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Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 1:42 pm
by Sylvia
I know I'll get my wrist slapped for this but I'm at the end of my tether and don't care. I've now waited for 6 enquirers to come having made an appointmnet to see them and none of the B******* have turned up.
I have 30 ewes, aged 1 to 8 years, almost all with a single or twins at foot. All the male lambs are wethered. And 3 mature rams. Shetlands are small sheep with coloured fleeces and lovely tender, lean meat. They are all pedigree. Adults are registered and ewe lambs can be if required. We are not in a BT area yet. I can get them delivered at cost if required. Price if sold as a group £40 per ewe, £20 per ewe lamb and £15 per wether, with a discount. If you are interested please contact me and if you buy them I'll make a donation to our webmaster for his forebearance.
Sylvia
Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 6:55 pm
by Mark Bowles
Sylvia, i think i can stretch the paramiters just for you.
Sounds like you are desperate.
Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 8:03 pm
by Sylvia
Thanks Mark.I've tried 2 other for sale sites and the local paper for 4 weeks. As mentioned, 6 appointments to view, not one has turned up and, boy, does that take up time which can't be spared. I've priced them at about half their worth. No native or traditional sales in this area that I can send them to either. And these are my darling, cherished, carefully bred and tended animals. Still sad at the loss of my favourite dexters but it has to be done, thanks for your tolerance.
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 6:46 pm
by Sylvia
Would anyone be interested if I divided them into smaller packages?
If not, I think it really shows the absolute folly of trying to farm with native/traditional/minority breeds.(And Dexters come into exactly the same category as Shetlands, breeding so easily and well that they have bred themselves out of rare breed status) At least in this area it seems like a recipe for absolute heartbreak.
Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 6:50 pm
by Sylvia
Today I contacted the local market chap who was very helpful in selling my unregistered Dexters at the beginning of the year but his view was that there was no likelihood of the Shetlands selling there as breeding stock. I am waiting to hear how much it will cost to take them to a far-away relevant sale but I suspect the transport costs will be too much to make that viable. Someone was trying to give away a group of Soay sheep in a recent local paper. Let this be a warning to anyone thinking of buying one of the rarer breeds. You will be delighted with all their excellent individual qualities but you will find that saleability is not one of them if you ever have to part with them en masse.
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 4:41 pm
by Sylvia
Well 221 viewers and not one person interested enough to contact me. Doesn't look as if you will be getting your donation Mark, sorry.
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 6:13 pm
by Saffy
Sylvia,
You could try offering them in trios to people with horses in the FreeAds.
I have absolutely no idea if they would take you up on it but you could try suggesting that they are an eco friendly way of reducing the worm burden for their horses if they were to follow the horses around the paddocks and they would also kick the poo around as well!
Stephanie
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 7:33 pm
by Sylvia
Hello Stephanie, I've had them on 2 free-ad sites for weeks, on the Shetland sheep site as well and in the local paper for 4 weeks and, of course, on this site. I've offered them in a group, in smaller groups, whatever people want (within reason). I so do not want these friendly, registered ewes to go straight to slaughter. I've turned them out for now, and they are looking so well, until l have time to think again about what to do.
Sylvia