Samples of the February Offerings

This fleece will have 2 months to do some more going, than it will be sheared, and offered for sale .

I'll be posting all of the photos around the 12th of January, 2012. They will be available for sale on that day.

   Then they will be sheared on February 12th. and shirted. The sold fleeces will be mailed out on the 14th.


This is one of the colored ones...

And another...

Once again this year you'll be able to purchase in pound increments, or the whole fleece.

 

The Winter Chores

Dex and I were in the barn on Saturday changing sheep coats and checking out the gorgeous fleeces under those coats. Actually left Dex to hold the ewes in the barn so I could retrieve the measure tape to measure the length of the fleeces that I was looking at...WOW! The ewes are already at 5", and the spring lambs are 3". The fleeces look wonderful.
I've had to hire a new Shearer, as I have lost the one I used to use to Nebraska :>(.  I am thinking that because the new Shearer lives so close to me I might let the lambs go to spring. Those will be wonderful fleeces as it would be their hogget fleeces.
I plan to check the rams today...
Sharon will pick a sunny day in December to do photos of the sheep, and their fleeces. I'll be cutting a sample to send to Yocom-McColl  for Micron testing.
When I get my hands on the rams I'll take photos of their fleeces, than I'll post them so you can get a taste of what will be available.
Shearing will take place on FEB 15th 2012.

Fall of 2011

This year has been a wonderful year for the sheep. The lambs sold very well and I am very happy with the breeding animals that I have kept.
I am really tightening my belt on what I will and will not accept as breed stock. I know not all folks can afford to do that, but I will NOT sell what I would not keep myself.

My "I Hate List"...

No Scurs or Horns
Mature Fleece 17-23 microns, (not 23.1 or higher). Fleece test to prove it.
Mature Ewes: Prime fleece, (under the coat) 4# or more  Mature Rams: 4.5#'s or more of Prime.
Temperment
Hardiness, and worm resistant

I have lambs due in November, and the rams are in breeding groups for late winter lambs.
This go-around I have three breeding groups formed. Two registered groups, and one colored. I can't stand the wait.

I made a purchase of two Tunis ewes and a ewe lamb, as they were headed for the meat market. They all are being bred to Pepin...we'll see what that produces. Keep thinking that I should get them their own Tunis ram, but I will wait and see.

The end of the month I'll be delivering a ram and ewe to a friend in Ohio. She is sick of her ram throwing her "horned" lambs so she is getting a really nice young ram from me. His head is clean as a whistle and she should have very good luck with him. She also has a ewe that has scurs and she too is part of the problem. The ewe that she is getting from me has never thrown horns, and she is very "clean" headed.

I told her to let me know what she gets from this crossing as I would be interested in a lamb from it.

Please if you are buying Registered animals that are suppose to be polled...Check Them.
This year I rid myself of ALL my scurs!

Once again I have "Thank" my sister for the photos...

New lambs are coming...

This is a pre lamb photo...Mona. I am expecting trips or quads, and hoping everything goes well...She is creating many sleepless nights for me.

This Vanessa's moorit spotted ewe lamb born at 10:00pm on Sunday, Feb 27th. Very excited about this ewe.

Arti had triplet ewe lambs last Saturday at 4:00am.

 These are Endives twin lambs, she had them today at
1:30pm

Butternut, 2011 ewe lamb, Cha-Cha,

and another photo of her.

This Diana's ram lamb, Dylan. I am assuming that he will mature into a gray...he is a fun color right now :>).
As usual it will be a wait and see...

May and Tempest, aka The Blizzard Baby.

The Hired Hand

This is Dex. The Border Collie that I bought from Denise Rackley. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dex with Denise's Sheep

 

 

 

Sharon and I drove to Indiana, (almost to Kentucky), to watch Dex work Denise's sheep, before deciding to buy him or not.
Dex is fully trained and very good with the sheep.

Denise's sheep are very used to being worked by dogs and seem very complacent about the whole ordeal. My sheep met Dex on Sunday and they were a bit more panicked about the situation. They are now getting used to the weekly round- up for inspection.

Once a week Dex and I go and gather up the 3 pens of sheep, one pen at a time and check their heath, hooves, and coats. What used to take me several days to do now is done in one day.
I used to have to call the sheep into the barn with grain, get the gate behind them shut, and than chase them around and check one, than chase again, check that one.etc etc... you get the idea.
Now, Dex puts them in the barn, and holds them there. While he is "holding" the sheep, they stand stock still, and never take their eyes off the dog. I can walk to each individual and do what I need to do to them. They won't move a muscle while I change the coats.
He also helps when I feed, as I used to have to get off tractor, open gate, keep sheep from getting out, drive tractor through gate, get off, shut gate, get back on tractor, drop hay, and do it all in reverse to get out of pasture. Now I open gate, send Dex, drop hay, drive out, tell Dex "that'll do", and shut gate.
He has been a wonderful addition to the farm, and a
great time saver...I LOVE this dog.

Denise's Sheep and Dex

Lamb Pictures

Cormo Top

White

 Here is the Cormo Top that is available.

Price is 3.75 ounce, or 60.00 a Pound.

Very dark browwn

Light Gray-Brown