Sheep farming in TURKEY 🐑
This was back in November 2022 so it was pre earthquake.
We are all thinking of the tragedy that has hit so many families over there and in Syria and we have donated to the DEC appeal which I would urge you to do if you can afford it.
We visited 3 sheep farms and a Kangal shepherd dog breeding farm.
Interested to see how the comments go on this one!
Cammy
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ABOUT ME
I’m 32 years old and I’m a sheep farmer from Ayrshire in South West Scotland, which is why I have such a strong accent! I was born and raised on a sheep farm watching my dad who was the shepherd.
At 18 I went away from farming to work in the city (something I still do) and at 23 (2013) I decided I wanted to do something for some extra money so I went on a sheep shearing course. The hardest thing I’ll ever do was learning to shear sheep. [shudders thinking about it]
I shore whilst on my holidays from work for 2 years and then in 2015 my dad died so I decided to get my own sheep so I could continue working with sheep as it was something I loved doing. From there it escalated quickly from my first 4 sheep in my mum’s garden to now running around 850 breeding ewes.
I shore over 19,000 sheep this season in the UK and have my own shearing run which lets you see many different farms in the summer months.
A few years ago I bought myself a sheep pregnancy scanner and have been building up my run since then.
I watched a few farm vlogs on KZhead and decided I could have a go and now here we are!
Thanks for watching my videos and please subscribe if you want to see more in future.
Cammy I think your pasture raised sheep are more happy being free to roam the beautiful country side.❤️🐑
In a green place too
It's probably too hot outside for the sheep. No real shade as it's so dry. Not much out there to eat either.
Never forget sheep on pasture are prey to a variety of flukes, both liver and stomach that cause pain, illness, and death if not repeatedly treated throughout the year. As well, pastured sheep also pick up worms that can also cause poor condition and even death. Running free on pasture is not a paradise for sheep.
The barn-raised sheep know no other life. Being inside, there's no bad weather & no predators.
in Turkiye we have wolfs, bears, jackals and all kind of predators. Good luck with leaving them outside alone
It’s always interesting to see how other countries raise their animals. Thanks for giving us the tour!
The puppies seem very well socialized ,which is extremely important with such a huge dog
Facts
That breed of dog should not be kept as pets. They are for large open areas, with very few people. The. Only reason those where socialized is because it was a breeding farm.
@@hectorskmetija3015 facts
@@hectorskmetija3015 The farm also clearly gets visitors which the dogs have to be ok with to prevent human and dog conflict.
Salam ngarit salam sukses peg4x4
Great pronunciation of Lacaune ! (The name comes from a village in southern France nearby where I live, I was caught off guard by it's mention here)
Awesome 😁! Glad I got it right!
Salam ngarit salam sukses moonti
Thank you for taking us along on your journey to Turkey. It's so interesting to see how sheep farming is done in the rest of the world. Also, my thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Turkey 🇹🇷 and Syria 🇸🇾 from Canada 🇨🇦❤
Salam ngarit salam sukses westzed
Great documentary of sheep farming in Turkey. I really enjoy videos like this one. Thanks for taking us along on your adventures!
Salam ngarit salam sukses HeavyMetal
Really fun to see how things are done in different areas the world. Always fascinating to see just how different highly developed systems in one area the world can be from another area 😀🐑🐕🐑👏👏
Salam ngarit salam sukses lydia
That's so cool! I've never seen a milking parlor for sheep before!
Salam ngarit salam sukses bnhietala
I love your system of having sheep on grass. I love Sandi’s system of having her sheep protected indoors. You both make it work with the space you have to work with. Shepherd Creek Farms also is a major grain producer, so running sheep outdoors isn’t really feasible for Sandi. You on the other had have access to lots of rented pasture land. I love seeing how both systems work. I missed my calling. Who knew that I’d learn at age 45 that I love sheep? Unfortunately, I live in a climate that’s not very conducive to raising animals with huge fur coats. It would require constant sheering and animals with hair type wool for a system to work here. We generally get several days here where the temperature is close to 100 degrees Fahrenheit or close to 38 Celsius. It’d be hard to keep animals comfortable in those temperatures.
You might want to look into Dorper meat sheep. They are hair sheep, (no wool) and easily deal with hot temperatures.
Not hair sheep. Wool sheep that shed their fleece.
Why is 45 too late to have sheep?
Salam ngarit salam sukses mary h
@@livestock9722 it’s not the age, it’s my condition. I have long Covid. I can’t physically do what these guys do.
With all that has happened in Turkey these last 2 weeks - it is important people realize that there are huge industry ongoing there too and earthquakes effect so much - Everything is and was impacted. Thank you for sharing this with us! Lamb is the main meat of choice in Turkey. SO the meat farms are much more common there. You will not find pigs as the country is mostly a Halal country and cows are also less common but still available.
Salam ngarit salam sukses rebeccahenkins
Brilliant and informative to see what others do, good excuse for more overseas trips!
You get one of those big boys, Cammy, I guarantee no one will let the dogs run around and upset your sheep again!
Very true! But Cammie would need more than just one livestock guardian dog for his operation. As I understand from folks with larger operations, they work better if there’s more than one dog per flock - usually an older, experienced dog and a younger trainee. If several flocks are pastured in different places, you’d need multiple sets of guardians. Keep in mind, the guardian dogs are going to require food, vet care, and regular parasite treatments - so they would add additional expenses and chores to the daily operation - because unlike the sheep they protect, grazing is not an option. If you look into different livestock guardian breeds, you will see they are each suited to the conditions where they were both developed and in regular use. The UK has created more breeds of sheep than any other world region - but no breeds of livestock guardian dogs! However, centuries of UK farming practice created many herding dog breeds whose incredible range of skills have proven so useful you now find them all over the world.
The bigger challenge they have in the UK is the right to wander, which means the general public can walk through many farm areas without it being called trespassing. I can see that LGDs would not work there.
Guardian dogs, would see herding dogs as a threat to the flock.
@@hectorskmetija3015 here guarding dogs learn that herding dogs are ok as long as a handler they know is there working with them.
@@middlekingdomfarmrebeccapa5035 Guarding dogs are quite intelligent in that way.
Loved the "average Scotsman" Is there such a thing? 😊 In Canada we have had to go to a lot more sheep being raised indoors (confinement was the term we have used, but people are getting touchy about that word), mostly due to coyote and other predator pressure. Even with the use of Livestock Guardian dogs you can't always keep them at bay. This was an excellent video, thanks.
Salam ngarit salam sukses middle kingdom farm
You should definitely make a trip to Canada! Things are very different here than almost all other countries, and it's even different style operations from eastern Canada to western Canada 😊
And of course you will need to drop in and meet Sandi Brock
Salam ngarit salam sukses nicole schieck
I like knowing the dogs were being bred for a reason. Not for food. They also seem to be well cared for
Dogs are eaten it China.
We run sheep in the Sierra Nevada foothills (California, near Yosemite), and this morning alone, we saw TWO different coyotes within sight of the rotational sheep pasture, plus the bears are up and around for the springtime already. We NEED our livestock guardian dogs to keep the predators away from the sheep. I totally understand breeding dogs for that purpose.
ahh was born in 1959 on part off Gwavas sheep station that my granddad bought in 1938- 900 acres. - 27 days ago ahh was going through a book in Auckland City public library about that part off new zealand, and a page said that 'Gwavas sheep farm in 1938 was judged the most perfect sheep farm in human history.- ????? Do not know who came too that judgement , and only found out 63 years after ahh born there in September 2023 in a library 400 miles away from Gwavas sheep station/farm which is on - Highway 50.- hawkes bay Province- New Zealand.'' - 'rou s'.
It is always a good idea to see how others do things. Thanks for taking us along. 👍👍😁.
Love the insight to other Country’s sheep farming , really interesting 😊
Salam ngarit salam sukses haze the herd
How surreal it must be to have been there so recently and to now watch the horror of what's happening in southern Turkey due to the recent earthquakes. I hope all of those operations, their personnel, and all of their critters are okay. I am hoping none were located in southern Turkey and were mostly unaffected.
Salam ngarit salam sukses craig packer
Great video, I love seeing other cultures thanks cammy
Cammie, making friends with a dog, hand cupped facing up, under the dogs chin, he wants to smell you. Over head is attack. Great vid.
I love it when you pull a new video out of your vault! Excellent video…so did you try any of the dairy’s products??? Milk, cheese… Brilliant video as always Cammy ♥️
Yeah! Some of them are an acquired taste 😅
Absolutely fascinating! The puppies and dogs were adorable. Thank you for sharing more of the world at work.
Salam ngarit salam sukses donna fink
Great vid I truly didn't have an issue with the dogs compared to here in the USA their pens were clean fresh water nice weight but that temperament on them all looked wonderful the one you laid down with sought your attention let you with no hesitation to lay beside him awsome to see well kept animals the sheep were at a science wow
Loved seeing the sheep dairy! Lacunae are amazing sheep. We have a sheep dairy and imported Lacunae semen to improve our flock genetics. I had no idea Turkey had such a great sheep business.
In the early 60s, on the edge of sheep country here in Aus, we thought we were doing particularly well if we had a weaning percentage of 70% with our merinos. We didn't count newborn lambs, as we had a dreadful time with foxes. In some drought years, our percentages would be as low as 30%.
Are dogs not used there? I think in that context each good dog added would save thousands of dollars in lambs
I had the privilege of seeing one of these dogs in the flesh, a us soldier who had been to turkey had brought him home as a stray. He was massive and actually very well behaved. They are different but just as vital working animals as Meg and (im sorry i have forgotten the other sheepdogs name) but the puppies you are raising ... Fern her name is Fern I remembered
Salam ngarit salam sukses amanda rennie
Thanks for the tour. I loved seeing the dogs. They provide a huge service to the farms. I'm not sure what the cost of living is in Turkey but the wage is pretty low.
Terrific presentation as usual! I liked the care that you took presenting the information, I especially appreciated the shot with the large dog where you laid down alongside it to give us a true picture of the massive size of the breed. Thanks for sharing and I enjoyed you taking us along
Wow! Great video, Mr. World traveler! Turkish sheep look so different! I had no idea there was a demand for sheep milk. 🤷🏻♀️ Thank you for the enlightenment!
We have a demand for it in New Zealand too. There is a sheep milking farm near me.
@@deedawson6074 does it taste like cow’s milk or goat’s milk?
@@Betsy-R I have yet to find out.
Sheep are kept for milk here in Wisconsin too - because we are so into cheese production!
@@derrith1877 I wasn’t aware!😊
Another great travel vlog ,👌I’m going to have tidy up my spray marking this lambing time after seeing the lamb numbering at the research farm 😂
I saw that and am thinking they're using a stencil as you would on a bale of wool.
Do you think the numbers are sprayed on? It almost looked like a brand instead.
Going to have to stick with your beautiful Scotland green grass fields and Sandie Brock’s farm in Canada. The dogs were huge but beautiful. Thank you for the tour🙏💕💕🇺🇸
Cammy you guys in europe are only playing…come down under if you want to see massive scale sheep farming!
We have so many sheep here in Aotearoa that I heard saw million sheep and I didn’t think it was that high of a number for sheep.
What a great trip! Thanks for taking us along! Really interesting :)
A boy Cammy another good video 👍🏻. Some nice setups. The first place you went to, does the fleece only grow on top of the sheeps back? Love those dogs, they're monsters.
That was quite a trip! Thanks for taking us along.
Salam ngarit salam sukses liz hubrik
U should came to new Zealand I work on a farm that has 36000 ewes and my manager could get u on to a place with Marino's as well
36,000 for milking?
One day! Lizzy has a car and a load of shearing gear over there so we need to go sort that some day 😁
Love it. I have total dog envy. I just have the wrong house, wrong situation, to own a Kangal. Beautiful dogs though.
Great video Cammy as always 👌
Hugely fascinating video, Cammy. Seeing the different types of farms and how the ewes, lambs and methods of feeding was really interesting to see. And the guardian dogs and puppies were sooo great to see. I just wanted to cuddle the puppies, but being only 4'10.5" tall (LOL) I don't think I'd be snuggling with that big fella - he could eat me for breakfast! Yours in Gratitude
Salam ngarit salam sukses wendy humphreys tebbutt
I have been watching a Turkish channel where itinerant transhumance flocks spend winter in the lowlands and hazel orchards but go up to the high plateau in summer. They are not so keen on the Kangals but prefer a thick coated black sea variety which is becoming rare. No good mixing with Border Collies as they don’t agree. The sheep are used to following the shepherd anyway who is in constant attendance due to bears that are a protected species. They only showed you the best.
What’s the channel? That sounds pretty interesting. I met an old man from the Dehesa last summer. He grew up managing sheep and pigs in a multi thousand year old cork oak and chestnut savannah system that is dying. Very interesting and sad story. He stopped while I was moving my flock by the road and said he wanted to buy lambs but he didn’t seem like he really had room for more and he never called.
@@swamp-yankee sorry, can’t remember the channel interesting until it becomes the same old, same old.
Very interesting thank you never thought she would be kept on such a grand scale
Thank you for going and sharing this with us. I do think the moisture in Scotland makes it more difficult and uncomfortable
Salam ngarit salam sukses teresa petty
Thank you for the very interesting look at how Turkey handles sheep for meat & milk. I presume some of those Merinos get sheared for wool too. Flock guard dogs are used here in the USA by some shepherds. Very interesting about the Kantal dogs (did I spell that right?) too. They look like they would be very efficient guards!
Kangal. Incredible animals, LGDs...
Kangal
Salam ngarit salam sukses derrith1877
Very interesting tour!
It's interesting to see how other cultures raise their animals, thanks Cammy.
I truly appreciate the tour of the Turkish farms. What a cultural whack in the face. I'm so glad that you run your farm so humanely. It also shows me what happens to a society where all of the wealth is separated. I've been afraid that this could happen in my country, the U.S.
Salam ngarit salam sukses jill crowe
Great setup..nice information
I thought the way you presented the puppy farm as a difference in what they need for how they farm was very well done. Puppy farms that we identify in western culture are for the purpose of greed, I'm not saying they do not make money on those dogs, but they are a necessary part of livestock raising. This was so interesting and presented with a lot of respect. Well done
I think kangals and some of the other shorter haired breeds - like Anatolian, Gampr - shouldn't be too bad for the UK as long as they have shelter. They are double coated and incredibly hardy. They do need some training, but good ones have excellent instincts to start with, too.
I think they regulate against it because of a parasite that dogs get from eating sheep muscle. It’s highly avoidable. I have never had it in my flock. Also their foot path system through pastures would probably need to be fenced off so that the dogs wouldn’t follow people in and out of gates. It’s wild what they have to put up with in terms of people wandering around in their fields. I wouldn’t dare in New England. Were someone to walk their herd dog mutt into one of our pastures and let it free my dogs would either kill it or force it to behave, and I could see that getting dicey for the UK folks who have city slickers walking around with untethered dogs.
Would have been nice to shear one you haven't before. Very interesting video.
I thought the same, but I guess that wasn't included in the trip :)
Interesting tour. So Cammy, I understand that guardian dogs won't work for your operation. How about trying a couple of donkeys as an experiment? They seem to be gaining in popularity here in the states.
Tough to convince my landlords but maybe I should try =D
Thanks for bringing us along on such an interesting trip! I do have a question - can you tell us more about that “luxury” flooring in the Turkish sheep barn? Also, I was a bit distressed to hear that the lambs are immediately separated from their mums after birth. I guess they know best what works for their business model, but I prefer your set-up. 😉
Sandi Brock has some lambs that go on the "nanny" for bottle raising right after birth. Sometimes, the ewe dies. Most often, there is a problem with the lamb staying with the ewe (big litter, ewe hates lamb(s), ewe doesn't have enough milk, etc.)
I do follow Sandi’s channel as well. As a rule, if the ewe is able to nurse the lamb(s) and accepts them, they’re in the claiming pen together to bond. From what I understand, in the Turkish business Cammy presented, the lambs are separated from mums immediately after birth and fed colostrum (but no bonding with their mothers).
It's essentially just the same setup as a cow dairy but for sheep. Hard to criticise one and not the other as it's the same principle. Unfortunate but milk is such an important food source for us.
@@TheSheepGame Exactly. When I had dairy cattle, I made the decision to leave replacement heifers on the cow and I got the leftovers. It made a night and day difference in their temperament and overall health, albeit more expensive. I even fostered my future Jersey breeding bull onto a cow, and he became the nicest, most gentle Jersey bull I ever saw (they are normally the most evil dangerous bulls). I still prefer my sheep though!
I ve watched this vlog twice before I comment….but you do lead me back down the journeys of my past. So how did I no it was Turkiye before you said it. …lived there 8 years. And loved every minute…. Don’t no a lot of details about their sheep but I ve probably tasted more home made ( non commercial) different kinds of cheese than most. U said some cheese was an acquired taste but did anyone explain about the grades of cheese with salt right down to no salt..so all tastes satisfied. Re the Kangals……Turkey is massive land wise and mostly mountainous( with 66 million+ population) and altho they have shepherds, these dogs can do the terrain and protection much better. I m sure it looks like puppy farming but it’s not done for money, it’s the jobs they do. But of course in the towns, like anywhere there are packs of free roaming dogs. …Kangals being the alphas…..so it’s not joke when , walking down the marina in Marmaris around 1 am….heading to meet friends and confronted with a pack and 2 Kangals…that would be one of the many nights I didn’t meet friends…by heading home walking backwards of course. ..so many stories to tell
Very timely video. At first I thought you might be there post earthquake.
Beautiful portrait, ❤❤from Bangladesh
I have a kangal they are a wonderful dog
Euro Sheep Tour? Now that could’ve been invented by or for you. Thanks for the slow dubbing. Those sheep don’t need shearing 😂
Hello Mr Cammy, absolutely another fabulous beautiful upload documentary and you doing an excellent great job Sir, super Awesome informative and your lovely beautiful sharing as always appreciated .. gorgeous capturing and beautiful editing filming footage and I really appreciate and enjoy watching your new adventure, keep up a great work Sir, take care stay safe .. TQSM and lot's of love and lot's of moral support from Mtl Cdn ..
I’ve been to Bursa. One thing for certain, the Turkish know how to cook lamb 🙌🏻
You need to come to aus and see merinos!
I hear the dogs do a great job of protection
👀 Look at those skinny sheep! I never knew there was a breed of dairy sheep! Now I want a cheese taste test lol
So interesting thank you
On the first farm the sheep looked like they had very long necks maybe because they were sheared? The farms are huge and very well kept it seems, love that someone realized that there is a need for sheep protection dogs there and is keeping the farms and animals safe.
That bruised my heart
very interesting Cammy, how come you are with a group travelling to Turkey, is it to do with training/farming practise, or plane old tourist with a difference, I have always loved big dogs and had great danes when my kids were young, they kept the kids in shape...lol seriously they are usually very gentle, it is the small dogs who are prone to snap and bite. but totally get why they're not in the UK, although Maremma Sheepdogs are in the UK and have been for years! loved the different sheep, and the sheds, like Sandi farms her sheep! but on a much smaller scale! lol cheers Cammy love what you do, no matter what the content!
I just prefer to see sheep grazing in a pasture. When I had my sheep dairy I separated the ewes and lambs at night, milked in the morning, then turned them all back together on pasture for the day. The lambs grew just fine and I didn’t have to bottle feed hundreds of lambs. Thanks for the tour!
Very clever method Laura. I hope the shed wasn't too near your bedroom i imagine it would be loud each night. 😁
welcome bro
I love that the government has Livestock Guardian Dogs.
Interesting and I'd say you are probably right on the wealthy owner of the last farm.
very good farming keep it up i like your job
Thanks for this Cammy. Interesting to see how sheep are raised all over the world. What kind of sheep were the last in the meat farm?
German Merino again 😁
Wonerfull sheep farm...
Every day is a school day. Some amazing facts n figures 👏 Nothing wrong with a very good " puppy farm" if run to the highest standards.
I bet if it wasn’t regulated against guardian dogs would work fine for you with an investment in fencing to keep them where you put them. My dogs never break fence and if they did they’re pretty friendly. They defend the sheep, but the one time I had a pair loose and they left one of our farms they just went to the next door neighbor’s place to visit their dog and get loved up on the porch. They don’t have to be aggressive with people to defend sheep from animal attacks, and they are highly controllable with electric fencing.
I really wish we had UK sheep and goat cheese here as most I buy is from Europe. Two lactose intolerant children
Very interesting!
Oh love seeing the kangals but would have loved to see them in the fields doing what they’re made to do. I have Anatolian shepherd crosses to protect my sheep. They need good fences, would probably be an issue in the UK!
Those merino are nice and chunky, very different to the lean Nz type
Hi Cammy! Do the dogs have to be trained to protect or is it natural? ❤great video! Very informative and well done! (You on the ground beside the dog was my favorite!😂)
So the dogs are put with the sheep as pups and they just grow up with the flock. Amazing.
@@TheSheepGame True in Romania the pups are born with sheep,Interesting stuff.
They do require some guidance from either older working dogs that know how to be in the sheep or a shepherd if you’re starting your pack.
Thanks guys! Are the dogs thought of as dangerous, as in are they a threat to people? (Kind of how pit bulls & Rottweilers have gotten a bad reputation?)
kzhead.info/sun/e72hhNl-pICqZWg/bejne.html
fascinating!
very interesting!
Are u going to the Scottish sheep show in June? PS Super video loved hearing about farming in Turkey
Where is that?
Great video Cammie interesting to see their LGD's can you tell me why they crop their ears so close to the head? 😊
Good question. I think it was something to do with them not being ripped off when fighting predators.
You some boy Cammy.
The home of the kebab. Very interesting. Thanks Cammy.
Way before the earthquake?!? Such an amazing video, beyond interesting to see how things are done in other cultures but knowing you were in Turkey recently makes me sick with worry. But obviously you’re fine or you’d not be posting the video… 😅
Yeah November 😅
That guy in the red jacket behind u is a little scary cammie. Lol
How interesting!
Definitely different but interesting 🤔 I do appreciate that you're so respectful of their practices even though it's not something you would probably agree with
I would assume in Turkey there isn't as much plentiful grass and so confinement has a better ROI. Possibly the land is more expensive as well? In Scotland, would it make more sense to fatten the lamps inside to get a higher daily gain and have a more uniform pen of lambs at sell time? It would be interesting to know what the ROI difference is given the difference in operating costs.
Lots of big finishing units here will finish lambs inside like that. I just don’t have a shed 😅
Really interesting and makes me think about the difference between "dog breeder" and "puppy farm". Certainly in the UK I think our concept of a "puppy farm" is dogs who are constantly bred, with litter after litter, with no thought to genetics, and the pups sold for as much as possible. Some dog breeders are like that, many aren't but some are. To me, the question is are the dogs happy, healthy, and treated well? Are they constantly bred or do they have a litter once every year or so? Are the matings considered to stop over-breeding/in-breeding/illness. I'd hope that these being valuable working dogs they are, if you're selling to farmers and shepards who know about dogs, and will tell all their mates if you sold them a duffer or a sickly dog then it's on the puppy-farm owners to do a good job. There are certainly more (& less!) ethical ways to breed dogs (& anything else), the dogs in the video looked happy and healthy, and what more can you ask? High animal welfare, farming, and making a profit, can coexist. Also, y'know adopt don't shop if possible, and always do research on the dog breed you're interested in and the breeder. Make sure you see pups with mum if you do get a puppy.
We have Kangal Shepherds here as well. I love Caucasian Shepherds personally. Definitely not a fan of mill type farms. However, being in the dog world myself, if the people are doing all health tests and breesing responsibily along with excellent housing conditions and care, then i see no real big issue
In the eastern part of the country there's more pasture land, so the meat sheep roam free.
Interesting facts🇺🇸
Welcome :)
Great video, Cammy! So interesting. Why not a guardian llama, alpaca or donkey?
Tough to convince my landlords for those! =D
@@TheSheepGame When you get your own farm (soon, I hope!), you can have a menagerie. :)
Great Pyrenees can be great guard dogs.