Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Oh, My Poor Babies!...
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Boston Lake Ris
Ris again. I really like this little lamb. He's already caught up in size to the other lambs. He just impresses me when I look at him.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Boston Lake Bam
The other day when I was taking pictures, I tried to get a good one of Bam. All I got were photos of his hind-end. This one isn't even the best photo of his back end, but it does show him next to Lyneth, who happens to be about the same size as all the other lambs. Can you see why I keep mentioning how big Bam is?
Initially, I had Bam earmarked for butcher next spring. However, Clancy really likes this lamb. He feels he could be the perfect flock sire for some shepherd with particular goals in mind-big correct meaty lambs. Bam's conformation is excellent, although this picture doesn't really demonstrate that. He also belongs to my son, Asa, who doesn't want to see him go to butcher.
So I have agreed to offer Bam for sale. He was born 4-15-08 and will be available after weaning. As of now he is unregistered but his parantage is Windswept Unicorn x Boston Lake Delyth.
Bam's fleece has a wonderful handle to it. He has only one Awt gene so only half of his lambs will be born white. His tail is short but it has some hair at the tip that makes it appear longer. Hind quarters are very straight. Bam is a very masculine ram lamb and has had tremendous growth. He was very vigorous at birth and he has stayed that way. His sire has excellent wide horns and a large, muscular frame. His dam is from a good mothering line. She is black iset at 2 years with a moorit recessive gene.
Please contact me at sabrinalea19@yahoo.com or by phone at the number listed in the footer if you would like more information about Bam.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Boston Lake Duvie
This little ewe lamb is my funny girl. She was born between the older lambs and the youngest batch of lambs, so she didn't have anyone her exact age to goof around with. Bam initially tried to bully her and she decided to beat him, and all the other lambs, to the punch. Duvie is my little independent thinker. She is happy to run with the mob, but she also can be separate from them without anxiety.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Boston Lake Lyneth
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Thoughts on Farming
This photo shows the ewe flock running up to me a couple of days ago. Our yard and farm doesn't usually look like this in mid-May. We usually have a lot more green grass.
The grass has been so sparse that I have just been letting the ewes and lambs have free roam during the day. There is enough grass over the whole 4 acre lawn to feed them, but not enough in any one paddock. Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day and last night we had some light rain. This morning it seemed as if the grass had grown overnight. Hopefully, I will have time to set up electronet for the girls today or tomorrow. I think it is good for them to have full range of the farm, but I worry about predators sneaking in at this time of year. I'll feel better once they are fenced in again, and I'll be able to leave the farm during the day.
The two rams are still in their round pen with hay feedings. I want to get them out on grass as well to save the last few bales of hay for emergency feedings.For a while now I have been offering my white ram, Unicorn, for sale. Nothing definite has come of that so far. Last night, however, I was sorting through some recent snapshots and I came across this picture of Bam and Nadin. Clancy was looking over my shoulder and remarked that he liked the photo and he also really thought Bam was a good looking ram lamb. Clancy, with his Hampshire background, is still more impressed by meat sheep conformation than wool sheep conformation. Anyway, we were talking about how large Bam is compared to all the other lambs and Clancy suggested the idea that I could keep Unicorn and use him to produce butcher lambs.
I have been contemplating purchasing a BFL or NCC or some other breed to use on a few of my Shetland ewes. The extra money to make that investment just isn't there, though, since we are trying very hard to get the house finished. Unicorn, however, sires really big lambs; much bigger than I prefer Shetlands to be. And Bam is very muscular compared to Bombarde and his male offspring. So why not use Uni to produce butcher lambs? They would all be "big and white and meaty" compared to the rest of the flock. :) And since Unicorn has such impressive horns, I wouldn't be too sad to keep sending his offspring to the freezer.
What prompted this idea is the fact that I have several people that are interested in buying butcher lamb from me; and I really don't have any to sell. I would have to butcher a good ewe, or Unicorn to fill the orders. Bam isn't ready to go to the freezer quite yet. So the demand is there and I want to fill it. Plus, we are out of lamb ourselves, and I want to fill up the freezer.
I will continue to breed for fleece fineness and polled genetics using my very best Shetlands. But the other ewes that give me not so scrumptious fleece can stay and produce butcher lambs for me. I'm looking forward to exploring this idea.