Bring a Hirsel Hebridean into your flock, and help support the resurgence of this amazing breed!
Update: 23/02/2023
Flock reduction! 2022 Hebridean ram lambs available, all entire, all double-dosed with Ovivac. 4-horns and 2-horns. All with HSS registered sires, some with registered dams. All who are eligible for registration have been birth notified, and can be registered at cost. £20 per life, plus reg fees where desired. Location Ardgay, Scotland (Highlands) Contact Donna Gillies info@thehirsel.com
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Our animals are pure (we do not cross with other breeds), and we have both HSS registered, and unregistered with full pedigree, including a few rare white Hebrideans. Our rental crew includes a selection of proven and unproven rams. All animals sold or rented are sent with full health histories and genealogical records, whether they’re HSS registered or not, and prices vary per animal and experience. If you’re interested in talking to us about your 2023 plans to buy or rent a breeding animal, please don’t hesitate to contact Donna: info@thehirsel.com.
Our Home Crew (“Tups“)
These boys deliver big beautiful ewe and ram lambs for our future breeding program – and yours.
Our breeding rams:
Active
Drakemyre Pelorus Jack (2019) HSS Reg #1918/19 (2H) – Sire: Ballyeo Aonach Mor; Dam: Brachmont Kiera (might be available for 2022/2023 rental)
Tigh Gorm Lachie (2020) HSS Reg #0205/20 (4H) – Sire: Eagle Brae Panch; Dam: Gladstone Pleionie. Lachie is the sire to all of our 2022 4-horned lambs.
Hirsel Bowen (2017) HSS Reg #1039/17 (2H) – Sire: Slipperfield Donald; Dam: Bryland Eliza. Bowen is an proven member of our rental team, with excellent feedback. His gentle disposition, and calming effect on other rams makes him an especially treasured member of the home flock. Weight, October 2022: 67kg. (may be available for rental in 2022)
Hirsel Malin (2018) Unregistered Pure (2H) Sire: Cairnorrie Aidan; Dam: Hirsel Agnes. Malin is also a proven member of our rental team, with excellent feedback. He’s the leader of our ram flock now, having taken over from Bowen. He’s fond of treats and a chin scratch from those he trusts. Weight October 2022: 65.5kg. (available for rental in 2022)
Hirsel Floki (2021) Unregistered Pure, white (2H) – Sire: Drakemyre Pelorus Jack; Dam: Hirsel Bianca (white). In 2022, Floki will be the first of our white Rebel Heb rams to start working – to date, we’ve only bred from white females. We’re looking forward to seeing his lambs in 2023.
TBA: we also have one or two unproven shearling tups for rental, info to come soon.
Inactive
Slipperfield Donald (2013) HSS Reg # 2186/13 (2H) Sire: Skipwith Portree; Dam: Slipperfield Bella. (Deceased)
Cairnorrie Aidan (2015) HSS Reg #1548/15 (2H) – Sire: Slipperfield Donald; Dam: Bryland Elephant. (retired)
Hirsel Aramis (2016) (2H) Sire: Burnside Ram; Dam: Burnside Beauty. (retired)
2022 Sales Team
We have 2-horn and 4-horn ram lambs, which can be seen by appointment. Some can be HSS registered, but all come with full genealogy and health records. We do not cross-breed, all our animals are pure. We also have a very limited number of white rams, and are interested in selling them to breeders who will stay in touch regarding breeding outcomes.
Please note:
* You must have a CPH number to purchase or rent/trade one of our animals.
* The health regime for our flock was created after consultation with our vet. Our sheep are usually on the HeptavacP system, though supply chain problems meant we used Ovivac on our lambs in 2022. Our female flock and all lambs will be brought back into the HeptavacP schedule in 2023. The flock are given regular tick treatments during the summer months, and any other treatments are given per vet testing and advice. Health histories and notes re specific animals are available on request. Animals are sent off the farm ‘as is’, in the best health we can give them. We expect normal wear and tear on our rental rams, but may ask that you place a deposit in addition to the rental fee, if you are a new client. The deposit would be refunded upon live healthy return of the ram.
*For animal welfare reasons, we recommend you do not purchase single rams, unless they will have the companionship of other sheep on your farm, all year round. Sheep are social animals and do not thrive on their own. If you do not have a companion for your ram, talk to us: we can give you a deal on a pair of animals that get on well together, or arrange a rental instead. Ewes of any age are only sold in pairs or groups.
* Please let us know if you will be wanting to take your purchase home with you on the day of purchase. If not, upon receipt of a deposit, we will be happy to care for your animal until a mutually agreed pickup date.
*Prices will vary according to registration status, age, experience, and quality of the animal.
Past sales:
Rams and Shearlings
2019
…started with a bang: our first ‘starter flock’ of 4 gimmers and 12 ewe lambs went to Tohorrie farm in Dunbeath on September 12th, and our other 4 available gimmers moved to their new home in time for tupping 2019. We also sold 3 breeding rams at Dingwall Auction Mart in November 2019.
2019 Rams
Hirsel Cassanova (HSS 0977/18), from Sire Slipperfield Donald (HSS 1548/15) and dam Bryland Eliza (HSS 0252/13), was born in April 2018, and weighed 37.k on 30 October 2019. Like most of our sheep, he was bucket trained and used to human contact, liking a sheep nut or a scratch now and then. But he was also lively and independently minded, and was expected to do well in a traditional large flock. Cassanova was sold at Dingwall Auction Mart in November 2019
Ram #86 was the progeny of Cairnorrie Aidan (HSS 1548/15) and Hirsel Brownie, one of the most dependable breeding ewes from our ‘traditional’ flock. He weighed in at 37.5k on 30 October 2019, and his big, rangy frame indicates he’ll follow in his sire’s footsteps for size and build. He was friendly and placid during treatment, but not dependent, and would’ve fit well into any style flock. This ram was sold at Dingwall in November 2019.
Ram #70 was the son of Slipperfield Donald (HSS2186/13) and Hirsel Hookie (from our traditional flock). A smaller ram, he was initially assigned to the abattoir list, but won through to the sales team upon his second assessment, due to his lively nature and good condition. His adult teeth came in strong and straight, his horns were nicely formed, and his feet were good. He weighed 36K on 30 October, but his long term growth potential was positive, as his parents tend to produce large progeny. This ram was sold at Dingwall Mart in November 2019.
The Hirsel 