Situated in the Adelaide Hills in South Australia
at Kersbrook.
I raise Wiltipoll sheep, a wool shedding breed of easy care sheep.
It's run more like a hobby farm where sheep have an easy life and a wide range of healthy foods
to eat. The sheep are vaccinated annually. Wiltipoll sheep are
placid and easy to handle, simply following us in single file from
field to field as required, without suffering stress from aggressive sheep
dogs or noisy trail bikes. They are called regularly down from the hills for treats
of hay, fruit and vegetables, bread or grain, using a whistle or voice
to call them. This gets them running pretty
quickly for a good supplementary snack, and is what makes it so easy
to relocate them to a fresh pasture on the property when required.
They enjoy plenty of shelter & have many
micro-climates to choose from, to shelter from wind, sun or rain. They are
smart enough to pick the most comfortable places too, regardless of
what some people commonly think about sheep! They like
to rest under cool shady trees and watch the clouds drift by when the hot wind
and sun's rays are too fierce. I often see them sitting in nice dry
sheltered places when a shower passes over the land too.
Wiltipoll ewes are good mothers. Wiltipoll rams are without
horns and usually of a placid and gentle nature. Wiltipoll lambs are
entertaining, lively and fast growing. Wiltipoll wether lambs make
excellent lawnmowers, or great pets with a useful purpose in life,
one that doesn't involve petrol! Wiltipolls are a great choice
for the hobby farm owner who doesn't want the problems associated
with keeping long woolly merino types of sheep. When I first
started, I went through the list of grazing animals like cows,
alpacas, woolly sheep, goats and horses. They all had their
problems, but gradually I found that the 'easy care sheep', that is,
the wool shedding Wiltipoll stood out as the simplest option. When
you weigh up the costs, wear on fencing, ease of looking after, non
fence breaking or jumping, many will steer naturally to the
Wiltipoll as I and many others did, Honestly, that's why I chose
them when I finished that long search for the most suitable animal to
control the grass
and help minimise the fire risk on the hills pasture. And don't they do a great job................
By using a rotational grazing method, they are also terrific for
managing control and elimination of weeds as well, not to mention
the health benefits to the sheep as a great side benefit. It doesn't
get any better than that!
The
Australian Wiltipoll Association Inc. -
Flock 71 |