Mapleton Farm Sales List: October 2010

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Zeus' Group

Left to right: Dessie, Hershey (Corrie X), Quechee, Violet, Spooky (Cheviot), and Sprinkles. Zeus in front.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

October 23rd and 24th Breeding Groups Put Together

I'm exhausted! But the groups are done. Zeus got his group yesterday and the Cheviot was bred within minutes. The rest of the groups were put together today. Sorting was an event with a goat that wanted very much to be included! None of the Shetlands were receptive to their rams but Neville and his ewes are in the south pasture. Zeus and his in the North in the old sheep shed/pump house. Champ and his ewes are in the barn. The rammie lambies are still out back. The goats and lambs are in the big shed now that the fencing as been replaced/repaired. Pigs in the garden and the horses even get to keep their stalls and don't have to give up their current turn out! Lots of groups to "deliver" feed/water too, since the chickens are still in electro net as well. But is only for a short time so it will be okay. Well I guess it will have to be. I was able to get a photo of two groups before it got too dark and my camera stopped cooperating. I will post pictures of some of the rest as soon I get some good ones. So lambs are expected right on schedule as the last few years. The week of March 20th with the crosses and the Shetlands to follow. Lambing here is usually complete by mid April.

Left to right: Peep, Marshmello, Neville, Carmel, Cotton Candy, Peanut, Pearl in front.

Potential poll carriers: Hester, Olympia, Opal... Champ will help determine if they really are.

These three ewes are my personal favorites. Pictured: Hester, Olympia, Opal, and Champ.

All three ewes are strong in my opinion. Champ might be able to add a little more width in their stance. They are straight just not as wide as he is. All have a fair amount of crimp, nice handle, luster...which he also has but he is tighter crimped so could add that to their fleeces. I had second thoughts when I saw my "faves" in a group and wondered if I was putting them with the right ram. Once I added him and looked again, I was sure I did. Champ has a lot to offer and in with his girls he is very content and more manageable. He even let me scratch him, and he hasn't let me do that in a year! He needs a flock where he is the only ram or could be kept separate. I could give you a second ram for free to be wethered by your vet as his companion...if anyone is in the least interested please inquire. Little Country and Windswept lines. Registered as such and looks modified to me. Polled genetics...here is your chance to give it a try.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Be patient...that is what I keep telling myself...

I really am trying to not breed any of the lambs until next year but it is so hard not to be tempted to throw one of these fine ewe lambs in a breeding group with one of the handsome ram lambs. I will TRY to be patient! Good news is that means I really like the lamb crop and new additions and am pleased with my choices. I am also very pleased that I sold some very beautiful lambs to some very nice people again this year. It is so exciting to be part of the development of their Shetland flock. I should have a little something for everyone next year so look forward continuing to do so. Like longer double coats...got some. Like intermediate...have some of those too. Like short tightly crimped fleeces...have those too. Got patterns, colors, and spots. Have domestic stock and some UK genetics. Mix it all together and it should be a VERY exciting lamb crop. Here is a look at some of the lambs from this year:

Mapleton Storm the perfect replacement for his sire Minwawe Bahama.

Mapleton Silvermist, grey katmoget. The only Zeus lamb I kept this year. I am looking forward to more from Zeus this spring.

Silvermist again with Mapleton Hope. Storm's twin sis and perfect replacement for her mom Minwawe Serendippity - both parents are together again at Spring Hill Farm in PA. That is the farm that the very handsome ram below is from: Spring Hill Patches.

And speaking of PA...Can Too Sky joined our flock from Ewe Can Do It Farm.

Then we come to Mapleton Cupcake. Can you say yum! Take a look at her fleece! It is the "frosting on the cake" as her conformation and markings are very nice as well.

So I kept three Bahama ewe lambs (4 Bahama babies total). Pictured from top to bottom: Cupcake, Hope, and Bella.

So time will tell. If anyone ends up in a breeding group it might be Hope with Patches, and Silvermist with Storm. Sky and Cupcake tie for third biggest but I think they will be keeping my petite Bella company, as she is definitely in the need of another year to grow. She weighs the same as Quechee did last year and as a yearling is just as big as everyone else this fall. I think that some just need that extra year more than others.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Duplicate Post

Breeding Groups 2010

I think I have made my final decisions after writing it down 100 times since summer, typing it out on my computer, and rechecking my thoughts every time I visit the ewes or the rams. So here they are, to be put together by the end of October:

Swiftriver Neville AI (black...may carry spots)

- Twin Springs Cotton Candy (fawn smirslet)

- Mapleton Carmel Apple (fawn katmoget)

- Mapleton Peanut Brittle (moorit)

- Mapleton Peep (musket HST)

- Minwawe Pearl (grey yuglet flecket)

- Minwawe Marshmello (white with grey yuglet markings)

Mapleton Zeus (fawn katmoget)

- Harvest Thyme Quechee (black gulmoget)

- Mapleton Destiny (black and white flecket)

- Mapleton Violet (black HST)

- Minwawe Sprinkles (light moorit flecket)

- Hershey the Corrie cross

- Spooky the Cheviot

Harvest Thyme Champ (mioget half poll)

- High Bid Hester (black)

- Pike Hill Olympia (fawn gully)

- Mapleton Opal (fawn kat)

Mapleton Storm will be clean up ram for Champ, and Spring Hill Patches will clean up for Neville, as both are unproven. I might add a ewe lamb or two to the clean up group or groups late in the season. I was thinking Hope to Patches group, at the very least. Also thinking about finding a buck for Whistle. That would give me about 17 bred, and roughly 21 Shetland lambs, 4 cross breeds, and 2 goat kids. That is only a few more than the past two years, so certainly manageable. I will post pictures of the groups once they are together. Here's to the wait! I better start knitting and spinning to keep my mind off of it!

My wish list this year includes a modified ewe lamb, a gully ewe lamb, and a nice soft grey ewe lamb which is why Neville is getting all my Ag ewes. Out of the 9 ewes not on Zeus' list, he is related to 6 of them. I love my Hester & Zeus daughter from this year so I could be tempted to repeat that pairing, but I really would like to see if I could get a full poll ram lamb out of her as her first lamb was a ram with very small scurrs. She has only given me black so I am also thinking I could get an emsket with Champ. Although Zeus may carry modified as his mom Olympia is fawn. The other two not on Zeus' list are ones that have produced something similar that I have kept. I have Pearl's daughter with Zeus' grandfather Kermit (Opal), and Marshmello's daughter with Zeus' dad Cooper (Peep). So I thought I'd try something different this time around.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Fall Roving

Black roving %100 Shetland (some white fibers from the white markings and iset fibers): Violet, Serendipppity, and Hester. The brown %100 Shetland: Cha Cha, Libby, and Peanut. The new roving back from the mill shown below with yarn bow of the opposite color.

So I have many shades of browns, blacks, greys, taupe, off whites, and white. In %100 Shetland, Alpaca blends, and Mohair blends. Prices range from $2.50 to $4.00 an ounce depending on the blend and if it is lamb or adult fleece. Inquire for more information. Click on roving label to see more pictures of other colors available. We also have some mill spun yarn in brown, black, white, and grey in Alpaca/Wool blends.