#1608 Tessa, #1511 Lydia & #192 Thea

 We have been going like gang busters with lambs.

I think we have 23 ewes yet to deliver...I have to double check on one of these, she may not be bred.

Our expected last day for lambing is March 25th, so we should be busy for the next week and a half.

Early this morning Tessa delivered twins, ram and ewe.  She was bred to Shamus.

Tessa and Shamus are both spotted shetlands

Both lambs are moorit and white.  The marking are interesting.

#1511 Lydia also spotted was bred to Shamus to.

Having twins, a ram and ewe, these are also moorit and white.

Notice the same marking across the rump on the lamb above and below??

I find this interesting, I don't know if this is a pattern in the breed or not.  It doesn't match anything that is shown on the breed associations poster for possible patterns.

#192 Thea (who is also Tessa's daughter) who is a solid black ewe was bred to Moogega, my ram lamb that is black and white, spotted.  He is just considered "flecket", but his black markings are only on his withers (shoulders) and forward.

Thea, delivered this single ewe lamb today.

She also has interesting markings, around the rump also.

That's it for today, hoping we have a few more tomorrow.

Successful shearing day and lambing has begun!

 We had a great day for shearing our sheep.

With many hands helping.....I appreciate all of you!!

We have many fleeces still available, all of these are quality fleeces for handspinners.

The sheep have been coated and the fleeces are very clean.

many colors available.. brown based colors, brown and white, black and white.

White and black and many grey.  All clean and ready to be spun!

The last few years I've made a list of all the sheep, along with their names and micron information if available.  I've also listed the sire and dam of each one.  I like to keep this in the barn as we shear

so we can at a glance see the micron date or genetic lines.

This has been helpful to us as well as our guests, handspinners, in making their selections.

There is much preparation that is done prior to our Shearing date.  So we were busy cleaning our area that is used for shearing the sheep because our round bales of hay would normally be in this spot.

I didn't get any photos while we were shearing this year, I just didn't think about it.

We did have our first lambs born on Monday, March 3rd.

#161 Troyana delivered Twins, black ram above and grey katmoget ewe below.  The sire is Two Tone.  We repeated this breeding.  I really liked the lambs she had for us last year.

This little ram lamb was born Friday, March 5th.  he is a dark brown (moorit).

His dam is #201, Lark, his Sire, is a black and white spotted ram, Hoyt.

#203 Ophelia delivered twin ewes on Saturday, March 6th, on our Shearing day.  The sire, Moogega, a spotted black and white ram.  

This ewe is #1547 Lilly, a flecket, I just love all the body spots!  She was bred to Moogega.  A ram that was born here last year and also has this same pattern.  I was really hoping to get this pattern by breeding them together  and success!

We got this cute little ewe lamb.  She looks like she has a big head....but she doesn't.  It's just the angle that I took the pic...it makes her look a little funny!

From what I understand this body marking isn't considered a pattern according to the breed association, it is just called flecket.

But, I tend to think that if a consistent "marking" can been repeated... that it is a pattern.

...just my thoughts on that one.

So the shearing is done and on to the lambing.  Many more lambs to come.

If you are looking for nice clean spinning fleeces shoot me an email to 

make arrangements and check out our fleeces.