Wordless Wednesday

Peanut's Twins

Peanut had twins last evening.  One ewe and one ram, and both white but will carry moorit.  These babies are F2 Drum Jings.  The ram's fleece is so interesting.   Very crimpy and soft, very consistent all they way to his tail, but looks like it will have a longish staple length.  So many of the crazy crimpy ones have shorter fleece lengths.  The black and white ram of Pearls is very crimpy all the way to his tail too.  I really think these F2 rams are very special.  I can't wait to see them mature.  Peanut's ewe lamb is a cutie too.   I plan on keeping very few rams this year, if possible.  I also plan on only keeping one white ewe lamb.  The challenge will be deciding which one, all looking very nice so far.  So if you are looking for white, give me a shout.  I have F2 rams of both Heights Orion and Drum Jings available now, so if you are looking to add UK genetics, please inquire.

 Here are the first pictures of Peanut's pair:

(ABA Lava AI X Mapleton Peanut Brittle)

Let's start with the first lambs born:

 

Hester's single ewe lamb

Cupcake's single ewe lamb

Marshmello's single ewe lamb

 

Then the next group of lambs:

 

Topaz's single ewe lamb

 

Peanut's twin ewe lambs

 

Pearl's twin ram lambs

 

On deck:

 

Opal

 



Olympia

 



Peanut

 

Missy and Quechee

 



 

Peanut again

 

 One other katmoget, Cappy, on deck as well but I guess I didn't get a photo of her.  So lots of patterns to come.  That makes one gul/kat, two kats, two gullies, and a moorit to lamb.  Also ABA Lava is white, and white is dominant to all patterns and colors.  However, Lava's mom is a katmoget so I have my suspicions as one of Pumpkin's twins shows some signs of having hints of  kat under her white...

 

Lambing Update

Pictures to follow.  Walked to the barn with camera in hand, only to find that my battery was dead.  So while it is charging I will just fill you in and add photos later. 

Yesterday Minwawe Pearl had twin ram lambs.  One HST black (? maybe grey) and white and the other is all white.  Now I know what you are thinking, both rams!  But these boys are out of the same ewe that is mother to the ram, King Tut, that was Champion Shetland Ram, Best Fleece, and runner up for Supreme Champion ram last year at the Big E Sheep Show in Springfield, MA.  Their daddy, ABA Lava,  is the triplet brother to the ram ABA Lego who won top ram last year as a ram lamb at the Mid Atlantic Shetland Sheep Show.  So I have high hopes for the quality of these two ram lambs and am excited to see how they mature.  I don't show myself but is always exciting when sheep related to your flock do well and I was very excited to see them in the January NASSA news.

Pearl's daughter Topaz, full sis to Tut mentioned above, also bred to Lava, and had a beautiful white ewe lamb that is F3 Heights Orion, and F2 Drum Jings.  My first ever genetically white ewe lamb (Marshmello and her daughter are actually big white spots, meaning they are grey or black genetically completely covered by a white spot).  So this beauty may not be for sale, depending on what else Lava throws.  I would like to keep one true white ewe lamb.  I think I may have over fed this winter.  This was another very large lamb.  I went easier on the grain, but they can get over conditioned on hay as well.  I feel I little like the boy who fed his fish too much...who remembers that book?  Only thing is Mr. Carp is not coming to help me out!  This first time mom needed a little help with a leg caught back...I had to rotate the shoulders for her to get her clear...but she did fantastic and the lamb was up and nursing in no time, no worse for wear.

That is the latest.  I will update as they arrive and add photos.  So far the count 4 single ewe lambs, and one set of twin ram lambs.  Seven more ewes to go.

Edit here:  still no pictures.  Too tired, maybe later.  Pumpkin had twin white ewe lambs Sat. night just before midnight.  She has decided she just wants one, like most of the rest, and is taking turns to which one that is.  It is frustrating me to no end, I just hope the first time mom figures it out before she hurts one of them.  Lets them both nurse but then bats them around a little on occasion when they come nose to nose with her.  Had them jugged, then thought maybe in the whole group chaos she would figure out which TWO smelled like hers, but that didn't go well so I decided the jug was a safer setting.  Hope they make it, both really pretty, and she is one of my favorites...well WAS one of my favorites, not so much at the moment.  Debating between being patient and letting them figure it out, and taking one in the house to raise as a bottle baby.  We will see how things go.  Just have to keep a very close eye on them.

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: