We recently purchased 36 acres and we ordered Shetland sheep!!! They are very cute multi-purpose meat and wool animals. I will hopefully learn to spin next year.
2 are Navajo Churro and Clun Forest crosses. They are extremely docile, wonderful sheep. They are mother/son (son is fixed) and the mother is especially docile. They all get a little upset when we flip them to sheer or clip hooves and she just sleeps or eats grass upside down. I love her!
This is those two in the winter. They are much cuter sheered, but I can't find pictures at the moment.
And these are the other two, I can't remember what they are a cross of.
They're cute to watch, they do the stiff legged jumping/running thing and it's hillarious. I wish I could get it on video one of these days. They are less skiddish/shy than the other two (it's a breed thing). They prefer to have grass and lots of water whereas the other two are a desert breed and they prefer hay and don't drink nearly as much water.
And as for wool, our old shear-er used to bring it to a school for the blind, and when he didn't our neighbor spins so she used it (made me mittens once and I love them!) And this year my boyfriends mother took it and she is going to have it cleaned and spun and use it to make something. So, as far as I know it's really good for spinning!
How are your sheeps with the horses? Do you keep them seperate when out? Are they kept in the barn with the horses or do they have there own place? Thanks.
When we only had one sheep she was with our horse. They did fine together. She had a small pen in his stall. They are now stalled separately and they have separate pens outside.
