Hebridean Sheep
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Hebridean sheep are a small, tough, very hardy primitive breed. They are the ideal stock for the smallholder or crofter as they have the ability to thrive on vegetation with poor energy values. We find that they are easy to handle and lamb, they readily browse on woody shrubs, as such they are a very useful asset in controlling scrub and make a terrific job in improving grassland, thriving on the rich mixture of grass and herbage.
We keep our Hebridean’s on a relatively low input system, grass and herbage in summer, the holdings hay crop in winter with the addition of seasonal windfall apples and brassica toppings when available.
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Some basic characteristics about the Hebridean breed:
Hebrideans are small fine boned sheep of the European short-tailed group. The ewes weigh up to 40kg with the rams being a little heavier. They are not inclined to being fat, and are long in the leg and body. Their legs are delicate, though not weak, and the feet are small but very hard, the back is level with well sprung ribs. The tail is short and covered with wool.
In the ewe the face is slightly dished with small ears carried horizontally, there is no wool on the head apart from a small patch on the forehead. Hebrideans can be multi horned although two horns are more usual, with the horns sweeping upwards from the head before curving backwards and outwards. In a mature two-horned ram the horns should have one and a quarter spirals.
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| The fleece weighs about 2 kg being black in colour, is dense and weather proof, bleaching by the sun may cause the wool to appear brown, and with age the sheep may go grey, but no other colour spots or patches should be present. Mature ewes are easy to lamb, usually produce twins and are very good mothers.
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Stock for Sale
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We do not send our stock to sales. We only sell our sheep privately, either as lambs or as shearlings (12-24 months old), for breeding, to people just starting out and wanting good quality stock with which to start a flock, or just for pets. We feel that this avoids undue stress to the sheep, and we know in advance to where they will be going.
All of our sheep are registered with the Hebridean Sheep Society, and should you purchase stock from us, we will be available to provide advice and support if you require it.
If you want to breed Hebrideans but do not own a Ram, we are happy to consider hiring you one of our Tups.
Locally we are also willing to supply small groups of Hebrideans to graze your paddock, scrub land or for conservation grazing.
Please contact us regarding availability if you are interested in any of the above items.
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Fleeces and wool for sale
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We find that the coloured wool of the Hebridean sheep is popular with hand and specialist spinners, who like its specific properties. The fleeces come in a variety of colours depending on the animals’ age, jet black to chocolate brown from the shearlings and a silver grey from the older stock. When spun the wool of the Hebridean varies in colour from black to a strong dark chocolate brown, it is exceptionally hard wearing and produces extremely warm natural products.
A local contractor shears the Milifiach flock annually, usually in June but this is always dependant upon the weather, and the fleeces which weigh between one to two kilograms are available from then. Should you wish you are always welcome to come and select your own fleeces by weight and colour.
Alternatively we also process the fleeces by hand spinning into yarn for hand knitting, or cut into 3” lengths for rug making wool. Please contact us for details of availability and prices.
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From left to right: hand knitted waistcoat from hand spun Milifiach Hebridean wool, hank of handspun Milifiach Hebridean wool, and hand knitted cardigan from hand spun Milifiach Hebridean wool.
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The Milifiach Collection
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The Milifiach Collection of handcrafted teddy bears
The exclusive Milifiach Collection is a series of handcrafted teddy bears, each one individually made from the Hebridean wool of the Milifiach Flock. Every bear has its own name, birth certificate and full details of the hand knitter who has produced it.
Milifiach teddy bears will make an ideal present for either children, or the serious teddy bear collector, they are produced specifically to your order, and due to this there is always a waiting list for these items. Please contact us for details and prices.
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Supplementry feeding cabbages
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Rams grazing a solar panel installation
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Read about our Ferguson Tractor
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