What do you get...

when you cross a solid black ewe with a solid light moorit ram that has a mioget mom?  Got to love it and I thought I might not get spots this year!  That is a ram on the left that appears modified and catch this...he doesn't have horn buds!  Yep may have just have gotten an emsket, yuglet, sokket polled ram!  At the very least he is a half poll.

Sis only has one yuglet patch and her face is completely white around her eye on the other side...very cute.  She appears to be black with flashy white markings, including her cute little tail.  Mom is High Bid Hester and dad is Harvest Thyme Champ.  Again couldn't be happier with the outcome of this pairing.  Olympia is ready to go anytime now and Hope was in with Patches for one day and was due yesterday so it should not be long now.  Have a good night everyone!

Mapleton Carmel with Bling!

Okay so  you know I have a thing for kats, and spots, and Orion...but how about it all in one?
So what do you get if you cross a solid black ram, Swiftriver Neville AI, to a solid fawn katmoget?  Not the best pictures but it is really hard to get good photos in a jug...he is turning toward me but it is the best one I have of his markings...

 How about that bling for F2 Heights Orion ram lamb!?  And his twin ram lamb below with a little bling of his own.  He looks like a foal to me with those long elegant legs.

Carmel had a little trouble yesterday but delivered these good size ram lambs yesterday afternoon, with a little help clearing the horn buds of the first.  The second followed very quickly with no help at all.  I was glad I was there.  The first was little weak after his ordeal and was slow to get up but the second was up almost instantly.  I had to keep directing her attention to the first because the second was stealing the show.  In the end she got them both cleaned, up and nursing, and both look great this morning.  I did give them both Nutridrench and a BoSe shot which seemed to give them an added boost as well.  Carmel another first time mom exceeding my expectations.  Did these little rams just oust a few of my older rams out of a job here?  Maybe...these spotted boys are not related to my Minwawe sheep.

Neville's lamb crop for the year is complete.  He gave me 6 ewes and 5 rams.  All look fantastic!  The rams are all spotted, one katmoget that I think is grey under all his white, 2 black HST, 2 moorit (one HST).  The ewes he gave me:  3 black (one krunet), two moorit, and one grey.  Have to check my photos and compare to the markings poster and written descriptions to give you the correct names of the markings.  I wanted to see what a little UK blood would do to my flock and I couldn't be happier with the results.  I believe that breeders should try to remain open minded and try new things and see how it works for them, and this case I was really happy I did.  Having the option is what I find myself arguing for more often than not.  I really have always been drawn to Heights Orion offspring and was glad to find one available here in the northeast.  Neville has a great temperament to match his good looks.  That I love.  I do think a mature ram here over the long haul is something I may not be ready for.  If you are interested in Neville let me know.  He will get almost all the ewes in his breeding group this fall if he is still here.  He could be made available before breeding season or late fall.  Inquire if you are interested.

Other ram stats later...got to go check on my last three hold outs...Hester, Olympia, and Hope.

More ewe lambs and pictures!

This morning I was greeted with Mapleton Opal's new ewe lambs being dried.  Opal another super star first time mom!  These lambs are by Harvest Thyme Champ and DO appear to be modified (they are still wet in this photo).  Did I finally get my mioget?  Only time will tell for sure, but those golden tints by their ears and underside look promising.  Their fleece is VERY nice.  I knew I would be pleased with this combo.  One of these girls may stay, the other will be offered for sale.

 Then around noon Cotton Candy had a half grown single ewe lamb by Neville.  She appears to be black with a krunet.  Out of 4 Ag ewes only one lamb out of 7 is also Ag (Marshmello's littler ewe appears to be grey). 

And as promised, photos of  Quechee's ewe lambs!

Gul/Kat and gulmoget.  I am not sure if the gully is moorit or modified.
  Love her fuzzy poll.

That is all for now, but I have to go do a barn check so there may be more to report very soon.

Quechee has TWIN EWE lambs this evening!

Wait for it..........Okay a brown based GULMOGET and a fawn GUL/KAT!  Oh our decisions are just getting harder and harder! And another first time mom doing it like a pro and with twins.  I think there will more before the night is through and I will make sure I take my camera back out with me so check back tomorrow for pictures.

Photo update and Peanut has twin EWE lambs

 Minwawe Marshmello and Swiftriver Neville's twin ewe lambs.

 Minwawe Pearl and Swiftriver Neville's twins...ewe above and MOORIT HST ram lamb below,  Ag black and black parents that both carry brown.  He is stunning!

 Mapleton Peanut and Swiftriver Neville's twin ewe lambs that were dry, had nursed, and family was resting comfortably when I checked at 6:30 am.

Peanut is a great mom and this is her first lambing.  The twins are big!  Actually all the lambs are big except Marshmello had one moose and one mouse again this year.  The tiny spotted girl spent the night in the house being bottle fed and warmed up...a BoSe shot and Nutridrench and fitted for a fleece lamb coat later, she was ready to go back to mom.  Marshmello happily took her back.  Such a great mom!  One of Dessie's twins is very delicate but she is mighty and her twin is a very sturdy boy. Updated photos of the older lambs next time.  On deck is Cotton Candy who was trying to lure Neville from Peanut this fall so should go any minute.  Kats Carmel and Opal, Gully's Olympia and Quechee, Hester and Hope to go.  We are at 200% lambing, first time mom's included.  There will be some really beautiful lambs sheep for sale.  Speak up if you see something you like!

And a post is not complete without puppy power photos.  The girl on the center left is sold and has a great personality now to go with her flashy markings.

More new lambs...

...Pictures to follow but Minwawe Marshmello had twin ewe lambs yesterday and Minwawe Pearl had a ewe and a ram today.  Neville is the proud papa and one is spotted and one is solid (maybe a few white hairs on the top of the head) in each pair.

Update...

Hershey my Corriedale/Dorset/Finn cross had her twins in Thursday morning.  They are 1/2 Shetland and are a ram and a ewe.  We had a tense few days but she has resigned herself to the fact that she has to feed them.  Unlike last year, she accepts them as hers and isn't trying to harm them, but would rather not care for them either.  She will not be bred here again if I can help it.  She had her first lambs at age 3 and prefers the role as Aunt that she had settled into at that point.  If anyone is interested in her for their fiber flock she gives a wonderful 12 pound grey fleece every year, and is available for sale after weaning.

Other updates (which will be outdated by the time I post this I am sure):

-10 Shetland ewes left to lamb.
- 6 ewes (4 Shetland) have all lambed with twins.  We have 4 ewe and 8 ram lambs.
- The puppies are beginning to walk, open their eyes.  Rose is still as super star mom.
- Picture  update below-

Cheviot/Shetland cross ram lambs.

 Sprinkles' lambs

Puppies!

 Girls pictured above and the boys below.