A NHILL family has found enjoyment from a new type of sheep farming.
The Honeyman family has started breeding miniature Persian sheep.
The sheep originated from a miniature gene in a South African Persian breed, which was imported to Australia and mated with a white dorper hybrid ram.
The progeny are half-size sheep, with a black, red or brown colouring.
Shirley Honeyman said it all started when her and her son Will, 12, were looking for something to do together.
“We both really like animals,” she said.
She said they first considered breeding goats.
“We decided they weren’t for us, and Will started researching on the internet,” she said.
“When we came across this rare breed we liked what we saw.
“We then went to visit a person who bred them and was involved in bringing the genetics to Australia in 2005.”
The family bought its first miniature Persian sheep in March 2014.
“We started hand-feeding them to get the incredibly quiet little mob we have now,” Mrs Honeyman said.
She said the family had now bred and sold quite a few lambs.
“They make fabulous pets,” she said.
“They are very different to normal sheep.”
The family’s target market has mostly been hobby farmers.
“We’ve sold a few little lambs so far, mostly as wethers and pets,” she said.
“People who have bought them are usually hobby farmers, looking for something to keep the grass down.
“The great thing about these sheep is that they are hair sheep, so there is no shearing, and no crutching.
“They make wonderful pets, you can leave them in the paddock with water if you want to go away on holidays - people can be as involved as they like with them.”
The family’s lambs are all hand-reared.
“Lambing has been successful with a number of twins and even a set of triplets,” Mrs Honeyman said.
“You just never know what colour you are going to get so it is always exciting.
“It’s been like having puppy dogs around - they even wag their tails.”.
The entire family is enjoying the venture.
Mrs Honeyman said the family’s latest herd of lambs were born last month.
“They are extremely cute,” she said.
“We will keep breeding as long as we can,” Mrs Honeyman said.
“If we get to the stage where we can’t saturate the market, or we have enough we will stop, but at this stage we will keep going.
“There has been a fair bit of interest from buyers - people who want something a bit different.
“It is just a hobby for us and something that we enjoy.”
Mrs Honeyman said interestingly dorper sheep originated from a cross between a dorset ram and a black-headed Persian ewe.
“The Persian sheep breed is not yet a registered breed in Australia but there is hope, as the numbers increase, it will be one day,” she said.
“We are keeping records of our little flock and keeping them pure Persians.”
