To Do...

Shearing
lambing supply order
paper work
seed ordering
lambing prep
fence repair
Maple sugaring (if conditions permit, maybe not happening this year)
begin to come up with my sales list...

 I plan to sell 8 adult or yearling ewes, and all yearling rams.  I am trying to keep a balance of colors and patterns.  I am attached to them all at this point so I have to try to keep emotions out of it.  Plain and simple, I need less sheep and I decided that this the last year for a full lambing for a while.  Maybe only a few bred this fall.  Then we will take a break but I want to keep a nice foundation flock for when I am ready to pick up where we left off. 

Pending the black and white lambs I will get from Neville, I would like to keep a total of two black and white ewes, including to be born lambs.  Some of these fine black and white ewes pictured below may be available.  There is interest in Dessie already as well as her yearling ram.

 Can Too Sky and Mapleton Peep will be available after weaning.  I plan on keeping Sky's lamb and maybe one from Peep.

 Peep's yearling rams are for sale, available anytime.

I also am getting pattern heavy so even though I LOVE all the gully's.  I am willing to part with a few of the yearling ewes and ram.  I will keep one, most likely Quechee's.  I know I really do love my pretty Pearl but if she gives me a ewe lamb again, I will keep the lamb and let her go this year.  Peanut gave me an outstanding moorit F2 ewe last year so I would also be willing keep her and part with Peanut.

This is so hard because I have some really lovely sweet sheep in this group, but here are my thoughts prelambing, subject to change after lambs arrive.
FOR SALE:
All 2012 lambs (except 3 I really am going to stick to that this year)
All yearling rams
Peanut
Pearl
Peep
Sky
Dessie or Hope or the yearling black and white (likely 2 of the 3, possibly all 3),
Olympia's yearling ewe lamb
Maybe Quechee's gul/kat...she is very tiny but so was Quechee at her age.  Some lines really need that second summer to mature, so I will wait on my final decision on her.  Unless a pet or fiber home is interested in her sooner.

The Final Four

This ram is looking for a flock of his own!   There are only four available registered lambs for sale this fall left.  Dessie's twins.  Which I can't believe are still available as you know they will carry those crazy spots of hers!

 Peanut's black ewe lamb, which I would not be heart broken to have to keep.  She is the softest black lamb of the entire lamb crop.

 Then we have Peep's exceptional black and white ram lamb.  He is maturing into a really nice ram.  He was looked at over the weekend and may be going to a new flock soon.  Six generations back on his pedigree he is related to the flock he may join so it depends if the flock owner wants something 100% unrelated.  I am keeping his solid moorit (maybe modified) twin brother as you know I  am still tinkering with those elusive modified colors.  However this ram is the better ram overall. 

Other sales updates.  Carmel's black and white ram lamb sold this weekend.  The grey kat with the long tail and the mystery gully half poll am unsure what to do with.  They may go to the butcher this fall or  be wethered and wintered over.  I will sell either/ both at a deep discount without papers if you want to give them a home to save them from the table.

Three ewe lambs sold today only 2 more available...

 Cotton Candy's F2 ewe lamb (check out the praying manthis on her in this picture) is sold.  She and Pearl's and Opal's ewe lambs have a wonderful new shepherdess.  Pearl will be staying the season and will be rebred to Neville.  I do love my pretty Pearl even though she pretends she doesn't like me, I know she secretly does.

So Dessie and Peanut's ewe lambs are still for sale, as well as some really handsome ram lambs.  Dessie's ewe and Peep's ram would make a nice breeding pair as would Peanut's ewe and Dessie's ram.



F2 Heights Orion Keeper Lambs and Fall Breeding Plans

 This is Peep's son by Neville.  Please excuse the burdocks...the boys were bad and got into everyone they could find...like they were looking for them!  I am keeping this lamb and the one below that is Carmel's son.  Neither will be used this fall but given the year to mature.  I really like both these ram lambs and they both have black and white HST twins that are still for sale.

 The plan is that Neville will get the largest breeding group with 10 ewes (2 sold).  Two other ram lambs will get a breeding group: a katmoget son of Zeus' and Sprinkles' and the fawn gully of Olympia's and Champ's.  They will get two ewes a piece (all B) to avoid BB lambs when possible.  Neville will get two B ewes but both are also patterned and carry moorit Bb.  All ewe lambs like the ewe lamb below will be given the year to mature as well.

 This is a fleece shot of one of the F2 ewe lambs.  Two black F2 ewe lambs are still available as well as a dark moorit ewe lamb and 2 katomoget ram lambs of Zeus'.

Fall is in the air...

The nights are cooling off, back to school ads have started, and here in NY you know summer is almost over when the NY State Fair, that is the 10 days preceding...ending on Labour Day, promos are on the radio non stop.  So now is the time to think about our breeding groups and you yours.  If you are still in search for a good ram we still have some available...

 Father and son pictured above:  Swiftriver Neville F1 is sold but his handsome F2 HST sons are still for sale.  Peep's above and Carmel's below.  Excuse the bare paddock...they really do have pasture with electronet but they had come in for the evening.

 The polled boys...one is staying here and the other is sold.  SOOOOO soft and crazy crimpy when you part their fleece!

 No question about this ram lambs horned genetics.  Dessie and Zeus' son is very handsome and correct.  Fleece length will be longer intermediate, has luster, and nice crimp coming in at the skin.  very soft handle as well other than the burdocks he and all the rams were able to find!  AND GREAT HORNS!

 Can Too Sky will be in a breeding group this fall.  Color opinions?  Moiget mom, registered as moorit.  Most likely will be in Neville's breeding group....I think I will give him all the adult ewes this fall before he leaves.

 I also still have some really beautiful ewe lambs for sale in moorit and black, three different sires.  All could carry spots even though they are not loudly spotted themselves. 

 So our days escaping to the lake might be over:

 Time to begin harvesting the fruits of our labour:

 The pigs are getting big:

 Chickens laying about 2 eggs a day, just enough for us.  I don't think I could bring myself to buy grocery store eggs.

 Finn maturing into a wonderful dog!  Lucy still adjusting but out from under the couch now that there is only one pup to try to avoid.  Hey not the garden! 

Garden fall crops have been planted...need to get in and do some more weeding and find something to do with all that squash!  Everything else coming in slowly but surely.  The recent rainfall has really perked everything up out there, including the lawn and pastures.  Time to knit some hats which means I need to get going and spin the yarn I want to use.  Hope everyone is enjoying their summer.  I have enjoyed it but I really do love the fall most of all!

Possible Change in the Sales List

I try to sell my lambs quick so I don't get attached to too many of them.  Well that is the theory anyway.  Some folks wait to even place their lambs on their sales list until they mature more and can be fully evaluated.  That way you don't let keepers go by being too quick to sell.  Well I have too many keepers as far as I am concerned because I like them all and I have to try to move more lambs before it gets too hard.  I have had to say some hard goodbyes this year already but with 54 sheep post lambing it was inevitable.  If all my sheep were carbon copies of each other it would be easy but the Shetland diversity makes it more difficult and more enjoyable, I guess you take the bad with the good.  So this lamb below was originally to be sold and if someone doesn't want her quick I might not be able to let her go at all.  She is a possible polled or half poll...and spoken for twice but the first home chose a more friendly ewe and the second had transportation issues getting her to TN.  So maybe it is a sign that she belongs here.

 If she stays I might sell the black F2 ewe of Peanut's with horned genetics.  Peanut is also being removed from my sales list due to the unexpected loss of her triplet sister and sale of her mom.  I am keeping her moorit daughter pictured in the center as well.  Peanut may be for sale again next summer.

(Excuse the recycled photos below) Peep has been making her case that she needs to stay and been sucking up to me every time I go out to the pasture.  Her beautiful fawn half sister left yesterday and another half sister Sprinkles is also sold, so Peep will be staying for this breeding season.  Might be available again next summer.

 Everyone has had to give up some of their favorites in order to keep lambs, so Pearl on the left still for sale.  I love my pretty Pearl but Marshmello's F2 ewe lamb is just as beautiful shade of grey and will be staying.  If Pearl is here this breeding season that will give me 13 adult ewes of breeding age...3 less than this past year so I am making progress keeping my numbers in check either way.  I would love to see her go with her beautiful F2 solid black ewe lamb, so a package price is available.  It has not been easy but have met some wonderful folks this summer and glad I can help them with their flocks.

Sales Status

Neville, Cotton Candy, and Sprinkles have had a deposit made on them, and will leave as  a group in November.  Bella and Marshmello's fawn ewe are being picked up this weekend.  Storm leaves in a couple weeks and still waiting to hear about transportation for Pearl's ram lamb.  Anyone want to take a  ram lamb to Cape Cod for me?  Hope's ewe lamb was sold this week.  So what do I have left?

Black ewe lambs:  Cotton Candy's krunet and Pearl's solid (F2 Heights Orion) by Neville, and Hester's spotted (likely poll carrier)

Morrit ewe lambs:  Dessie's solid dark morrit and Opal's (possible poll carrier and possibly modified)

Katmoget ram lambs:  Dessie's fawn and Violet's grey (longer tail would sell without papers for $100)

Black and White F2 Heights Orion ram lambs:  Carmel's and Peep's

Two Saanen goat kids, one buck and one doe

Here a few photos I got of the ewe flock this morning before the rain, which you can see we really NEED:

And Finn...all other puppies have sold.  He stays and is a great dog!

Shetland Rams: Sold and For Sale

 Pearl's ram lamb, Neville, and Storm are all spoken for...

Still for sale are katomget rams, HST F2 Heights Orions, and possibly willing to part with mysteriously marked half poll:

A break in the weather so time for a quick update...

No AC in a house built in 1850.  Radiant heat so no hope for central air.  Window units not practical with 10 foot ceilings.  So when it hits 100...we hit the lake!  We don't own a boat but they sure do make a pretty picture! Sorry for the lack of posts...simply too hot. 

 German Shorthaired Pointer update.  This is Reilly...not Rose.  I have to double take most of the time now.  She is a beautiful dog, sweet, and smart.  She still most likely going to a family friend...just depends on which family friend is really serious.  The ones we held her for decided they are not ready.  Another is coming next week and will most likely purchase her.  If not, a third is still considering her.  Weddings, babies, and new jobs have been the reason for all the indecision.  Between the three, one of those excellent homes should work out for her.  She is a special pup and we are very attached to her so we needed to know where she is going.  She was the one that I saved during delivery and had to get breathing.  Therefore, always my sentimental favorite.  Unfortunately Rose and Lucy (our other GSP) think two puppies is too many.  Rose does much better with the male pup as the breeder of the stud dog told us she would.

 Finn the male pup we are keeping:

 Making sure no upland birds bother the sheep!

 After the chicken fiasco.  I have been locking in the sheep every night into the welded wire which they are destroying.  Time to get them up front in the south pasture and hope that fence stays hot enough to keep them safe.

 They have been let out everyday into electronet, but it has been so dry the pastures are not what they usually are.

 I have some really beautiful sheep and lambs still available for sale.  Prices are negotiable to the right homes. Please inquire!

 Quechee's lambs are too cute.  The gully in front and the gul/kat to the left.  The lamb to the back is sold and waiting for pick up.

Hope everyone is tolerating the heat.  We did get a little much needed rain today.  I hope we get more soon.  I never remember a July this hot or this dry.  Record breaking last week!  Blogger is not letting me comment anymore...must be something on my new computer locks me out.  When I have the patience to struggle through my lack of texting skills, I can sometimes leave a message from my phone.  So on that note Kelly and Kristi thanks for visiting and commenting on my last post.