Psalm23Farm: Sheep know best

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Sheep know best

Sheep know best-they always eat dessert first!

On a more serious note-the lamb prices are incredible! Finished market lambs are going from $1.55-1.75 and feeder lambs are $1.80-2.00. Even culls are up with cull ewes going from $0.70-0.90 and cull rams going for $0.75-0.85 a #. That's almost lamb price from other years! Equity Livestock (WI) has a website and on the website they have market reports for each sale yard (bottom of page) and after each sale they update it with the new prices. http://livestock.equitycoop.com/market_reports/?vm=r I'm planning on taking my lambs (that I haven't direct marketed-sold quite a few direct so far) to Johnson Creek (that's the best sale yard in the system price wise for sheep and goats due to a strong buyer base) in two weeks. I hope to get a good price!

I have four kids that will go to market, but I'll keep them for a while longer so they can grow more mohair before I sell them (I'll shear them before they go.)

1 comment:

Becky UtechtJanuary 30, 2011 at 11:50 AM
It's exciting to see the lamb prices so high. I've only got one Dorset cross lamb left to sell, he just needs to fill out a little more. I'll direct market him using the current auction rate as my price per pound liveweight. That way I get to keep the hide for tanning. The word is that lamb prices should stay high for the coming year. Happy days!
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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, January 29, 2011

Sheep know best

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