Thursday, June 5, 2008

Duvie's Color

Here's my little Boston Lake Duvie. She is Bramble Allister X ShelteringPines Dolce and probably the plainest of all the 2008 lambs. Of course, she has proven to be the funniest of all the lambs. I can't really explain why, but she makes me laugh out loud every time I'm in the pasture. I think it has something to do with her short and chunky stature compared to the other lambs, and her insistence on pestering. She's just a character! And by no means, aloof.
A few weeks ago I noticed her face turning brown. Compared to her black half sister, Nadin, Duvie has really an odd color to her face. Since I was trying for a modified lamb with her breeding, I know Duvie has the potential to be shaela, emsket, or maybe dark brown. But is that what I'm seeing now?
Duvie only has about an inch of fleece so far. I keep parting it trying to see a line of color change. But I can't see a distinct difference yet. I was just wondering if some unmodified black sheep have this brown face, or if it was the signal that a modified color was going to come through. Any thoughts you modified experts out there?

3 comments:

Ebonwald Cardigans said...

From what I'm seeing here, my jet black lambs stay jet black...those that turn from jet black to a modified typically start to look another color about now. I have a jazz ram lamb..solid black that is a steely gray onthe outside, and still jet black at the base....i'm assuming he'll look dark brown this fall and by spring be a shaela. That is how Skor and RedBud were last year...jet black and then slowly turned to dark brown and then to shaela. its very interesting how it turns!

Then again that is just my experience...I could be totally wrong !:)

Nancy K. said...

Hi Sabrina ~
I have also found that my shaela lambs start out black and in a few weeks look "sunbleached" compared to their true black flock mates. I'm finding that same thing happening with one of my ewe lambs right now. Zaria's daughter, "Debutante" looked like a black & white, HST but now she's got that distinct fading (almost a dulling !) of the black color) that tells me she'll be shaela, like her dam. My guess would be that Duvie will be shaela. Congratulations! It looks like you got your wish. ;-)

Sabrina Wille Erickson said...

Oh Yay! I hope you two are right and Duvie turns modified like her mom. I've been trying for a modified from Dolce for three years now. :)