Rotational Grazing

 Time to move the electro-net.  Sad to say I miss placed a roll or two.  Actually took them down and forgot to pick them up and now the grass has grown up and I can't find them!  So that is my job today move the netting and locate the ones that are missing.  These photos were taken this past weekend and they are ready to move again.  Here a few pictures of sheep I am retaining in my flock for the time being.  Yearling - Mapleton Silvermist by Zeus so some her half sisters and brothers are currently for sale.

Yearling moorit Can Too Sky - may carry the modifier from her mom who is mioget.  She will be bred this fall then may be offered for sale next summer if she gives me a true mioget to keep in her place.

 High Bid Hester and HarvestThyme Champ had twin lambs this year.  The single yuglet patched ewe lamb and this mystery ram lamb.  He will be retained for further evaluation.  Small "chips" for horns.

This grey ewe lamb has to stay, I just can't help myself.  Marshmello's other daughters, Peep and Sprinkles are offered for sale, as well as this lamb's twin F2 fawn ewe.

Dog Days! Record high possible today!

 Rosie

 Three puppies on the go!

 Liver Male for Sale

 Liver Female for Sale

The puppies are doing really well.  They are up to date on everything and will be 12 weeks old tomorrow.  They are really super puppies and are ready for a family to  call their own.  They are 100% crate trained had had their second booster shot.  Great at staying around and coming when called.  The are very sweet and are doing really well learning not to jump and don't even puppy bite anymore...well they still rough house with one another and chase Aunt Lucy (our other GSP).  Lucy is still hiding under the couch so puppies really need to find a good home soon for Lucy's sake.  The rest of us are getting more and more attached so the sooner the better.  These are really fantastic dogs and have great potential with their breeding and champion bloodlines.

What has got your goat?

 Whistle and Watson have twin kids that are beautiful, one buck and one doe.  The Saanens are all registered or registrable.

 Lilly is 100% Nubain but has registered parents but has never been registered.  She has been exposed to Watson all spring but I never saw him have any interest in her.  However, there is a possibility she is bred for fall kids.  As you can see her dehorning was not quite successful at a few days old. LILLY IS SOLD!

 Hoping my vet had better luck nipping the kids horns in the bud, literally.  I am afraid I get quite uncomfortable holding them while she does it so will take the blame for Lilly.  This time I tried not to show it as much so maybe she had better luck and didn't stop too soon.

 Watson

As I explained in a recent comment, and many of you know from the past.  I have always been on the fence about the goats.  I would like only a pair...if any.  I would like Whistle and her doeling to stay or Whistle and Watson to stay, OR I would like them all to go together as a group.  However I have to clear all goat decisions with DH, since all sustainable living animals are "his".  The horses and sheep are "hers".  As someone said to me recently, "but you are the boss of the barn."  Well I like to think so but maybe that is why I don't like goats, they challenge my authority.  :)  If you are interested any or all of my goats, give me a shout!

Change of plans...a different ewe lamb selected...

 A new Shetland flock is starting locally.  From the pictures they had selected the ewe lamb below.  When they came to pick out the second lamb, Violet and her daughter (above) decided that they were going to make the selection easy on the new shepherds and wormed themselves into their hearts!   The ewe below is actually Violet's half sister.  She is by HarvestThyme Champ and could be a poll carrier, from Champ, or Hester, or both.  She is now offered for sale.

I took some good photos over the weekend.  I will post a few over the next few days.  Starting with  Dessie's twins:

 Fawn katmoget ram lamb and moorit ewe lamb.

It is Monday!  Anyone want to make an offer on any lambs, sheep, goats, or puppies?!

Hershey and her son reunite with old friends!

 It is a bitter sweet feeling to watch her leave for a new home, but I could be happier about the home she is going to.  She and her wether son will be reunited with one of her ewe lambs from two years ago, as well as 2 wethers from last year, and 5 sheep from the year before, 2 wethers and 3 non registered Shetland ewes.  They as group make a beautiful handspinner's fiber flock with two of the nicest folks as their shepherds.  I will miss Hershey but I am so glad she will be retired from breeding.  I am also pleased she will have two of her children with her to keep her company and have the chance to get fat with her only job to grow her beautiful 12 pound fleece.  Thanks Lee and Cheryl!  Here is a photo recap of your purchases:

2011

2010

&

2009



 Not too sure which is which but one is with this fiber flock and the other is with Hershey's bottle ewe from this year with a 4-H family (can't read tags in this photo).

Thanks again and happy SPINNING! :)

Sheep Math

Minwawe Pearl

I am sure you have seen the "Chicken Math" on some fellow bloggers' blogs, but today I was thinking it also applies to sheep!  I started out with 24 sheep, 20 ewes and 4 rams.  Sixteen lambed, giving me 30 lambs.  So up to 54 minus 1 bottle baby given to a customer that have bought sheep from me in the past.  We are at 53 right?  Well if I sell half my adult flock and two thirds of my lamb crop, it should reduce my flock size right?  It certainly FEELS like I have a lot for sale in my effort to simplify my life.  So let's see.   I keep 12 adults, and 10 lambs for further evaluation...whoa...PAST 20 again! 22! That means I have to CONTINUE to make really hard decisions. 

So a few more lambs may be added to my sales list...just not sure which ones yet.  In terms of lambs I think using multiple rams makes the decision making process more difficult.  Right now I was thinking of keeping two ewe lambs of Zeus', one gully and one kat.  Two ewe lambs of Champ's one possible mioget and one gully.  Three ewe lambs of Neville's, both of Peanut's moorit and black (maybe I should only keep one) and Marshmello's grey.  So that would be 6 or 7 and then I am deciding between 4 ram lambs...two of Champs both without horns at the moment so temping for sure, and one or two of the F2 Heights Orion ram lambs...I like all but really I can't keep them all.  I plan to use only one or two Shetland rams this fall and only breed 10 or 11 adult ewes, using a terminal Cheviot or BL for freezer lambs to back up the groups.  As a family member said to me the other day...then we will be less tempted to keep on keeping lambs.

Since I have decided if I really want to keep Marshmello's grey, I have decided that I should let my beautiful Pearl go. I can't believe I am saying that but I really have too many sheep!  So she is for sale with her F2 Heights Orion ewe lamb or Sprinkles, I want her to go with a friend. Add an unrealted katmoget ram lamb and you have the makings of a great starter flock!  Inquire for pricing.

Moorit, Modified, or Musket? (some spotted or with a hint of white)

Mapleton Peanut Brittle had twin ewe lamb this year.  This moorit ewe below has some flashes of white around her face.  If Peanut sells, I would like to keep this F2 ewe to be the replacement moorit in my flock.

 Then we have Marshmello's beautiful ewe lamb that is brown based with a dusting of white around her neck.  She is beautiful and very correct.  I have kept every ewe lamb Marshmello has had to date.  They are simply impressive.  This year I am placing on my sales list 2 of her adult daughters and this ewe lamb ONLY  because I would like a smaller flock size.   Not sure what her color is going to be.  Her sister is Ag but I am not seeing the sugar lips on her.  Light moorit like Sprinkles possibly or fawn would be my best guess at this time.  She is an F2 Heights Orion and seems to have her sire's crimpy fleece and her dam's longer staple, which I think has the makings a really nice soft crimpy intermediate fleece, which was goal at least.  She will carry spotting.  As a single purchase she is $350...with one of her sisters or another lamb there is a $50 dollar discount on each.  Repeat buyers also receive a discount (hint hint Mac).

 Pearl's ram lamb below is looking like he is going to be musket to me due to the light rings around his eyes.  I really love this ram lamb and think he will be an excellent flock sire.  Great looking horns, nicely built, good tail, flashy markings, soft intermediate fleece, and is an F2 Heights Orion.  He is SOLD and will be travelling to Cape Cod this summer!  Life's a beach!

 HarvestThyme Champ was a half polled ram I used this fall.  I loved his crimpy fleece and his nice wide stance behind.  Little Country and Windswept lines which a little bit of a contradiction in terms, but worked.  It was debatable if he was mioget as registered (he had a mioget mom) or just light moorit.  I think his ewe lambs out of Mapleton Opal will keep me guessing too.  What do you think?  There is definitely a hint of gold but will it turn to a true mioget, I guess time will tell.  These fine ewe lambs may or may not carry spots and polled.  I would like to keep one but that puts me up to 10 lambs I would like to keep for further evaluation and 10 adults.  I guess that brings me back to my magic number of 20.

So that is everyone...I think.  Many breeders keep the best and sell the rest.  This year I am really selling some of the very best in an effort to bring my flock to a more manageable size.  I may breed only a handful of Shetlands next year for purebred lambs, and the rest will be bred to a terminal sire for freezer lambs.  This summer may be the best time to add something to your flock from Mapleton Farm.  So leave a comment, email me, or call me to reserve your sheep and lambs!