My Micron Reports are back.
Click on photo to view larger image.

I am disappointed because every one of the Courante ram lambs I put in the freezer last fall was obviously softer than my Ash ewe lambs that I retained.  But those are the breaks. 

The numbers are not horrible...but they are no where near my fleece goal either.  However, my primary focus last breeding season was for POLLED, and I do believe I made strides toward that.  So now I'm itchy to resume lambing.  But I still plan to wait one more year due to my sons' graduation in 2013.

Fleece photos and histograms are now posted on the Fleece for Sale page.

Spring 2011 Micron Data

The micron data on my wool samples came in the mail this week.

Click on the photo to make the image larger (and legible).

The flock as a whole is getting finer each year, so I'll count that as progress.  Though I wish for finer fleeces than I have now. 

On the "Our Flock" page I have listed age and micron data for each sheep.  I will add the same info to the "Fleece For Sale" page soon.

Micron Measurements Glossary of Terms

This Glossary was provided when I received my report back on the fleece samples I sent in for the OFDA 2000 micron test.  Click on photo to enlarge.

Fleeces for Sale

Photos and micron data/charts for each fleece are now available under the Fleece for Sale link. 

Prices, weights, and descriptions will be posted soon.

Micron Report

For lack of patience, I am just uploading a photo of the test results.

All samples tested were gathered from the last rib at mid-side in April 2010.

I will be updating my Flock and Fleece pages with more details and photos soon.

Click on photo to view it in a larger format.

More Fleece Photos

I would like to share photos of fleeces I have had, or do have, in my flock. These are all from sheep I have owned at one time or another, but not necessarily from sheep I have produced here at Boston Lake Farm.

I have had other sheep and fleeces in my 6 years with Shetlands. Unfortunately I threw a bunch of the earlier samples out a while back in a fit of spring cleaning.

I don't get to travel around to other Shetland farms very often. I rely on photos, and occasionally samples, to help me understand what is going on with Shetlands in other areas of North America. So in a gesture of sharing what I would love to see from other farms, I am offering up my available fleece photos and notes, as few and insignificant as they may be, to anyone that is interested in looking.

Moorit Katmoget: 4 year spring sample photo. 3.5 years autumn midside sample tested: Mic: 28.1 SD: 5.3 CV: 19.0. Staple Length Range 1.5-3.5". This is the midside sample, which is the longest staple on the whole animal. Not offered for sale to handspinners because most of fleece is quite short.

Moorit Katmoget: 1 year spring sample photo. 6 month autumn midside sample tested: Mic: 27.8 SD: 8.3 CV: 30.0 Nice lustre, crimp, and lock shape, but fleece does not have a soft handle.

Black Katmoget: 2 year spring sample photo. 1.5 year autumn midside sample tested: Mic: 25.4 SD: 5.5 CV: 21.6 Silky, lustrous, downy soft at the base. Fleece sold immediately.

Black: 4 year spring midside sample photo. 3 year spring back hip sample tested: Mic: 28.1 SD: 6.6 CV: 23.6. Good lustre and crimp. Fleece has only a little iset. Very dense fleece. Sells with excitement for the extremely dark true black color.

White: 2 year spring midside photo. 1 year spring back hip sample tested: Mic: 27.7 SD: 6.6 CV: 23.9. Soft, lustrous, crimpy. I love the handle of this fleece.

Black Kat: 1 year spring midside photo. 7 months midside sample tested: Mic: 24.6 SD: 5.2 CV: 21.1. Incredibly tiny crimp. Soft and has some lustre. The lady that helped skirt it took it home, so I haven't had a chance to personally work with this fleece.

Modified Moorit: 1 year spring midside photo. 7 months midside sample tested: Mic: 23.8 SD: 5.8 CV: 24.2. Relaxed crimp. The most buttery soft handle I currently have in my flock.

Grey: 1 year spring hip photo. 1 year spring hip tested: Mic: 24.1 SD: 7.1 CV: 29.6. Fluffy lambs fleece. Wavy, no crimp, no lustre. Felt soft to the fingers but not to my neck.

Black: 2 year spring hip sample photo. 2 year spring hip sample tested: Mic: 30.9 SD: 10.5 CV: 34.1. Very crimpy, dull-no lustre. Felt like a greasy brillo pad. Fleece not offered for sale. Culled to freezer.

White: 3 year spring hip sample photo. 3 year spring hip sample tested: Mic: 36.0 SD: 8.1 CV: 22.4. Dramatic crimp and lustre. Described by return buyer as "fiber-optic" in its bright white washed state. Had a silky hand and I was surprised the Micron was as high as it was. Added nice length, crimp, & lustre to breeding.

Black, possibly modified: 1 year old hip sample photo. 1 year old hip sample tested: Mic: 25.7 SD: 7.7 CV: 29.9. Undercoat was tolerable if separated. Overall, an unremarkable fleece that did not feel soft on my neck. Culled to freezer at one year.

I will post more photos as I get more fleeces skirted. I will also be sending in midside fleece samples from this spring for micron testing as soon as they are assembled. That info will be posted too.

October Micron Reports

Click on a photo for its larger version.

I was excited to get my micron reports in the mail yesterday. Here are the results for the seven sheep I had tested. Each sample was scissored from midside, just behind the last rib.

I wasn't too surprised with any of them. While I don't think in terms of microns and numbers, the reports did not change the standing I had already given each sheep according to my own assessment of fleece characteristics. It feels validating to know the numbers support my personal preferences.

Bombarde had a higher micron than I expected. I thought long and hard about how that could be and suddenly I had an epiphany: Last spring's micron report was from a rather large lock sample that was dangling off his rump. This was likely snagged by Unicorn's horn in some tussle. I suspect that this sample was not the full spectrum of fiber I would have obtained had I scissored off the same lock. Perhaps some of the courser fiber remained anchored while the finer fiber ripped out? Probably. Although it is evident from both reports that Bombarde is very consistent. Maybe this is just the difference in his third fleece and his fourth fleece? I shudder to think of how naive I was of the whole micron sampling process back then. Whatever the reason, I appologize if the initial report was misleading. I understand now how carefully samples need to be collected and how they are difficult to compare unless they are collected in the same manner.

Arvada

4-2-08

Black Kat

Ash

4-30-09

Modified Moorit

Bombarde

3-22-06

Musket Kat

Courante

spring 09

Black Kat

January

4-29-09

Moorit Kat

Jchen

5-1-09

Black Kat

Roux

4-26-09

Musket

Jchen: Notice

Note: Please be aware that I have sent Jchen's fleece in for a micron report. I will hold him until that info comes back. If it is as good as I hope, I will post his numbers and he will be available for a limited time before I send him to the processor. Thank you.

Boston Lake Jchen is still available for sale. I would love to see this fine young ram go to a breeding home. If anyone has even the slightest interest in this boy, please contact me. I am willing to be flexible with arrangements. My contact info is at the bottom of this site.

Fleece sample from last rib taken 10/09.
Micron info on sire, Sheltering Pines Bombarde. This sample was gathered Spring '09 from Bombarde's RUMP. I know the numbers are difficult to compare to last rib numbers in other flocks. But this is the info I have to offer. And I think these are nice numbers from a rump sample. Anything in front of that sample will be finer.

Micron info on dam, Boston Lake Sian. This sample was also gathered Spring '09 from behind Sian's HIP. Again, it is not exactly comparable to last rib microns, but it is what I have at this time for info. Sian is a glossy black, with iset showing up on her rump not until three years of age. Her sire and dam were uniform, crimpy, soft, and well conformed with tiny tails and good lambing history of twins.

Jchen carries moorit and spots. He is wide and straight in the hind quarters, with a tiny tail. Jchen is also well behaved and reserved with people.

Flock Micron Spreadsheet

It occurred to me that while I may not be able to navigate spreadsheet information very well, others might. So I am adding my flock micron spread sheet (provided by Texas A&M) here and to yesterday's post as well.

By this fall a few of the sheep on the list will not be in my flock anymore: Dolce is moving to another farm. Unicorn will be sold or put in the freezer. Delyth and Rai Min will be culled to the freezer. I haven't gotten a ewe lamb from Rai Min so I've been very undecided about her. Her lambs are always so much better fleeced when sired by Bombarde. But I want to keep my '09 ewe lambs and 3-5 rams, so I will need the space and I will cull her.

Micron Reports 23 April 09

My very first micron reports arrived. All samples were taken in front of the hip, well behind the last rib. Bombarde's was taken at the point of the hip. I think I could have gotten finer numbers if I had sampled farther ahead on the animal. But it is what it is.

I find it very difficult to wrap my brain around a list of sheep with numbers. My mind just isn't that good at interpreting information in that format. I have chosen to upload the histogram for each sheep. It includes the same information and I wanted to have a record of these here on my blog anyway.

Even though I am still learning how to understand and utilize this information, I was relieved to find that the sheep with fleeces I like best have the tightest peaks on the graphs.

Rams:

SheltrgPines Bombarde

3/22/2006

fawn katmoget

WhitePine Parker

4/19/2008

musket

WhitePine Arvada

4/2/2008

black katmoget

Windswept Unicorn

3/26/2006

white

Ewes:

Bramble Anna Belle

4/3/2002

white

Boston Lake Nhu

4/21/2008

black katmoget

Boston Lake Lyneth

4/21/2008

white

SheltrgPines Dolce

4/8/2003

emsket-dramatic double coat

Boston Lake Sian

5/5/2006

black

Boston Lake Duvie

4/21/2008

modified black

WhitePine Silverthorne

5/31/2008

grey

Boston Lake Delyth

5/2/2006

black iset

Boston Lake Rai Min

4/22/2007

black