Psalm23Farm: Sick of breeding season???

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Sick of breeding season???

I am!

One of my Shetland rams, Drummond, who was in a pasture far far away from the Coopworth's group came up and picked a fight with the Coopworth-Cooper. Poor Cooper's head is all red. I can't catch him to see if his skull is cracked, but he is not feeling to good right now. I just hope he'll be ok! (I did have a horned dairy buck kid who got in a fight with an adult ram and busted one of his horns off at the base. He acted sick for a while, but was ok. )

Update:

The Coopworth-Cooper is acting a lot better. He is eating again and is interested in ewes again. Thank goodness!

7 comments:

MichelleNovember 7, 2009 at 4:32 PM
Oh yeah, sick of it here, too. Fortunately no one got hurt in my ram's antics, but he is now out in the rain all by his lonesome....
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AmyNovember 7, 2009 at 7:35 PM
Drummond does have impressive horns and Shetland power! Sorry to hear about that Laura. Hope all goes ok with your other nice ram! Keep us posted. Amy at Wheely Wooly Farm
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Becky UtechtNovember 8, 2009 at 6:24 AM
I hope our Coopworth ram is doing okay now. I haven't even got my groups together yet here. Hopefully in the next few days.
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LaelNovember 8, 2009 at 8:22 AM
Breeding groups don't go together here for another week, as we don't want to lamb til after Nicholas' spring break next year. One Coopworth group, one Polypay group and two Shetland groups - I'm making Edinburagh share the ewes this year!

By the way, Laura, nice article in The Country Today - I set it aside and think I still have it if you would like another copy - let me know!
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LauraNovember 10, 2009 at 5:50 PM
Hi Leal,

I'd appreciate it if you could save a copy. Thanks.
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Ebonwald CardigansNovember 10, 2009 at 8:02 PM
Mine got split up today! Jazz kept squeezing under the hog panel divider to get in with the RAM LAMBS. I assume since he'd rather be with the 'boys' and not his ladies, that they were all bred. So I split them up today! Thank goodness I decided to breed early this year!
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Deborah NiemannNovember 30, 2009 at 6:38 AM
Just last night, Juliann at Little Country Acres posted on Facebook that her ram Eragon broke into another breeding pen, got into a fight, and is now dead. Very sad. Glad your guy is okay. I am sick of breeding season, and I haven't had any fights among the rams. I didn't even have a chance to put them into breeding groups before the boys busted into the ewes' pasture, and now I'm going to have lambs of dubious heritage next spring. :( The rams are now 1/4 mile away, and I'm not even sure I want to attempt breeding at this point. It gets very frustrating.
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Welcome to Psalm 23 Farm

I'm breeding my NASSA registered Shetland sheep for fine and med. fine lustrous single coated fleeces in both the crimpy and the locky, wavy fleece styles. I have a wide range of colors and makings as well as the bright pure whites. I'm emphasizing on production, mothering ability and sound conformation. I have both horned and naturally polled Shetland rams and a few horned Shetland ewes.

I also produce fast growing grass-fed market lambs and commercial ewes with excellent fleece. (Shetland x Coopworth and Shetland x Australian Corriedale.) These F1 (first generation cross) ewes are great maternal ewes to put under a terminal sire for the ultimate grass fed market lamb.

Angora goats are my other love. I'm selecting for fine yearling grade mohair in adult animals. All of my goats are CAGBA (colored) or AAGBA (white) registered. I'm also selecting for sound healthy goats.

Posts will be about the Shetlands and Angoras with an occasional post about the other animals on the farm. Posts will also be about wool, spinning and a variety of other topics.

Psalm 23 Farm sells raw "jacketed" wool and mohair fleeces, mohair locks, dyed and natural Shetland and Shetland/mohair roving. Also sheepskins, quilt batts, handspun yarn, mohair lock yarn, and mill spun yarn.

From the Shetland Sheep Society

"Shetland sheep have for generations been noted for their very soft and well crimped fleece. The wool is the finest of all native breeds and shows an amazing variety of colours and patterns. There are 11 main whole colours and 30 recognized markings.

By selecting from coloured fleeces a range of naturally coloured yarn can be produced. This eliminates the need for dyeing and therefore retains the soft feel of the natural fibre and is favoured by those who prefer a totally natural approach.

Shetland wool fibres are of a simple construction witha central cortex covered by a thin scaly cuticle, and have an average diameter of about 23 microns. However there is a range from 10-20 microns for neck and shoulder wool to 25 to 35 microns for britch wool. the average staple length is 3.5 inches. The amount of crimp varies, and is most important in providing the 'bounce' required for knitwear. There is a positive correlation between fineness and crimp, with wool of the finest quality being crimped at between 8 and 12 to the inch. Wool from Shetland sheep is used to produce gossamer lace, the famous 'Fair Isle' knitwear, and fine tweeds. Pure bred Shetland sheep tend to shed their fleece in spring. The growth of new fleece can cause a rise or weak point and where this is present the fleece can sometimes be plucked or 'rooed' by hand. The timing of this can be different in each sheep, however, it is worth taking the care to get it right as rooed fleece can be amongst the softest because the fibers have no harsh cut ends as occurs with a sheared fleece.

Shetland fleece can be handspun straight from the fleece or made into rolags and then woollen spun. It can also be worsted spun by hand, used on a peg loom or handwoven. It also felts well using either dry or wet methods. When processed commercially the wool can be made into the finest lightweight worsted cloth or heavier weight, harder wearing fabrics and tweeds."

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Saturday, November 7, 2009

Sick of breeding season???

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