First lambs...FINALLY!

Hester had her single ewe lamb yesterday.  Not the one I expected to lamb first.  Hester hid this lamb well.  She is HUGE!  The rim around her eyes is rose colored, Hester's is black.  With a fawn daddy is it possible that this lamb will be a modified black?

 Cupcake and her grandmother Marshmello decided to lamb at the same time this morning.  So far a single from each, but I am not positive they are done yet.  I placed them each in a large jug with their new ewe lambs and came in the house to give them a little peace.  These two are very private and would hold on forever waiting for me to leave, so I will just have to go back and forth from house to barn often to keep an eye on them.  Cupcake had a moorit and white ewe lamb and either has more in there or was very over fed this winter!

 Marshmello had a mini-me big white spot ewe lamb, either black or grey, but will carry moorit.  A good size lamb, so Marshmello may actually only single this year.

 Here is a photo of Hester's lamb next to Cupcake's...born within 24 hours of each other.  Cupcake and Marshmello were both bred to Seneca.

 Hester the week before, post-shearing.  She didn't look that big or act that close to lambing!?

Cupcake on the other hand:

Some pre-shearing photos for you:

More to come later, time to go do another barn check!

Almost time for Lambs

 

Ladies in Waiting

 

ABA Lava (F1 Drum Jings white ram) had the following ewes in his breeding group:

 

Minwawe Pearl - grey flecket

Pike Hill Olympia - fawn gully

Mapleton Topaz - grey flecket

Mapleton Peanut Brittle - moorit

Mapleton Pumpkin - moorit

Mapleton Opal - fawn kat

 Mapleton Kismet - black

Mapleton Seneca (F2 Heights Orion moorit and white ram):

 

Minwawe Marshmello - grey (white spot)

Mapleton Artemis - fawn gul/kat

Mapleton Silvermist - grey kat

Mapleton Cupcake - fawn flecket

Mapleton Cappuccino - fawn kat

 

Mapelton Apollo (fawn gully half poll):

 

High Bid Hester - black

Harvest Thyme Quechee - modifed black gully

 

ewes - after shearing they don't appear to have settled or will have very late lambs.
 

Shearing this Sunday.  Lambs all April!  Stayed tuned and speak up if you see anything you would like as they arrive and as you watch them grow!  Deposit require to hold lambs.  My best ram lamb I held last year without one and now he is still here without a flock to call his own, a waste of his good looks!  Really nice yearling rams still available.  Flock starter packages available, please inquire.



Bachelor Rams - For Sale

 Soon to be Yearling Rams for SALE!  I have the two yearlings that were used on ewes last fall pictured in the previous post and are expecting their lambs in April, as well as these handsome rams that had to sit out last breeding season.  All three of the rams in today's photos are F2 Heights Orions.  They are by Swiftriver Neville.  Their half brother was featured in the last NASSA News, winning Champion Shetland ram, runner up for Supreme Champion, and Best Fleece the Eastern States Exposition in MA last fall.

A solid black ram that carries moorit out of Mapleton Peanut Brittle

(High Bid Kermit X Twin Springs Cotton Candy)

A yuglet flecket grey ram out of Minwawe Marshmello

 A fawn katmoget out of Mapleton Opal (High Bid Kermit X Minwawe Pearl)

All have a very calm disposition, not too skittish, not too friendly.  There are three yearling black wethers and one fawn katomget wether out there too, so ram companions available.  Buy a ram and get a free wether.  Rams are for sale at $350 each or $500 for a pair.   Currently in full fleece, but shearer will be coming sometime this month.  Flock starter packages available.  Adult ewes and ewe lambs available this summer.  Keep an eye at arriving lambs here on the blog, pictures will be added as they arrive.  Lambing should begin in April.  What I like about selling yearling rams?  As yearlings you have a sense of their personalities, how they have matured in terms of conformation and fleece, and best of all what their horns will be like as adults.  All of the yearling rams are solidly built, have great horns and very nice fleece.  Heights Orion gave his grand-rams that nice crimp and softness I was looking for, but I was able to retain the longish staple length I prefer.  IMHO a great combination.  Neville gave his boys his great horn genetics.  Neville is Maple Ridge on one side/UK on the other...again a great combination in my opinion.  Here is a photo of dad in case you forgot what he looks like:

Long time no Post...

Hi everyone!  I know it has been a while.  I have been checking in on occasion to read what you all are up to, but have had little time to write or comment.  I hope you all haven't forgotten about me.  I was reading the NASSA News this month and saw that a Mapleton ram did quite well for himself in New England, and I was pleased.  I also saw my new ram's triplet brother did well in the Mid-Atlantic.  It gave me pause to think what lambs may be getting ready to hit the ground here in April crossing those two lines.  I realize I had let things get the best of me and was selling my flock short in a way, ready to be out of it.  Maybe I have to just find a happy medium and keep what I am doing but on a smaller scale, because it is rewarding, fun, and I have put together what I think is a special group of Shetlands in my flock.  I am most excited about the UK sires that will have influence on my lamb crop this season.  ABA Lava is an F1 Drum Jings.  I used one F2 Heights Orion ram, and have four equally as handsome ones out in my pasture.  So I will have some wonderful yearling rams for sale this spring, a few adult ewes, fiber wethers, and a good chunk of the lamb crop.  So without futher ado, how about some photos of the adults as a preview of the lambs to come this spring:

 

Christmas Special

Looking to start a flock of lovely Shetland Sheep for someone for Christmas?  I have several bred ewes if you would like to put starter flock together.  I still have rams and wethers for sale as well.  You could have lambs born on your farm this spring.  I really only  have my friendly ones left.  The rams I used were ABA Lava (F1 Drum Jings), a moorit and white F2 Heights Orion, and a fawn gulmoget.  Inquire for more information and pricing.  Happy Holidays everyone!

Fall 500

Well I am willing to sell an adult ewe, and ram pair for $500 this fall.  That is quite a deal.  I have some really lovely rams that need a flock of their own.   I would also sell you two rams for $500 or the two adult ewes for $500, or all 4 wethers for $500.

 The two ram lambs above, a modified black gulmoget and a solid black ram that carries moorit, are available immediately.  The rams below have a little work to do before they leave, so anytime after Nov. 21st, they could be made available.  All ram lambs born here are F2 Heights Orion.  The white ram ram is an F2 Drum Jings from Autumn Breezes Acres in PA.  The half poll has Harvest Thyme, Lil' Country Acres, Windswept, and Pike Hill lines.

 The ewes available are Minwawe Pearl:

 And Mapleton Peanut Brittle (High Bid Kermit X Twin Springs Cotton Candy)

In other news, Scooby continues to be adjusting well to his new home.  Here he is in the center of the group.

New Pony

Okay so I went and got him anyhow.  He needed a good home and I could provide it so meet Scooby.  Amish school bus in his younger years.  Now just in need of a good pasture and some TLC.  He is 20 something, 12 hands high, and rides and drives.  The other horses and ponies have accepted him without incident.  I turned him out in the riding ring next to the back pasture where they could see each other first, that where he is pictured in the second photo.  The horses like him, which is great sign.  Over the years I have learned those two are pretty good judge of character.  All ponies and horses they hated, didn't get to stay here long (for every one's safety).  The ponies accepted him too, as long as he keeps his distance from "Pudge's pony mare" all is good.  Scooby is fine with that.  Food Pudge will share, but not Whinny.  Glad Scooby passed their acceptance test with flying colors.  Hope to get him working lightly soon, letting him settle in first.  I will keep you updated and will post a picture of the 5 of them together.   Sheep post soon too, I promise.  Still have some nice rams and wethers for sale.