"Distinctly Cheviot"

I have often said that Cheviot sheep are not for wimps.  They force you to be smart, to plan carefully, and to try to see the world from a sheep's point of view...  And just about when you think you have things figured out, they point out your weaknesses.  The good news is that if you can successfully handle Cheviots, most other sheep are a breeze... and besides that, Cheviots really don't require much coddling...  as a rule they are good mothers, easy lambers, and the lambs are up and nursing in no time.

A lot of shepherds try to set up their paddocks, feeding areas, and handling systems so that they don't have to go in the pens with their sheep on a daily basis.  These can be great time and labor saving ideas, but I find that when dealing with Cheviots, the more you can physically interact with them, the better they are when you have to catch them for worming, shearing, foot trimming, and the like.  My ewes are used to us being in their space - these are smart little sheep.

As we have grown our flock of Border Cheviots, we have worked very hard to find sheep with that "old style" look and charm that we instantly fell in love with.  Cheviots have a presence about them - they look so alert and bright eyed - there is something you can see even in a cheviot crossbred sheep that is "Distinctly Cheviot".  Their wool-free heads are stricking in contrast with black noses and eyes which sometimes look like they have been outlined in black eyeliner.

As with most breeds, the show ring dictates how a breed "evolves" and the modern Cheviot is losing a lot of the things that I love about the breed.  They are being bred for larger frame, longer legs, size, and more size.  A very successful show breeder told me that Montadales are being crossed back on to Cheviots in order to get size needed to win in the ring.   It is pretty apparent when looking at some of the modern show Cheviots that there is some fox that has been running amok in the hen house.  The resulting sheep are definately taller, more narrow, with very long legs.  Their ears are longer and sometimes set much lower and you can even find pink noses.

Let's face it, there are no "pure" breeds...  all of these wonderful breeds we have today were developed from crossing sheep and selecting for desired traits...  It continues even today (even if a registry might not want to believe it).  I would never tell any sheep breeder what their breeding goals should be and I am certainly not upset with people who are breeding these modern sheep (they are making a lot more money selling sheep than I will with my cheviots)...  That being said, I personally know what I want to see in MY flock and am excited when I find others with like minds who are breeding the same kind of sheep.

So if my sheep aren't "show" sheep, who am I marketing to????

1) I continue to be pleasantly suprised with how many like-minded Cheviot enthusiasts I find.  Others who fell in love with those same traits that excite me when I see my sheep...  They are out there and they continue to grow in numbers.

2) Cheviots also make great commercial crosses...  The great mothering abilities and the way the lambs are up and going so quickly make them an excellent breed for any commercial breeder to consider...  Not to mention that those pointed noses and relatively narrow skulls make those crossbred lambs come out with ease.

3) Cheviot lamb is mild flavored...  I love to eat lamb and I promote it like crazy.  Folks who buy a freezer lamb from me are likely to come back for more.

4) Cheviot wool is gaining in popularity...  It is springy and spins very easily...  It also dyes very easily and blends very well with Alpaca, Llama, and other sheep wool...

5) The Future???   I am convinced that one day the show ring is going to have to add some Cheviot back into their Cheviots!!!  And when they do, I am going to be ready for them.  And who knows, maybe one day I will even decide to show my sheep...  It may be good to throw an "old style" cheviot in the class if for no other reason than to show how much the breed is changing...  who knows, maybe someone might remember why they chose this breed in the first place?!?!?!?