News and Articles
Movement restrictions now mostly lifted, but still need licences and vet inspections. Skipton market isn't open again yet - probably not before end of february at the earliest.
This year's cross bred lambs have all gone on the light lamb disposal scheme ie not for human consumption. I still have 13 cull/draft ewes that I'm not tupping but still can't get rid of.
Fleece sales have gone well since rstrictions were lifted. Thanks to those of you who waited for many months. I've only a few good fleeces left, so if you are interested get the order in quickly. I'm cutting the sheep numbers back a bit next year due to pressure of (paid) work. So there won't be so many fleeces, reservations accepted from now.
We're just recovering from a very hectic couple of days over Christmas, 13 people for lunch and tea yesterday. I'm "on call" over the rest of the holidays so my body will get a bit of a rest if I can't drink.
Hope you all have a good New Year. For the farmers out there it can only get better!
October 2001
Well things are looking up in some ways and down in others. Looks like we might be over the dreaded FMD, although the experts still predict the odd case. It's been a long haul since February.
In the last week the DEFRA (ministry) vets have been out in force blood sampling 95% of flocks. I seem to be in the 5%! They won't change our status until the whole of Lancashire has been tested and pronounced clear. This is a problem because they have to wait for some of the hill farmers to gather the moors, on Pendle Hill for example. Looks like any movement may not be until the end of November.
Fleece sales are back on. If anyone is interested please get in touch. I'm only selling within the UK this year, apologies to all of my US customers.
The lamb front isn't so good with all of my lambs booked in for the Light Lamb welfare scheme. This means that they will be slaughtered then rendered (incinerated). This seems an absolute waste, especially for the cross breds which are in good shape. Still there doesn't seem to be any other way of getting rid of them, the abbatoirs only seem interested in the heavier "commercial" sheep. Even then licences, disinfection points, booked times during my working week would make life difficult for me.
I also have 13 draft/cull ewes. I am going to try and get these onto the welfare disposal scheme. This needs supporting evidence from the local vet.
Tupping time coming up and I need a good sort out of sheep. This autumn I would have purchased a new ram, but haven't been able to. This means that I must ensure that I don't put the existing ram onto his daughters. The daughters will have to go to the Ryeland ram instead.
Plenty of grass at the moment with the weather quite mild, but very wet. The first frost will soon change this.
September 2001 update
Just realised how long it is since I last updated this page.
We are now in the FMD northern movement control area, having been just outside it for some months - they have moved the boundary for administrative convenience!. This means that sheep can only be moved direct to slaughter and even then require a licence.
The effect on me is quite serious. I haven't sold any pedigree sheep this year, which is a major source of income. Also I can't replace my Shetland tup, so will need to ensure that his daughters go to the Ryeland ram. I've about 8 cull ewes who should have been long gone. Later this month I would normally start sending my fat lambs away to be slaughtered and cut up, then selling the meat direct to friends. This year I'll be lucky to find an abbatoir to accept them.
Some readers may be potential fleece customers. I have had more requests from within the UK for fleeces this year than ever. However I still can't send them out, and have no idea when restrictions will be lifted. Please accept my apologies for not being able to fulfill your orders.
At least we haven't got FMD and the nearest cases have died down. Let's hope that possible new cases in Leicestershire aren't confirmed.
Reading the May update below, I'm now regretting leaving my shetland tup lambs entire. The only future for these now seems to be the Government welfare disposal scheme for light lambs at £10 a piece.
One good thing is that there's plenty of grass at the moment, although it has turned decidedly colder at night. Sunshine and showers has been doing wonders.
Last weekend would have been the National Show and Sale at Stoneleigh. I've been going for about 10 years, and it's a wonderful chance to meet up with friends. Still there's always next year.
There is now an SSBG news list, mainly focussed on FMD. At least this allows us to keep in touch.
Still clear on the foot and mouth front although there are a number of cases on the southern edge of the Yorkshire Dales and around Skipton. So far about 16 shetland flocks have been slaughtered.
Lenice Bell has managed to retain a nucleus flock, the majority of her flock having been slaughtered. Liz Brown has managed to keep her flock. They were in a 3km cull zone, but Liz refused to let them be slaughtered. They are now subject to regular checks by MAFF vets and have been blood tested.
Today I have finished shearing, apart from my big Ryeland ram. I usually ask a local famer to machine shear him, but I'm not sure whether anybody nearby has a shearing licence (required as part of the FMD regs). If not I will have to handshear him myself, probably in two goes. Not sure what he or the fleece will look like afterwards.
This year's lambs are growing well with plenty of grass available at the moment. I've lots of good looking ram lambs, a very male biased lambing this year unfortunately. No idea what will happen in the autumn and whether I will be able to sell anything or even get them slaugthered. My abbatoir is a working farm and I'm not sure that they will want other people's sheep in the lairage.
A number of requests for fleeces are coming through from new customers. Still no idea when I will be able to send them out, so please stay patient. Your custom is much appreciated - especially this year.
Still clear of foot and mouth, although there has been a new cluster near Malham in North Yorkshire. This is some distance away, but shows that we still need to be careful.
A number of shetland flocks have been slaugthered due to FMD. The last number that I heard was 6, although that is quite dated.
Lambing has now finished and I can catch up on some of the other tasks. Lambing percentage was very healthy being around 150%. Unfortunately lots of male shetlands at the expense of females. I've left them all whole so I can pick the best out later in the year.
The grass has been very slow in growing following the very wet winter. The last week has been superb wetherwise and the mud has finally dried up. Also good news on the FMD front, because the virus doesn't like the sun. Typical England though, the forecast is for it to cool down with some rain.
Not sure what is going to happen with the sheep sales in the autumn, all of the shows (including Trawden have already been cancelled). I need a new shetland tup, and will have to start looking privately soon.
March 2001 update
Very depressed by foot & mouth disease at the moment. Fortunately we are clear at present with the nearest cases about 20 miles into both Lancashire and Yorkshire (the latter very close to where I work).
Early on we did receive a Form D notice due to a suspected case very locally, however that turned out negative.
Other SSBG breeders aren't so lucky and I know of two who will have their sheep slaughtered due to their proximtity to diseased farms, and another who may be culled. Details change rapidly so I won't detail them here.
I am off to Las Vegas on business in early April, so hope that they let me in! A neighbour will be looking after the sheep for the week assisted by my wife. The opportunity was too good to turn down.
Today I've had a minor skin op on my back and aren't allowed to lift anything. This is a bit of a problem with twice a day sheep feeding, again having to rely on Anita.
Some extracts from recent emails relating to the foot and mouth crisis:
Sorry - I am not v good with this technology but I hope this gets through. The 3km cull is quite monstrous and everyone should stress to MAFF that the Devon model (checking daily or every other day) is the one to follow where there are in-bye sheep - different considerations may apply on the fells but the rare and minority breeds are found in-bye and can easily be checked with this degree of frequency. I think that one really great idea that has emerged out of this horror is the "Sheep Bank" - if ANYONE in the SSBG loses stock to this then there should be a register of people willing to give (not sell or lend)stock to help them replenish - that is to say first class stock that we would not normally move on. I have had enthusiastic responses to this idea from everyone I have spoken to up here and am sure that it would easily go nationwide. Many thanks to everyone out there who has rung to show support Love and God Bless David and Joy
Thanks to everyone who is keeping in touch - Robin McKewan King tells me that Mr & Mrs Guy of Dumfries may be within the 3km limit. I have had a word with Bob Coleman Lesley Beazer and Alan Hill re expediting pedigree certs and ram approval certs for people in the affected area. I really appreciate those who have said " we are not dead yet - keep fighting" esp those outside the immediately threatened area - Bless you all. BUT if the worst comes to the worst for any of us can I suggest that we act as follows:- I think that it is an excellent idea to compile a list of stock for valuation purposes.I wonder if you might not get some help from the RBST and/or the Breed Society by faxing them a list of your stock bloodlines etc in respect of non Shetland Sheep (some of us do keep other breeds as well) asking them to intervene against any killing on the "dangerous contact" basis of healthy stock. I suspect that it won't do any good but you never know.Certainly ask for assistance to avoid the pre-emptive 3 km cull. You should also assemble as much detail as possible re bloodlines,show and prizes won,sales of progeny (if the prices are helpful to your valuation). I understand that a valuer attends on site before slaughter - Ed Brown is doing it in Cumberland and is suffering dreadfully as a result - he is v distressed by all accounts. Be prepared to argue your case - if we are going down go down fighting. The MAFF/SERAD will be used to valuing in-lamb ewes on a mart basis around 45 to 55 for a commercial ewe in late January at Hexham) if you have to have yours valued argue for the commercial rate as a base price if you think the rate at pedigree sale would be less. My recollection is that some primitives at Stoneleigh (at least in some relatively recent years) have been on fire and you might be able to argue for a valuation based on those prices - I think the range and the average is set out in the Ark. I do normally keep or have access to detailed Stoneleigh York and Carlise prices but I think that in many cases the prices of pedigree primitive sheep will be less than the base price for commercial in lamb ewes and for an easy life MAFF.SERAD will take the latter. I am sorry to go on about money at a time like this - we all know that it is no consolatation but it is as well to be prepared especially if you are in the north or in the south west. When all this is over we are all going to have one heck of an SSBG party but until then keep your chins up Love to all David and Joy (Trotter)
Sorry everyone to send a blanket note but you have all been wonderful over the last few weeks. At the present time you know as much as Chris and I do. We are on a 'D' notice until further notice as is Liz but she hasn't yet been served one , she is only 1 mile from a confirmed case but has as yet not been seen by the ministry, we've had two ministry visits and telephone calls and poor Liz is only learning her info from the news. We have no confirmed actual case within 3km from us but the ewes that were slaughtered in Waterbeck (3/4 mls) on Monday were from a farm that is confirmed. We don't know if they are classed as a dangerous conyact or are classed as safe! It's pigs and sheep in England but only sheep in Scotland. We were supposed to have received letters today telling us of our fates, some neighbours have recieved letters but one of them is about 4 miles away from the nearest outbreak and they have said in the letter they are coming next week! It's a total fiasco. Chris, ever so in control, he's been an absolute brick, has written and faxed our particulars to the relevent bodies. I'm afarid we are having to play a waiting game at the moment. Just an enormous kiss to you all, thanks for keeping us sane, and we live to fight another hour, another day. But I'll tell you one thing the tears are all dried up now, I've cried too many times and now we're getting mad, and you don't want to see me with my angry head on Mr Nick Brown nor my neighbours angry heads but you're going down that road!. Love to you all, Chris and Lenice xxxxxxxxxxxxx
New Year's eve 2000 and time for an update to the website. Outside the weather is appalling, a blizzard with drifts around 5 foot deep. This afternoon we went up to the Yorkshire Dales for a walk and saw a bit of snow. In Wycoller village (1/3rd mile away) the road was almost clear of snow - then up our track and straight into a deep drift. Fortunately only a short walk home and no party to go to tonight.
Tomorrow is forecast for a rise in temperature after a week below zero, so no doubt we will then be hereing about floods.
I have the remaining April 2000 lambs housed at the moment following the wettest autumn on record. Only a few left to go go the butchers early in the new year. Three pedigree Shetlands left, having sold the rest.
The ewes are outside, as always, hopefully tucked behind a stone wall. I've cut down a bit and now have 32 ewes, could do with being a few less as well.
2000 has been an interesting year with the trip to Shetland being the highlight. Not an easy place to get to, and even harder to get back from if the airport is fog bound. However every Shetland sheep breeder should make the effort, ideally with an organised party for the first trip. We hope to go back next summer, if we can find some suitable accomodation.
Apart from the Shetland trip a quiet year on the sheep front. For the first time in many years I didn't judge - not being able to make the dates for a couple of shows. Not having to travel to SSBG committee meetings after 6 years of attendance was a major plus point.
Happy New Year!
Details now available for Shetland Sheep 2000 - delegate fee only £40. See www.sheep.shetland.co.uk We've already booked for all of the family and are spending two weeks on the Shetlands Isles. the first being on Unst in an isolated cottage, the second based in a self catering flat in Lerwick.
Shearing has started and I hope to finish this weekend, however the weather forecast isn't brilliant. On Sunday I'm supposed to be doing a hand shearing demo as part of a countryside event organised by the local country park. A neighbour will be machine shearing alongside.
Lambing finished OK although the overall percentage was down slightly from 150% to 133% alive after a couple of days (the lambs produced was about the same).
I delayed lambing for a week so that I could make better use of the late Easter holidays. The resulting week started off appallingly with two days of snow, but the last couple of days have seen glorious spring sunshine - what a contrast.
Lambing now due in the next day or two, so getting up at 05:30. Takes some getting used to when the "day job" can involve being out of the house for 12 hours. Let's hope that we can avoid any bottle lambs for the first time in a couple of years.
Early Spring 2000 update - March 2000
Now live on the new website (well I will be if you can see this!). No new pictures yet, but I do have permission to buy a digital camera.
Last of the fat lambs went today, later than I had hoped but at a better price than I have often ended up selling at this time of year. Thanks to David Walton who has set himself up as a finishing unit/fat lamb outlet. Suprised to hear from David that a very well known butcher is being dropped from the RBST lists.
The Ryland ram is now fully recovered and if you didn't know him you wouldn't notice a slight tilt to his head. I had to pen him with the other rams for a week for them to make friends again - putting him in the field wasn't a good idea, fortunately I was watching.
The weather has improved after a very wet start to March. For the first time in ages I haven't had to wear overtrousers all week. Still early enough to snow yet though.
Lambing starts 2nd week in April. Now feeding the ewes once a day with 18% protein sheep nuts and some hay. Bit short of hay (despite comments below), but plenty of sheep nuts. I'll switch to twice a day soon, quite a pain before work, especially when I have to get changed afterwards. Not really looking forward to lambing becuase I'm very busy with the day job.
The ram referred to below ended up being diagnosed with Listeriosis. He's recovered, but his head is still on one side and he probably has some brain damage. The vet assures me this won't affect his fertility though. He must have picked this up from the ground, because I don't feed silage.
Today I picked up a load of hay, hopefully the last for this year. I like to keep a decent stock so that I don't get caught out if it snows. One tonne of ewe 18 nuts also in the shed, so they won't go hungry.
Nice weather today, bright and sunny but cold. Went for a bike ride with the kids. The problem of living where we do is the 400ft climb up the track at the end of the ride. It has been very wet and the yard is like a quagmire. There is some stone underneath and I have been able to use the scraper to get down to it in places.
Still got the last 5 cross lambs from last year. Hopefully these are being picked up next Saturday. Doubt whether the price offered will cover the extra feeding. Still they weren't fat in November and I will still get a better price than at market.
Starting work on the new web site which will have the domain name www.shetland-sheep.co.uk. Just need lot's of pictures - can I get permission to buy a digital camera????
We've had our first snow of the winter - at least the kids enjoyed the sledging. Since then it has rained incessantly and the fields are awash. Fortunately we are on a steep hillside and don't actually get flooded. Mind you you do need wellies to get to the car in the yard.
The sheep don't like this sort of wet and windy weather. Consequently I am feeding; the ewes are on rumevite super energy sheep blocks and the lambs on molassed sugar beet nuts. My Ryeland ram has his head on one side and a vitamin B1 deficiency has been suggested. I hope that this isn't affecting his working or any of the ewes. I've got some powder to feed him, but the wet weather isn't helping.
In the gales at the start of the week the sheep race blew over on it's side. This is the first time this has happened. Unfortunately the lambs must have been sheltering and one was killed.
I don't have the accomodation to bring all of the sheep inside at this time of year. Mind you they would then probably pick up different diseases.
The turkeys are almost fat so a busy weekend is in store .
Happy Christmas to the many visitors to my web site.
The dates have now been set and are Sunday 24th September to Saturday 30th September 2000. Programme details have still to be confirmed, but two events already fixed are:
The Conference committee are Marshall Watson, Rena Douglas & Jim Johnson. Correspondence to:
Braxfield Farm, New Lanark Lanark, Scotland ML11 9DA tel: 01555 663690Details of accomodation on Shetland can be obtained from:
Shetland Islands Tourism, Market Cross, Lerwick ZE1 0LU tel: 01595 693434 fax: 01595 695807The organising committee are grateful to Mr John Telfer, The Image Works, Bannatyne St, Lanark for the generous gift of logo design and stationaery for the Conference.
At the time of writing I'm just back from an SSBG committee meeting. Fortunately the March meeting normally coincides with Mothering Sunday in the UK, so I leave the family at home feeding sheep and stay with my mother.
The main theme for the committee was "projects". This came about because we are reasonably well off at the moment due to prudent housekeeping and a treasurer who questions any expenditure. However we had decided that we should spend some of the surplus in positive ways.
The main decision was to start a premium ram service. The basis of this is the desire that rams are mated to ewes of the same colour, especially older moorit, mioget and black rams not showing any white fibres. This can be difficult especially for the smaller breeder who may only have room for one ram and who may cull the ram after two year's use.
Committee decided to offer an annual payment to owners of older rams of the required colours following inspection. These rams would have to be available to tup ewes of the same colour. We also agreed a "stud fee".
Details remain to be worked out. No doubt health issues will surface, but this will be an optional scheme.
Micron testing of fleeces is felt to be an area that should be encouraged. We have arranged a more favourable deal with one of the testing companies and this will be publicised. The premium rams will be required to be tested at three sites.
Other items covered included allowing members to use Ministry of Agriculture referenced ear tags in place of the SSBG numbering system. A good computer system (and computer minded registration secretary) make this possible. This will reduce the paperwork for breeders in official health programmes and avoid sheep being double tagged.
At the main Show and Sale in the autumn we agreed to retain card grading. My article in the last SSBG newsletter obviously made it's case.
Outside the Shetland arena the sheep industry remains depressed. A very wet winter in most parts, albeit lacking in snow, has resulted in significantly higher feed costs and doesn't bode well for lambing percentages. However most farmers seem to be surviving although some traders have been put out of business.
I hope that lambing has gone well and that it stops raining on our hill!
Paul
There has been a lot of comment about card grading in the last few months, both in print and verbally. As the "retiring" card grader I thought that I would give my views an airing! I will start by looking at the facts and then go on to comment on points others have made.
Why do we card grade at the Show & Sale? This is encouraged by the RBST (although not mandatory) and is aimed at identifying better stock for buyers who are not an expert on the breed in question. It also gives less experienced breeders a view on what two experienced people think about their sheep. Card grading is different to judging in that it is based solely on the breed standard and is not supposed to be subjective. Hence gulmogets shouldn't be favoured by the card graders, even if rare, that is a matter for the buyers! This basis also removes issues such as horn shape, colour etc.
The grading is undertaken by two people selected by the SSBG committee, who each serve two years, giving continuity to the process. They are supported by an umpire who steps in if any sheep have been bred by the card grader or other conflicts of interest (the mother in law's sheep for example). The umpire also looks at sheep where the owner has objected to the card grading, or the graders cannot agree. Recent practice has been to only card grade adult sheep.
Card grading is carried out in the pens, although rams are usually walked in the aisle. There are usually about three hours in which to see all of the sheep ie after most sheep are penned and before judging. With as many as four adult sheep in a pen there isn't much space to examine the ewes, nor very long per sheep, especially when late arrivals and moved sheep have to be tracked down. Each sheep is graded there and then ie there is no chance for second thoughts nor for comparison amongst the sheep. This is a major difference to the show ring.
The levels for each card aren't defined in writing. They should reflect the descriptions on the card and are based on what the card graders know exists in the SSBG flock as a whole not just that sold at Stoneleigh. Now for the observations:
* judging v card grading - places are often compared to cards even though the process is different, and then used to criticise the card grading. This is disheartening for the card graders who don't have the luxury of a large ring to see sheep walking and the chance to judge sheep side by side. Also the judge can be more subjective. I remember one year, when I wasn't involved, when it appeared to me that the judge was the one out of line with a number of the classes, not the card graders.. Of course such issues never arose in the past where only red cards could be shown.
* white cards - there was one in 1997 and in 1998 one animal was withdrawn from the sale at the suggestion of the card graders. This stopped two poor animals being bought by an unwitting new comer.
* appeals - a couple of people appealed in 1998 and the umpire upheld the card grade in each case I believe. One card that caused most of the discontent was low because a shearling ram had teeth on the very front of the pad. I do believe that we missed one set of teeth possibly off pad (spotted by the judge), and there was considerable debate over a ram's horns which were close on one side. We changed one card after it had been posted, when a glance back down the lines showed a poor back, previously missed.
* level of cards - many of our best sheep are sold privately and are not seen at the sales, this is especially true of adult rams. This is evidenced by the superb ram line ups seen at major shows such as the North of England. Consequently you wouldn't expect lots of red carded rams if the sheep that would easily earn them aren't there. Card graders tend to be conservative and for borderline cases often award the lower card, eespecially blue/red. There have been some suggestions to add more cards, but I think that this would confuse the situation.
*cards v prices - seemed to follow quite well in 1998!
What can we do? To start with I would be interested in hearing the views of people who first bought their Shetlands at the Show and Sale. Experienced breeders who often make the most noise aren't the ones that card grading is aimed at. I certainly made use of card grading when I bought my first sheep, even if I couldn't afford red cards and most of the blues. I feel that some new breeders might select different sheep for their foundation flocks, at Carlisle for example, if they had been card graded. Should we be more prepared to tell people why their sheep received a certain colour? I can see logistical difficulties, but we did record comments on quite a few sheep in 1998, that never saw the light of day. As a breed society we need to decide whether to card grade or not. Having done this we must then all support the members that we choose to undertake such tasks on our behalf.
As befits the start of the new year I plan to have a brief review of the old one.
1998 has been one of the worst years for livestock farming in the UK this century with all sectors badly hit to an unprecedented degree. Fat lamb prices are down from over 100p/kg last year to 70p or less this year, and Shetlands normally fetch well below market averages.. My wool cheque has just arrived and the fleeces have averaged 50 pence each. A letter to all sheep farmers in the last few days has explained how to claim Family Credit i.e. hill farm incomes are below the poverty line; even if a gross margin table in the document couldn't show a gross profit per ewe.
How has this affected Shetlands? Well on the Islands there have been stories of farmers preparing to shoot and bury lambs rather than pay the freight costs. In the end the wealthy Shetland Island Council (oil money) stepped in to provide at least some hope. Pedigree sales were badly hit after mid September, although early sales went OK. Buyers have clearly got the idea that they can buy good sheep for nothing (i.e. 8 pounds).
What about the long term effects? Many people will get out of sheep and that will include Shetlands. Particularly hard hit will be the small farmer whilst the breeders with a few pet sheep are probably totally immune. Prices are bound to take some while to recover, with many sheep still on farms this year. The effect could be felt for a few years.
On the positive side consumers are looking for local lamb especially if it has a "speciality" appeal. The problem will be in getting the sheep slaughtered and coping with increasing regulations that could stop private sales. Wool looks very sick with little sign of recovery. Unfortunately the low Wool Board prices are known by the serious spinners and affect the direct trade as well. Pedigree sales will continue, but SSBG membership may have peaked and our eventual total separation from the RBST won't help. Only quality stock are likely to make decent money. There's a big problem with hobby farmers offloading stock at any price.
What can the SSBG do? The main area is to keep driving efficiencies that allow low membership and registration costs. We are currently one of the cheapest breeds in the UK. Also to continue marketing Shetlands to commercial farmers. Whilst hobby farmers are OK (I'm one!) it can't be good for the breed if the sheep are only kept by them. Arguments about perfectly good pedigree sheep that may be larger than some would like don't help on this front. We also need to be very professional even if we are mostly unpaid. Our excellent newsletter is the main vehicle where this can be seen or not, and contributors must strive to balance freedom of speech against this objective.
I'm afraid that this a very down beat view of the world, but to appear otherwise would be false. US prices for pedigree sheep have seen major falls in the last couple of years as was probably inevitable. We need to carry on working closely with the Islanders themselves, NASSA and the SSBG. Hopefully the Shetland Sheep 2000 Conference will strengthen these links.
Happy New Year !
Well lambing is now over, despite the bad weather the outcome has not be
too bad. May has also been very wet and whilst the grass is green and lush it
is not very nutritious. Silaging has just started on the lower farms, but our
neighbours don't start for another few recent.
I missed our last
committee meeting but I understand that there was more discussion on the
training of ram inspectors and the merits and otherwise of some of our pedigree
sheep. Ram inspections are difficult to standardise because they are supposed
to be assessing against a set description, however we all know that our breed
varies significantly.
The big danger is that ram inspectors
assess against their own preferences. I also judge and at least this blows you
to exercise some personal discretion.
In the last couple of
years we have put a lot of effort into training ram inspectors, but whilst this
must have had some effect it does not seem to have resulted in general
consensus across the UK at the moment. However we will persevere.
Show schedules are arriving daily at the moment. This is one drawback to
being a show secretary myself and also being fairly well known. At present the
number of Shetland classes seems to be increasing rapidly. Personally I am
unsure whether this is good or bad news. The problem is that some shows really
struggle to make competitive classes, and this can impact shows that have
supported the breed for some time.
A nearby county show is
helping to celebrate 25 years of the RBST in a few weeks with a display of all
of the rare breeds of sheep, cattle, pigs and poultry. Prince Charles is
visiting the show and a good attendance of both exhibitors and visitors is
expected.
In a previous article I mentioned our attempts to
market wool through the British wool Marketing Board. Along with other sectors
of farming wool has been badly hit by the strength of the pound. The price
schedule for this year has just arrived and it makes very depressing reading.
Most Shetland fleeces look unlikely to make more than 60 pence each, and the
payment is split across two years. The balance payment or some of the colours
fleeces from last year is only one pence, it is supposed to be 50 percent of
the total price. This implies that the wool has not been selling.
Scrapie testing is proceeding at a rapid pace. Most top Breeders are now
testing all of their rams. I have just had two results back and they are quite
good but not outstanding. However in such a depressed market the cost at nearly
50 pounds each is very off-putting: this is about the value of the
sheep.
I hope that you all have an excellent summer and good
luck to those of you who exhibit. Please show some sympathy for the judge!
Paul
Lambing has now finished !
Fortunately all the ewes have had lambs, although the end result is good. this has been one of the hardest years, mainly due to the weather. During April Wycoller has been very wet, but not as wet as if some other parts of England who have had the witnessed the wettest April this century.
I have not yet counted all of the lambs, but we seem to have more than ever, this includes two bottle feed lambs whose mother died probably due to staggers. Iin addition there is still one ewe inside who has a very large udder. In total I have only lost two lambs which given the weather is not too bad.
Surprisingly the Ryeland cross ram has thrown all sorts of colours, previously they have all been white with the exception of one black some time ago. I don't know why this ram should throw colours?.
I have just been in hospital for a sinus operation and am having to leave everything to my wife. At the moment there are five of my neighbour's sheep in a field, so obviously a temporary fencing job last night didn't work. The weather for the past two days has been very pleasant, but I am not allowed out of the door.
I have just started using a voice dictation package which was performing exceedingly well. However it is struggling with my nasally voice. This is not too surprising. As a result of the operation I have had to cancel judging at two shows the first being the East of England Shetland show tomorrow at Peterborough.
The time inside is being well spent though in improving my web site. I hope that people are coming back to it. There are any number of resulting emails, but these all originate from the U S and have not been to my personal advantage.
I plan to add regular news items to this section and you should check back if you are interested in such things.
Lambing update
At the time of writing (17th April) I am in the middle of lambing. Having had the whole week off not that many sheep have produced - no doubt they are waiting till next week when I am not around all day.
This is the latest lambing that I have ever had, and I presume that most of the ewes must have turned once - I wonder why? The problem that this causes is oversized lambs that need some help, as well as a larger feed bill, having fed for lambing starting 3rd April. Perhaps I better raddle all of the rams next year.
I have had to assist a Shetland to lamb for the first time ever this year. This was with a very large crossbred lamb with both legs back. Farmers with other breeds of sheep are always amazed at how little I intervene; a major reason for keeping Shetlands! However I don't jump in quickly, it's amazing what they can do themeslves even if it does take a while.
The weather has been appalling with more snow this week than we have had all winter. I lamb outside, as do all of my neighbours, and you can imagine the problems that heavy snow causes. This is on top of very heavy rain the first week in April that has resulted in the land becoming heavily poached. One neighbour has had to start walking some fields because he cannot get his four wheel drive tractor in.
There has just been a news item on very heavy lamb losses especially in Wales. I have been fortunate in only losing one lamb, that probably had some sort of problem anywway apart from hypothermia. However I have had to house a number of sheep as they lambed, which I am never keen on because I believe that it stresses the ewes at a key time, but better than dead lambs.
The forecast is getting better, but as I write I can still see black clouds scudding past from the north.
Article for April 1998 NASSA newsletter
The winter has been very mild but wet with little snowfall except in Shetland itself. Flocks that have already lambed are reporting lots of triplets, so I am hoping for a good crop of lambs myself. I always read with interest that most farmers in the US shear prior to lambing - this isn't practised over here. We always shear in May/June although the rams and hoggs can lose quite a lot of fleece if April is very mild. This timing allows the fleece to be shorn along the rise, indeed itis very difficult to do too early, impossible with hand shears.
Some of my sheep can be rooed, especially the finest fleeces. Occasionally this can be done carefully keeping the fleece intact, but you need a calm sheep. Rooed sheep always look best at the shows particularly earlier in the summer. Unfortunately hand spinners don't tend to like these fleeces even though they are guaranteed not to have any break in the fibres.
Even in early June a cold spell after shearing affects the milk production of the ewes and sets the lambs back.
Farming in the UK is in a desperate state at the moment with the joint
problems of BSE, a strong pound and a massive reduction in exports. Lamb
prices during the winter have been about 40% down on the similar period last
year. Let us hope that the Market has recovered by the time of the autumn
pedigree sales.
There have been two committee meetings of the SSBG
since my last article. We actually get together although this done entail some
committee members driving for over 6 hours each way.
The main topic has been concerns over some larger sheep that are in our registered flock. After much debate the committee has decided that the 1927 breed standard should be our sole guide and that this would rule against a few of the questionable sheep. The main problem is in identifying those sheep that have some cross blood in them from those that have been selectively bred for size.
To assist our debate some original articles and letters were produced from the time that Shetlands were being assessed by the RBST. These clearly show that the original registered flock had quite a lot of crossbred animals in it. This highlights the need for our ongoing efforts in card grading, ram inspections and education which take up so much of our time.
I hope that those breeders using SSBG ram semen have some good results. No doubt there will be some pictures /articles in a future newsletter and probably ongoing debate.
Paul
Scrapie Genotype Testing shows successes in Shetland
Sheep
At this autumns' pedigree sales significant numbers of
scrapie genotype
tested shetland rams and their progeny have been coming
forward for the
first time. Over 45% of working shetland rams on the
mainland UK have now
been tested and more tests are in the pipeline.
There is also extensive
testing on the Shetland Islands. The Shetland
Sheep Breeders Group (SSBG)
see this as a major success story in improving
animal health, allaying
public concerns and promoting the breed.
The test involves a blood sample being submitted to a licensed testing
centre, either various SAC sites in Scotland or the animal health centre at
Weybridge. Three codons are tested for scrapie resistance genotypes
and
the results fed back to the owner via their veterinary surgeon.
Scrapie genotype tested rams can then be used for pedigree breeding
passing
some of their resistance to their offspring. Over a period of
about 5
years this can result in a flock becoming scrapie resistant.
The SSBG promoted this scheme by extensive publicity of the scientific
basis of the tests and how they could be obtained with the help of Marshall
Watson, a committee member and veterinary surgeon. Many breeders used
this
information to brief their own vets. In addition the effect on
the genetic
base of the breed was considered and is kept under
review. Financially the
breed society refunds test fees to members if
an animal fails the test and
is subsequently culled.
In the new
millenium it may be possible to declare pedigree shetlands from
many flocks
as scrapie resistant without the need to test. This should
further
their use as a hardy breed suitable for commercial crossing.