Lambs

Keeping Shetland Sheep - Frequently Asked Questions

What routine tasks do I need to do to keep the sheep healthy?

They need their feet checking regularly and, if overgrown or showing signs of footrot, given a light trimming and if there are any signs of footrot a spell in a footbath. Intestinal worms and liver fluke can occur in some areas - consult your Vet for medication and dosage regimen particularly if the sheep develop dirty bottoms. They need an annual shearing or the fleece can be plucked (rooed) but if it will not easily come off they should be clipped. Try not to leave old wool on as it can lead to skin problems and fly attacks. Most breeders use a programme of vaccination against many of the common diseases including the Clostridials, Pasturella and most recently Blue Tongue. Consult your Vet on type and frequency of vaccination. Apart from these regular tasks your best weapon against disease is your observation skills. Get to know your sheep and their normal behaviour and investigate anything out of the ordinary.
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What paperwork do I need to keep sheep in the UK?

Rules change with monotonous regularity and vary in different parts of the UK. The best advice is check with the DEFRA website www.defra.gov.uk. The 'Animal Disease', 'Animal Welfare' and 'Livestock Movements, ID & tracing' pages are particularly relevant.

The first step is to register your property as an agricultural holding. If the land you have bought is agricultural, it may already have a holding number - but if it is a subdivision of an existing holding, then you will need a new one. This consists of County/Parish/Holding (CPH) numbers and is used on all correspondence and forms that you will need to complete. To get a holding number phone the Rural payments Agency on 0845 603 7777.

Before you buy your sheep you need to register with your local DEFRA Animal Health Office, who will arrange for you to be issued with a unique flock mark, which is a six digit number preceded by the letters UK. They will also provide a helpful booklet on sheep husbandry.

You will need also a Holding Register, a Flock Record, a Medicines Record and a pad of Sheep and Goat Movement forms. Here again DEFRA will provide advice on the most up to date formats.

The Flock Record is a continuous movement and flock record that sheep keepers are required to maintain. All events - births, purchases, sales, deaths - have to be entered on an annual record. The Holding Register is a similar document that records all sheep movements on and off a holding. It is required for disease control purposes . The medicines record is to record any medicines you administer to your stock, when, what dosage and the source of the medicines.

This is not quite so onerous as it first seems and can actually be quite helpful in instilling a discipline of good record keeping.
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How can I transport my sheep?

Sheep can only be transported in a vehicle or trailer which is of sufficient size, fully enclosed, ventilated and which can be completely washed and disinfected between uses. A new EU Regulation for transporting animals applies from 5 January 2007. This is summarised on the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/welfare

A Sheep and Goat Movement form has to be completed every time animals move on to or off your holding. You must by law keep a formal record of the number of sheep and goats on your holding on the 1st January each year and of course each animal must have a permanent identification mark, which in the case of sheep is usually ear tags. If you are transporting animals beyond 65 kilometres (40.3 miles) you must also have had training in sheep transport and hold a Type 1 transporter authorization.
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What type of fencing do I need for Shetland sheep?

The simple answer is good fencing to at least 3ft 6in high. Shetlands are no different to most breeds of sheep and given an opportunity will wander off their own holding unless suitably fenced in. Shetlands are browsers as well as grazers and will eat their way through a hedge and will 'bark' trees so hedges and trees will need good protection. The best form of permanent fencing is traditional sheep wire on 4ft posts, spaced around 8ft apart and topped with one or two strands of tightly strung plain wire. Barbed wire can be used but it does spoil fleeces and can cause injury if the sheep try to jump it. For ease of handling it is also a good idea to have a small area fenced off where the sheep are regularly fed so that when you need to inspect/worm etc. the sheep can be enclosed without fuss. Electric fencing systems are available for sheep and can be extremely useful in managing a few acres of grassland and provide a flexible method of managing your sheeps' grazing. Mesh electric netting should not be used with sheep having horns.
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When do I need to worm my sheep?

This very much depends on the stocking density of the sheep on the land, whether the land has had sheep on in the past, where the sheep came from and what other animals have grazed the land. Mixed grazing by cattle and sheep, either simultaneously or in rotation will tend to reduce the parasite challenge for both species since each species eats parasite larvae indiscriminately, but only the larvae specific to the host species can usually survive. If there is a low stocking density on land that has not had sheep on for a while then the sheep should not have a large worm burden. Many keepers in this situation would then worm at tupping (Oct/Nov) and then again about a month after lambing (May/June). If sheep have dirty bottoms and/or are coughing this can be a sign of worms and worming is recommended. Lambs generally need worming more frequently than mature ewes and rams. Good up to date advice on worming can be found on the DEFRA website parasite control page. If in any doubt consult your Vet.
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How many sheep can I keep per acre?

Shetlands thrive on most types of grazing; however stock density needs to reflect the quality of food available. Just as an indicator, about 4 to 5 sheep per acre is acceptable for pasture which is not heavily fertilised and in constant use. If possible rotate use of ground to rest the pasture and reduce disease burden such as worms. It will always be better to start off with fewer sheep, which can be increased if needed, but it is not so easy to decrease.
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What do I need to feed my sheep?

For most months of the year Shetlands will prosper on grazing grass and other herbage. In winter provide good dry leafy hay as they will prefer it to wet or frozen grass which has little nutrient value. A covered hay rack will keep the hay dry and free from mould. Depending on your local conditions ewes in the last six weeks of pregnancy, and after lambing, will need a concentrate supplement - do take advice from other local Shetland sheep breeders. Many people also give their sheep a handful of sheep nuts each day just to keep them bucket-tame so that they can be moved around the holding without a sheepdog.
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What breeds of ram are suitable for crossing with Shetland ewes?

In theory any breed of sheep can be crossed with any other to produce crossbred progeny. However, it is critical to consider the implications of any difference in size and build between the two breeds involved before embarking on any programme of cross breeding. Shetland ewes can and have been very successfully crossed with a number of breeds of terminal sire to produce faster-growing and larger lambs suitable for the commercial market. The ewes used should be fully grown, mature and have successfully lambed at least once to a Shetland tup. During gestation and after birth a high standard of husbandry and additional feed are required to help with the fast growing lambs and ensure the ewe does not feed them at her own expense. The sort of tup which can be used are breeds with narrower shoulders and tapering torsos. These include the Bluefaced Leicester, the Cheviot, the Lleyn, the Berrichon and to a lesser extent Charollais and Texel.

First cross Shetland ewes can be particularly useful. In farm trials, where Shetland-Cheviot crossbred ewes were compared to Scottish Halfbred and Greyface, the Shetland-Cheviot returned, every year, over a six-year period, gross margin per acre of between 25% and 33% higher than the larger crossbreds in the trial.
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I'm worried about flystrike. What is it?

Flystrike is caused by the sheep blowfly which lays its eggs in damp or dirty fleece and when the maggots hatch they burrow into the flesh injecting a toxin into the wounds which will send the sheep in to shock and possibly eventual death if not treated in time. The blowfly is active in the south from April to December, and in the north from June to November. If you are in an area prone to flystrike don't wait until after shearing to spray - it is recommended that you spray the adult sheep well before blowfly attack is expected, with a V over the tail and a little over the horns of a ram. These are the most vulnerable areas and spraying will protect the sheep until shearing without contaminating the rest of the fleece with chemicals. Choose a good preventative spray such as Vetrazin or Clik and apply according to the manufacturer's instructions. It should be noted that application of insecticide formulations can spoil fleeces which are to be processed.
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When should my Shetland ewes be mated?

Shetlands, in common with other hill and primitive sheep, naturally come into season as the days shorten from mid-October and will lamb five months later as the days lengthen. A popular date to put the ram in is on November 5th for lambs from April 1st. Some people prefer to lamb in the warmer May weather - in this case put the ram in from December 1st.
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How many lambs should I expect?

This depends on conditions, particularly just prior to mating. Most breeders achieve a lambing average of around 1.5 lambs per ewe and some well over that. Expect twins and occasionally triplets in mature ewes, and usually a single for maiden ewes.
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How often do I need to monitor my ewes during lambing?

Shetlands have a wide pelvis that enables lambs to be born with ease. However, as mal-presentations can occur, ewes near labour should be inspected at least every three hours, more often if possible. When born the lambs should be quick to stand up and seek the udder.
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When should I take my lambs to the butcher?

Spring born lambs should reach slaughter weight during September to October, depending on the grazing. From the middle of November, the lambs' weights will freewheel and they will scarcely put on weight, whatever they are fed, until the days lengthen and the spring grass returns.
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I would like to make use of my lamb skins. Is this worthwhile and how do I go about it?

Shetland skins are an excellent product and the variety of colours and patterns make very attractive and luxurious floor rugs. A Shetland sheepskin can retail at between £45 and £70 and with a little effort can double the return on your lambs. However, there is some work involved and the process is fairly expensive so you do need to assess your market before you begin.

You will need to arrange with the abattoir for the collection of the skins. You will also need to arrange a tannery and decide how you are going to get the skins there: either by delivering them yourself or sending them by carrier. Technically the skin is a by-product of the slaughter process and belongs to the abattoir and therefore you may be charged anything up to £3.00 for the return of the skins.

The skins will need to be salted on the day of slaughter, preferably within 4 hours of slaughter. If you are delivering them to the tannery the same day this is sufficient otherwise they require a second salting the following day. Some abattoirs may do an initial salting, many will not which will leave this task to you. Full instructions can be obtained from the tannery or www.realsheepskin.org.uk.

The tannery will usually process the skins in 6-8 weeks and the cost is £20 - £28 per skin depending on your requirements.

Lambs should be sent to the abattoir at the latest by the end of October in the south possibly mid November in the north. If left any later there may be rise in the wool causing a fleece break which, although not visible to the eye, will cause bald patches or matting on the finished product. Older sheep can be sent late summer or early autumn when the fleece has grown sufficiently. The testosterone in rams can make their skins a little more difficult and expensive to process depending on the process used.

Not surprisingly DEFRA insist on paperwork - a 'Commercial Document for the transport of Category 3 hide/skins under Animal By-Products Regulations 2005'. This form, which should be available from your Animal Health Office, has to be completed in triplicate with a copy for yourself, one for the abattoir and one for the tannery. Paperwork varies slightly in Scotland and Wales so it would be best to check with your Animal Health Office.

The form may also be available by direct download from the DEFRA website. 'May' because the DEFRA website is being rewritten and already there is no way of navigating to the form.

How do I go about shearing my sheep?

Shetlands can be sheared or 'rooed'. The latter is a form of 'plucking' when the wool is 'ready'. During winter the wool growth in primitive sheep slows down but once the spring conditions arrive, or after lambing, the growth starts again causing a distinct 'rise' or line to show in the fleece. On some Shetlands this 'rise' is so marked that it causes the old fleece to break away and this is when it can be 'rooed'. In others the fleece does not come away easily and it is better to shear just on or below the old fleece line and so avoid contaminating your fleece with the new growth. If you hand shear then you have the distinct advantage of being able to select the optimum shearing time for each individual sheep; if you use a contractor then of course you are tied to his timetable.
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Do I need a shelter for my sheep?

In most localities Shetland sheep can live outside quite happily for 12 months of the year. It is useful if there are places where they can get out of the wind but otherwise they are very hardy. However, keeping lambs inside for the first 3 or 4 days considerably improves their survival rate and prevents them getting taken by predators such as foxes. A shelter is therefore useful but not essential if you are lambing outside. After lambing it will also come in useful as a handling pen or temporary shelter for a sick or recovering sheep.
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