As I said in my previous article, there is already masses of material in print and on the net covering every aspect of sheep keeping in great detail. For this reason I have tried to write my article in a way that will deal with the fundamentals. With ...
As the title suggests, this article is aimed at complete novice sheep keepers or indeed anyone who is considering it. I am neither encouraging nor discouraging but will do my best to explain what it entails in the hope that it will be of benefit to ...
I had my first proper encounter with this breed on a recent visit to my local county show and I was instantly enamoured by its diminutive size and delicate frame. The Boreray is the rarest of our native breeds, in fact it’s the only one to appear in the RBST critical list with ...
According to the National Sheep Association, there are over 32 million sheep in the UK and the numbers are kept topped up every Springtime with up to 15.5million ewes giving birth. Sheep in the UK are classified into Hill, Upland and Lowland breeds; Hill breeds are those such as the Herdwick, ...
Goat keepers attend shows for a variety of reasons. For some it is simply a pleasant day out, giving them a chance to meet up with friends and to chat about ‘goaty’ topics as well as things in general. Others see it as an essential ...
Newcomers to breeding – for whom this section is primarily intended – will probably have scanned the internet for information, spoken to friends and other goat keepers on the topic and as a consequence, will perhaps be feeling thoroughly confused ...
Whilst running the risk of stating the obvious, a goat’s health is entirely the responsibility of the owner: this is a fact stated in law, covering all keepers of livestock. Fines for non-compliance can be quite hefty. (Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Welfare of Farm Animals ...
Sue Stennett is a regional representative for the Portland Breeders Group and has been keeping them for over 30 years. When asked why she chose them over the many other breeds available her reply is compelling ...
At any time of the year the golden rule when it comes to feeding all animals is to ‘feed according to need’. This is especially the case during the long late autumn and winter months when natural forages – hedgerow plants, tree leaves, shrubs ...
Goats are ruminant animals, along with sheep, cows and deer, which means that they belong to the ‘cud chewing’ group of animals. They digest a large amount of roughage which contains a high degree of cellulose. Cellulose is an essential source of ...
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