheep diseases and when you anxiously read the 'symptoms' section so you can know what early warning signs to look out for, the first clinical sign is often 'death' !

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45669
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Apr 03, 06 12:55 pm Post subject:

mochyn wrote:

Don't forget there are 100 diseases of sheep and the first sign of 99 of them is death

Hmm, all of a sudden it seems like a really bad idea

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Mon Apr 03, 06 1:02 pm Post subject:

Noooo, Tahir: never let it be said I put anyone off an interesting project! Especially an edible one...

All you need is a sheep mentor. I don't mean you should start being guided by what the sheep tell you, but find someone who has experience in sheep keeping and get e few books on the subject. Is there a smallholders' club near you? Or look in Country Smallholding for breeders or rare breeds enthusiasts in your area.

Go on: you know you want to. Ah, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on...

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45669
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Apr 03, 06 1:23 pm Post subject:

mochyn wrote:

All you need is a sheep mentor. I don't mean you should start being guided by what the sheep tell you

Jonnyboy says he does whatever the sheep tell him, he says it was them that told him the trick with the wellies...

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45669
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Apr 03, 06 1:25 pm Post subject:

mochyn wrote:

Is there a smallholders' club near you?

Not that I know of, but like I say the lady next door's son has cattle on her land, he also does all my tractory bits so he's around every day, he'll be able to help me. I'm talking to him this week about it.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Mon Apr 03, 06 2:27 pm Post subject:

tahir wrote:

mochyn wrote:

Don't forget there are 100 diseases of sheep and the first sign of 99 of them is death

Hmm, all of a sudden it seems like a really bad idea

Clostridial diseases are the most common ones that produce sudden death, and the seven most common are easily prevented with a single vaccine, so if you do buy lambs in, just check that they have had an initial & booster dose of Heptavac or Ovivac.

If you need any technical info on the subject, just ask- I have a few very heavy books on the subject

Anna-marie

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 980
Location: West Wales

Posted: Mon Apr 03, 06 2:50 pm Post subject:

Hi Tahir,
Don't forget that you will need to check that movement forms have been completed for them being transported to you. I assume that you have a CPH number?
If not, contact your local DEFRA office for advice on how to obtain one.
You will also need a medicine chart to record all medications given, including vaccinations, worming, de-lousing, etc.
Their feet need to be checked and trimmed approximately monthly, in order to prevent foot-rot.
The best management system for this is vaccination with foot-vax, trimming, and spraying with a tetramycine spray.
Also, when the sheep arrive, you will have to tag them with an "S" tag.
I know it sounds like a lot of fuss, but your local State Veterinary Service will be able to help.
There are loads of free booklets that are really helpful, and the British Wool Marketing Board hold excellent one-day courses to cover issues such as hoof-trimming, dagging, etc.
I bought five ewes and a ram last year (the first time that I have kept sheep), primarily to spin their coloured fleeces, and I have enjoyed every minute of it.
Most of them answer to their names, and they are all friendly, and like to be stroked.
I now have seven lambs from four of the ewes (with the last one due to lamb any day) and they are delightful.
One of them is piebald, and looks like a friesian calf on a photo that I took of him!!
I think the price that you would expect to pay probably depends on their weight at the time of purchase.
I hope that some of this helps, and that I have not put you off!!
Have fun!!
Anna-marie

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45669
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Apr 03, 06 2:56 pm Post subject:
Thanks Ann-marie, lots of good advice there.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Mon Apr 03, 06 3:05 pm Post subject:
And I'll just add that there are alternatives to teramycin if you're bothered about antibiotic overuse and if you want to know more about the efficacy of the footrot vaccine, I'll get in touch with a friend who was involved with the trials for that product.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Mon Apr 03, 06 6:36 pm Post subject:
Going back to prices for lambs for a moment, someone was telling me the other day that prices for lamb meat has risen a fair bit due to people eating less chicken due to bird flu worries. Anyone else heard of that?

Lionheart

Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 427
Location: Cheshire

Posted: Mon Apr 03, 06 8:08 pm Post subject:
CPH numbers are dished out by the RPA - phone them for an application form asap as the process can take a few weeks. The State Vetinary Service will issue you with a flock number, which you'll also need. You won't be able to move sheep on to your holding until you have both of the above. Cris

alison
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 12918
Location: North Devon

Posted: Mon Apr 03, 06 8:23 pm Post subject:
I got my CPH number over the phone in about 10 minutes. The written notification came later. Your land may already have a number anyway.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Mon Apr 03, 06 9:23 pm Post subject:

alison wrote:

Your land may already have a number anyway.

I'm 99.9% sure of that too

and its not my land

Gervase

Joined: 17 Nov 2004
Posts: 8655

Posted: Tue Apr 04, 06 1:08 pm Post subject:

ReevesRareBreeds wrote:

CPH numbers are dished out by the RPA - phone them for an application form asap as the process can take a few weeks.

The State Vetinary Service will issue you with a flock number, which you'll also need.

You won't be able to move sheep on to your holding until you have both of the above.

Cris

Depends where you are - our local animal dept are very laid back (to the point of not having a welsh word with the same urgency as manana). We moved our flock onto the holding, sent off the movement licence with the holding number marked 'to follow' and then waited three months for the hoding and flock numbers to be sent, with the dept saying "no worries, it'll sort itself out in the end".

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Tue Apr 04, 06 1:13 pm Post subject:

Gervase wrote:

to the point of not having a welsh word with the same urgency as manana)

Ahh, sounds like 'Devon time'. It'll happen at some point so what are you getting stressed about you neurotic incomer?

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