Da Boys!

 The five ram lambs above are to be wintered over for further evaluation.  If however you are in need of a ram, let me know!  I have an heir and obviously more than one spare!  And I have more Neville heirs on their way, the entire adult ewe flock was bred to Neville this fall. 

Fiber Chistmas Shopping? Look no further!

NEW ROVING:

Along with a variety of natural colors in a variety of blends (Alpaca and Mohair).  I have some dyed roving and bats to offer for the first time in 100% Shetland.  The rainbow bats are fawn katmoget overdyes. 

The burnt orange swirl was supposed to be orange and natural brown they overdyed the brown by mistake and left the off white natural.  Not the sample I showed them but super soft roving none the less, and makes for a deep orange that is unique, with a frosted effect.  I am a little disappointed as I was looking forward to the other combination but the mill is working with me to make up for their error.   This is the first problem I have I had with this mill, unfortunately there was 12 pounds of my softest fleece in that order including Sky's lamb fleece!  It is nice roving and available for sale.  It is just not what I envisioned, so I am willing to part with it.  I am hoping I have better results with the yarn they are spinning for me. 

Finally, the natural charcoal is Slivermist lamb fleece, a grey katmoget, and modified black gulmoget Quechee (22.9 average micron) so uper soft.  If you are interested in any new roving let me know.  Also check out  the sale and fiber pages to see pictures of  other roving and yarn I have available.  Inquire about our Christmas Special!  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Zeus' patterned keeper ewe lambs...

I also kept 3 of Mapleton Zeus' ewe lambs...

Minwawe Sprinkles' daughter ~ Fawn Katmoget

 HarvestThyme Quechee's twins:

Gulmoget ewe lamb modified (fawn? or mioget?)

 Fawn Gul/Kat ewe lamb

I could go on and on about what I like about these three, but I think they speak for themselves.  Could you have choosen between the three from each ram?  That puts at 9 ewe keeper ewe lambs.

Next three ewe lambs retained...

These are HarvestThyme Champ daughters.  A half poll that I used as a flock sire last fall.  He was of Little Country Acres and Windswept lineage.  Two farms you many not seen crossed often as they seem to be of differing philosphies on Appendix A, however the cross made for some really nice results when crossed with what I have here.  Maybe something to be said for middle ground.  The one thing I did not like about this sire was the power struggle he had with the horned rams here.  Maybe he felt he had something to prove, but after fracturing the pelvis of one, he found his way to the freezer.  Before he did he was bred to three ewes with great temperaments, which yeilded great results.

 Black and white ewe with the SOFTEST handle I have EVER felt, and very nice fine, fine, fine crimp.  She is a High Bid Hester daughter and Maple Ridge Logan grand-daughter.  The largest ewe lamb of the crop.

 Mapleton Opal's ewe lamb...would you call her modified?  Opal is a High Bid Kermit and Minwawe Pearl daughter.  I really like this ewe lamb as well.  She is more petite but put together very nicely, and also has very soft finely crimped fleece.

Then we have a Pike Hill Olympia daughter, twin of the handsome gully fawn (mioget?) ram lamb.  Is she  dark enough to call a moorit gulmoget?  The darkest of this year's gullies, but still may be modified.  Her fleece is not quite as fine as her half or full siblilngs, but still a really nice ewe lamb with an awesome personality to match.  I do not believe she is a half poll however, as she has small horn buds herself.  Her twin rammie has very smalll scurrs so is a half poll.  Her face is still not as light as her fawn mom's but her body and legs have gotten pretty light.  Really love some color imput on her and the rest of the gullies you will meet over the next few posts.

I had said I was keeping 3...

I guess I should have been more specific...

I had only wanted to keep three ewe lambs...TOTAL.  I ended up keeping 3 ewe lambs from each of the main flock sires I used last year.  So I figure that if I use only one flock sire this year, I will be less tempted to keep so many lambs next year, maybe only my target 3.  We will see how that theory pans out.  In the meantime let me reintroduce you to the ewe lambs kept over the next few posts.  I will start with the Neville ewe lambs, which makes them F2 Heights Orions.

These twin ewe lambs are out of Mapleton Peanut.  Both mom and dad have around a 24 average micron and these two did not disappoint.  I will have to get a parted fleece shot for you, they are uper crimpy under their tips and have a lovely hand to their fleece as well.

 I would still consider selling the black ewe lamb, if anyone is doing a little early Christmas shopping, OR her mom rebred to Neville but not both.  I would like to keep at least one in my flock as they really have such lovely fleece.

Then we have the lovely grey ewe lamb out of Minwawe Marshmello.  She is so sweet and a gorgeous color.  Less crimpy, has a looser wave than her siblings but very soft hand.  She also has a longer staple length.  A petite ewe lamb...she is the little might that spent her first night in the house and weighted less than 3 pounds at birth.  She is growing well and I expect her to do a lot of catching up over the winter. 

Neville

Well Neville and his ewes are getting along well.  He is very polite.  Even let me catch all of my ewes  for their rabies vaccination boosters when the vet came.  You would think he would have a problem with me separating them out in a catch pen and then going in to get a few that would not leave him, but he was great.  He is such a good ram.  I have a pretty good idea who is in season and will lamb first as them seem to follow him closely.  They too seem to appreciate his gentle nature.  I was so pleased with last years lambs, I am really looking forward to lambs from him again this spring.   In his group to lamb here he has:  two kats (one black, one fawn), two gullies (also one black and one fawn-both I think are modified), two solid moorit, one solid black that I do think is actually modified rather than iset, two grey flecket, one fawn and one black flecket, one black and one musket HST.  All my adult ewes.  All the big B ewes carry little b, with the exception of Hester.  She is BB.  There should be lots of variety of colors, patterns, and even a few spots again! 

 Can Too Sky will be expecting her first lambs.  I am very excited about this pairing.  She is a beautiful ewe.

 Mapleton Peep will hopefully give me a ewe  lamb this year.  Her ram lambs all have been stunning.  I am keeping her moorit (possible modified) son to replace his dad.  Her other HST black and white ram is still for sale, looking for a flock of his own.

More photos of this past year's lambs tomorrow.  Have to go get ready for the ferrier.

Token Goats

Whistle and her doeling.  I am thinking of naming her Song.

 Watson and Whistle back in January

Close up of Watson

This very nice buck is for sale.  Good home a must, serious inquires only.



Urge to Purge

I like the flock size of 20, I do.  I am currently at 30 to winter over.  That is too many over so I am still offering this lovely black F2 Heights Orion ewe lamb for sale.  I really like her so I would keep her if I sell her mom Mapleton Peanut  Brittle as a bred ewe.

I really love my pretty Minwawe Pearl as I have told you time and time again, but I would also consider sellling her as a bred ewe, as well as Mapleton Peep.  I have others with their genetics in my flock so I could spare any of these three.  Prices on bred ewes is $350 for one, $625 for two, or $900 for all three.  All are in with Swiftriver Neville.

 I have decided to sell all but 2 ram lambs if anyone is interested.  If the rest don't sell I will winter them over and sell them as yearlings or send them to the butcher as shearlings.  So you MUST speak up before shearing.  I might have the vet wether a few for potential fiber pets.

Last but not least, SOMEONE PLEASE buy my registered Saanen buck.  Really nice fellow from really good milking lines.  Leads nicely and is not aggressive at all.  He is stinky though!  I just REALLY don't particularly want goats!  Sorry to those of you who like goats, but I just don't so much and I am feeling a little overwhelmed with all the animals here at the moment. I really need to simplify.   So available very reasonably to a good home only.  Whistle and her doeling will be my exceptions and will stay for the time being.

Simplified Breeding Groups

 In the spirit of making life more simple around here, I decided to have ONE breeding group for sheep and give Neville ALL the adult ewes.  The group went together today.  It is my last chance at Neville lambs so I decided, why not.  I really like him.  He is sold and will leaving for his new home in a few weeks.  All lambs born here in 2012 will be F2 Heights Orion lambs. If people want or need unrelated rams for a starter flock, they can buy a yearling ram I winter over, there are 8 and 5 are not related to Neville (3 Zeus and 2 Champ).  I may let one of these boys be clean up ram after Neville leaves, most likely the half polled gully.

 So 15 adult ewes are in Neville's group, 2 are sold and will be going with him to his new home.  So I will have 13 bred ewes for spring lambs.  Still thinking about selling a few bred ewes yet this fall so inquire if you are interested.

 So the other "groups" are the non breeding ewe lambs and goat doeling.  Not mixing so well, they are terrified of her!

 They just kept moving as a group, away from her...

 There are 9 ewe lambs in this group.  I had wanted to be at 20 sheep in my flock, it looks like I am at 30.  Down from the 54 post lambing, but still a few more than I had planned.  I am going into winter +6.  Not too bad considering I had 30 lambs born here this spring.  Next year I will have to continue to make some difficult decisions.

The other two groups are the bachelor ram lambs, and the goat pair Watson and Whistle.  Still have some for sale so again please inquire.  Really would like to sell Watson at this point.  He is a nice buck but I really prefer the sheep...I will keep Whistle and her doeling as the token goats on the farm.  Priced to sell so speak up!   This will be the last year for goat kids for a while.  Life is just too busy for me to milk a goat twice a day on top of EVERYTHING else!  Maybe again someday, but for now I need let that idea go for a while.

Finn enjoyed helping "shuffle" sheep this afternoon, although I would not exactly call it help. 

Last call!

Breeding Season is almost upon us, ram or buck needed anyone?

I still have some really nice Shetland ram lambs and a Saanen buck for anyone that may have procrastinated and find themselves in need of a ram or buck this fall.  Last call!  Some of these guys are just too nice for the freezer.  Please inquire for more info and pricing.  Serious inquires only.

Reflections...

 The ewe flock grazing the south pasture is a pretty sight in the fall especially.  I have spent some time lately comtemplating my flock and the other animals here.  I have also spent some time watching the live stream of the Morgan Grand Nationals on the USEF websight.  I realize that it is important to know ones purpose.  I for example, would not pluck my horses from their pastures and expect to compete a the National level.  Even though they have the breeding and training in their background,  I once upon a time the riding ability to do so...they are horses here in the full sense of the word.  In this point in my life, I would not have it any other way.   Although, I may dabble at the local or State level, long gone are the days I could have been a National contender.

The same with my sheep.  They are sheep here, grass based rotational grazers, burdocks and all.  I do not grain them for optimum growth in the first six months like many show orientated farms do.  Not to say there is anything wrong with that.  If that is your objective, that is what you have to do.  The key is knowing your purpose.  I have bought sheep from all across the Nation, because I was looking for a specific trait that I wanted to add to my flock; patterns, spots, fine fleece, polled, a specific color, or UK genetics.  Buying from far away can be challenging.  I have some funny stories to prove it, like the fact that a ram I once bought from a picture was a different ram altogether once he got here, my "ram" was a ewe and went to MN.  Some came with slight flaws but I take full responsiblity for the selection, afterall I didn't go select them in person, nor did I go pick them up.  In my opinion, that is the trade off  of the convenience of having them delivered from far and wide with the wonderful attributes they were bringing with them.  I think my flock has benefitted quite well:

In all honesty, I wouldn't have that any other way either...at this point in my life.  I still could reduce my numbers but I still like what I have put together here and am pleased with the results.  Someday I will have the time to go on buying trips and make those all important addition selections in person, but for now I think I will just hold steady for a while.  So my flock will not be dispersed, reduced maybe, but not dispersed...they fit my purpose just fine...

Stand by your Ram

 After a goodnight sleep and some good advice, I went out to take photos and think about my flock with  my sheep.  One thing is for certain I stand by this ram, Swiftriver Neville.  He is a F1 Heights Orion.  His dam is Swiftriver Thistle (Cairn Farm Frosty X Maple Ridge Althea).  Fall two year old micron of 26.5 SD of 4.8 and CV of 18.2.  Despite being all that you see in his photos, he has a wonderful temperament and carries moorit and spots.  He will get most of the ewes I decide to breed this year.  The hard part will be deciding on which ewes that will be and that is yet to be determined.  He leaves for his new home end of November.  I will really miss him but I only use my rams for two seasons.  He, I think I could have kept forever.  I didn't want to winter over any mature rams this winter.  I am wintering over a few of his sons for futher evaluation to replace him.

 The new man ~ The half poll gulmoget will get my two possible poll carriers, Hester and Quechee. 

 That is all for the moment...more thoughts on the ewes later. "The End" says PEARL!