#61 Andrea

Andrea, a white shetland delivered a single ram lamb on Friday, 3/29/19.

She was bred to ram #191 (my border cheviot/shetland).

So this ram is 3/4 shetland and 1/4 border cheviot and he really looks like a cheviot.

That's it for this weekend.  

Dottie #20, Guiselle #128, #172 & Olivia #113

This morning was so busy in the barn I had to 

go into work an hour late.  

Above, Dottie, my friend Dave's ewe.

Dottie was bred to Gordon, the cape flecket ram.

and YES! We did get spots! (hope they stay)

Early this morning I didn't notice that the ewe lamb on 

left has moorit spots.  The ram lamb on the right has black spots.

 #128, Guiselle had spots also. Yes!

The bummer is that they are both ram lambs.

I just new that she would have spots, she has always delivered 

lambs with spots (yet she has not spots, except some bleset markings on her face)

 but they never stayed, always fading away.

Guiselle was bred to Gordon.

The lamb on the left has black spots, the right is moorit.

 Above, Ewe #172 a white shetland that I have not registered yet.

I haven't decided if I want to sell her or not.  She was bred to ram #191,

a shetland/border cheviot.  The lamb is a ram and he really 

looks like a hunk, those B.C. features came through on him.

This first time ewe made me crazy this morning.  When I came

into the barn she was laying with her lamb at her side.  He 

appeared to not have eaten anything yet.  I picked him up to move 

them into a pen and this ewe really didn't seem to care one way 

or the other.  She had paid no mind to this lamb at all.  She wasn't 

aggressive at all...she just didn't care, she didn't talk to him or lick him.

He was hungry, I had to halter her and tie her to a gate.  I helped 

him to find his dinner and she just didn't care, she patiently

stood still while he nursed. (she's the one that caused me to be 

late getting into work).  I had my friend Dave (yea Dave!)

stop by late morning and check on everyone.

By then she was being a good mom and had figured out that 

this was her little guy and she needed to care for him.  whew! 

#113 Olivia, my mioget.  I just love this ewe, she is soo sweet.

I did cross breed her this year to ram #191 the shetland/border cheviot.

I didn't want to disturb them, you can see they have bonded well 

and the little guy is catching some zzzz's.

Hopefully we will get a little break tomorrow morning.

We have 27 lambs on the ground and still have

10 or so ewes to deliver.

#162 & #163 Mae Bell

This has been a ridiculously busy day today.

It's almost 10pm and I'm just getting to posting todays lambs.

 Above, Ewe #162 unregistered at this time. This ewe will be

available after weaning. Early this morning when I went out

she had delivered this moorit ewe lamb. She was bred to my

crossbred ram. The lamb is of crossbreeding and will be available 

after weaning.

 Late this afternoon, after work, when I arrive out to the barn

#163 Mae Bell was just beginning to birth the first of these twins.

One ram, one ewe, both grey katmogets.

Mae Bell was bred to Gordon, so the ewe lamb will be staying

with hopes to continue to breed her in the future to another 

spotted ram and see what we achieve.

That's it for today...morning will be coming soon enough.

#167 & #125 Paula

Friday evening I always "tell the girls",  

"Ok girls, lets have those babies this weekend!" 

Because I know I'm going to be home and I'd rather be here,

knowing I can assist if needed instead of at work

wondering how things are going.

Well this weekend three of the girls did deliver their lambs.

Two of them delivered last night.

 Above, a first time mom (shetland ewe) which I have not named nor registered.

She was for sale last year and hadn't sold, so I cross bred her with my

Border Cheviot / Shetland ram.  This ewe is still for sale, she can 

be registered or sold as unregistered.  The lamb, a morrit ram.

 

 Above and below, Ewe #125, Paula was also bred to the 

Border Cheviot / Shetland ram.  She delivered two ewe lambs.

One white, the other katmoget with spotting, very similar to her dam.

All of these lambs will have their tails docked tomorrow and 

all of them will be available to go to new homes.

#118 Luna

Luna had delivered these twins by the time I had come out this morning.

Luna was bred to my Border Cheviot/Shetland ram.

These lambs will be available after weaning.

The black is a ewe, the white a ram.  Both are very nice

looking lambs, they are 3/4 shetland, 1/4 border cheviot.

Your can really tell the difference in their face, ears and 

tails from the purebred shetlands.

Their tails will be docked tomorrow.

I think I may have another ewe ready to deliver soon. 

I'm thinking a late night trip to the barn will be in order.

#137 Marni

This morning Marni had delivered twins.

One morrit ewe and one white ram.

I swooshed them off into a pen for some bonding time before

checking on everyone and feeding some hay for the new day.

 Marni was bred to TwoTone, another spotted ram that we are 

working with.  Last year I bred her to Gordon, our cape flecket

and we got two ewe lambs, one white, the other black.

This is just part of trying to get to spots.  It will probably take another 

year. Putting last years ewe lambs back to a spotted ram and then

hopefully getting lambs with spots that stay.

That's all for today!

#132 Xbred ewe (cormo/shetland)

When I arrived in the barn this morning my

other Cormo/Shetland ewe had delivered her lamb.

This long and linky Border Cheviot 50%,Cormo 12.5%/Shetland 37.5%

 ewe lamb.

I will be docking her tail tomorrow.  She will also be 

available when weaned, sometime in June.

#131 -shetland/cormo ewe & #129 Willow -shetland ewe

New arrivals today.

 I have two Shetland/Cormo ewes in my flock.

They produce very nice white fleeces, a bit heavier 

than the purebred Shetlands.

 This year I bred both of them to the purebred Border Cheviot 

ram that I have right now.

 The ewe that delivered today gave us two long and linky ewe lambs.

These girls won't be staying here.  When they are weaned and

big enough (probably mid-late June) they will be going to 

a new home.  These girls would make someone a great addition

in a mixed breeding flock.

 This ewe is Willow, a purebred Shetland.  She is a sweet ewe and I was exited to see 

what she was going to give us this year. I bred her to Gordon,

one of our newer rams.  He is a Cape Flecket (spots)

 Well that Katmoget pattern is strong.  Both are grey katmogets.

The ewe lamb has a large white blaze on her head and face.

The ram lamb appears much darker grey.

It will take a couple of years with some of these lambs, putting them

back to other rams with spotting to get more spots or cape flecket pattern.

I do have a couple other ewes that were paired with Gordon

that have given me spots before, but the spots always faded away.

So I am excited to see what I get from them.

Stay tuned.....more to come, just don't know how soon.

Ewe #173

I have a couple of ewe's that I have not registered from the 2017 lambing.

One of them has delivered today, #173.  

So, guess I better get to it regarding her papers.

 This ewe lamb was born today. She is also out of Ram # 26

Gwenever DuRoy.  Her fleece will also be very fine.

So far that makes 3 ewes and 3 rams with more to come.

#70 Laurel

Last evening, March 13th. Laurel delivered twins.

 Both are rams...of course!  

The morrit above is going to be really fine. He is much lighter in color

than he appeared last night, of course he was still wet when I seen him.

I didn't notice a copper look to his face but he appears lighter

We'll watch him and see what happens.

This black lamb has a few white hairs on his forehead, other than 

that he is completely black.  At this time his fleece does not appear

that it will be as fine as his brothers, but I'm sure he will have a

great fleece.  

Laurel was bred to Ram #26 Gwenever DuRoy

Shearing, sheared, shorn and spots too!

Waiting for your shearing day is like waiting for

Christmas morning  when you were a kid.  

Yep, that's how I would describe it.

Out to the barn early to get everyone squeezed together in a pen 

to wait on their turn to be sheared.  The ewes get to wait on the rams.  

We shear our rams first so we can put them back into their pen in a

much smaller space. For their safety...it seems that the rams

always have to reestablish their pecking order and want to push 

each other around.  Having lost a ram once to this we find 

this to be a safest way to handle them.

This morning I let them out and everyone is getting along well.

Our shearer, Sardis did a wonderful job shearing all our sheep.

He sheared 56 sheep in 7 hours, bless him.

This is a young man's game.

 The girls were famished!  

They were fed the morning prior to shearing.

So they didn't have full bellies making it more difficult or stressing

on them while they are being shorn.

They all loved getting their fleeces off! 

As soon as they were turned loose from being sheared they were 

immediately looking find a gate to rub on.

I was so exited when this yearling (in the middle) was shorn.

She was wildly spotted when she was born and like the others

that I've had with spots I figured they would fad away.

When I pulled her coat off and parted her fleece I was sooo happy.

She has kept her spots!!

I look forward to getting to pair her up with  potential suitors

since we now have a couple of rams that do have spots

(I've save them for another post).

So a long, tiring and exciting day was had by all who attending our shearing.

Many fleeces were sold and many more have yet to be skirted, 

but that will take me a little longer as I also have to recover

from this long day, like I said "it's a young man's woman's game.

Shearing date & more new lambs

We will be shearing our sheep on Monday, March 11th.  

I expect our shearer to be here in the morning (don't have an exact time yet)

and should be done by early afternoon (hopefully).

Anyone that is looking for farm fresh fleeces contact me.  

We will be selling fleeces the day of shearing to anyone that might 

be interested.

We do have a volunteer crew ready to help in our shearing this year

as it takes several hands to make this day a success.

LAMBS:

We had two ewes that each delivered a single lamb.

 This ewe is #174, Iola.  A first time mom.  She delivered this 

very fine white ram lamb this morning when I went out to the barn.

He has tan on his legs and some on his face and a black spot you can 

see in the picture below.

Iola was bred to Gordon one of our newer rams that is spotted.

This little guy already has decent horn buds and his fleece looks 

of a circular crimp.  Iola fleece is white, super fine and very dense.

 #103, Olympia delivered this really big ewe lamb this afternoon.

Olympia was bred to TwoTone, he also has spotting, but that

lovely katmoget pattern comes through strong.

This little ewe is a grey katmoget, just like her mom.

 We have many more to go and you just never know who is going to deliver next.

...maybe tomorrow?

 

 

2019 Lambing begins

February  28, 2019 This cute little katmoget ewe lamb was born.  Our first for this season...more to come!

The Dam is my Whistle Stope ewe, bred to ram #26 Gwenever DuRoy, who was sold last fall to another shetland breeder in New York.  

Can't what to see what else we get using that ram.  Most of the ewes that were in with him were bred before he left in October. 

Stay tuned...