Psalm23Farm: June 2012

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Praise The Lord!

For the rain! We have been very dry here in WI and the drought ended on Saturday. We have been blessed with rain on Sat., Sun. and Mon. with a total of around 3 or 4 in.! Our prayers have been answered.

"Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever." Psalm 106:1

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Sales List

I have gotten both my Angora Goat http://psalm23farm.blogspot.com/p/angora-goats-for-sale.html and Shetlanb Sheep http://psalm23farm.blogspot.com/p/sheep-for-sale.html sales pages updated.

Lamb List/ Stats

Pures born in May:

PS23 Craigrothie, F1 Skeld:
SabbathFarm Fontyen-white ram (had a mummy twin) keeper for now
SheepyHollow Sienna-white ewe keeper, black ewe may be for sale
PS23 Eastwind-white ewe-for sale

PS23 Hector, F1 Jings:
PS23 Goldenrod-white ewe keeper, sheala or grey ewe keeper
PS23 Flourance-white ram

PS23 Humphry, F2 Jings:
PS23 Gardenia-moorit gulmoget ram
PS23 Easterlilly-musket ram, grey ewe may be for sale

PS23 Huckleberry, F1 Ram(Black):
SabbathFarm Swan-musket ewe keeper, fawn katmoget ram-died
PS23 Ferndale-black ram

Sommerange Gilroy:
PS23 Hyacinth-black ewe may be for sale
PS23 Dingdong-black krunet ewe keeper, moorit HST (spotted) ram for sale
PS23 Glitter- fawn katmoget ram
UnderTheSon Aran-moorit ewe keeper, black ewe keeper
PS23 Grettle- grey (katmoget?) yuglet flecket ram
PS23 Gloria-grey ewe keeper
PS23 Funzie-black ewe keeper
PS23 Edelweiss-grey ewe may be for sale, grey katmoget ram for sale

Unknown sire (born in March, some rams got in by the ewes):
SabbathFarm Silvia- grey ram, black ram
PS23 Forsythia-black ram
UnderTheSon Jelly Drop- 2 black rams (one died)
PS23 Daysong-moorit ram, fawn katmoget ram
PS23 Heather-black ewe- for sale as pet/unregistered ewe

Goats:

STAG Danburry AAGBA Registered white:
Eden AAGBA- white doe, red buck both are keepers
Jade AAGBA- 2 white bucks (one was stillborn) for sale
Terra AAGBA-white doe may keep
Ivy AAGBA- 3 white does, 1 may be for sale
PS23 Germany-red doe for sale
PS23 Geneva-white doe for sale
Colorfield Pearl- white doe, red doe
Colorfield China-white doe for sale, 2 red bucks for sale
PS23 France-white doe
Treasure AAGBA-open

PS23 Gordon CAGBA Registered:
PS23 England-2 black does keepers, 1 white buck-died

Crossbreds:

All ewe lambs for sale unless marked. (All rams are wethers now.) All are growing well and have nice fleeces. Some fleeces are long and wavy like a longwool and others are fine and crimpy from the Corriedale. If you are interested in a particulate fleece type I can let you know who has what fleece. The F1 crosses will mature around 120# and are good mothers. The F2 crosses will be between 120-140#. They also are good mothers, hybrid vigor will be a bit less, but they could handle being bred to a larger ram than the F1 crosses.

All were put in with the Coopworth and the Corriedale rams. Most can be told apart due to fleece type and body shape.

Purbred Shetlands to the corossing sires:
PS23 Gladys-gret katmoget ram, grey katmoget ewe
PS23 Finch-white ram, white ewe
UnderTheSon Hopi-black ram, white ewe
PS23 Gem-white ram, white ewe
PS23 Emrald-grey katmoget ewe Keeper for now
PS23 Essex white ewe, black ewe (tame), black ram
PS23 Early Spring white ram, white ewe
PS23 Evening Primrose-white ram
PS23 Fairlie-white ewe, white ram
PS23 Amber white ewe NFS, white ram
PS23 Dove-grey katmoget ram, white ewe
PS23 Elm-med. grey ram,silver ewe
UnderTheSon Claremori-white ewe, white ewe
PS23 Ely Cathedral-white ewe, white ewe
PS23 Fiona-white ram, white ewe
PS23 Ginger-grey ram, black ewe
PS23Gentian- black ram, white ewe NFS
PS23 Gwendolyn- black ram, black ram
Windwsept Lime- white ram
PS23 Gloss-white ram, white ewe NFS
PS23 Gloxinia-white ewe, black ewe

Commercial ewes to the crossing sires:
Gemini (Coopworth X Shetland)-black ewe Keeper for now
Gertrude ( Coopworth X Shetland )-white ewe, white ram
Gabriella ( Coopworth X Shetland )-(stillborn lamb), white ewe
Gavotte ( Coopworth X Shetland )-(2 died), white ewe
Gisella ( Coopworth X Shetland ) - white ewe
Genideth ( Coopworth X Shetland )-white ram, white ram
Gypsy ( Coopworth X Shetland )-white ewe, white ewe
Glamour (Shetland X Merino)- white ram, white ram
Fuzz (Shetland X Corriedale/1/8Dorset)-white ram, white ewe
Febee (Shetland X Merino)-white ewe, white ewe
Hanan (yearling Shetland X Merino) white ram
Fronzie ( Shetland X Merino )-black ram, grey ewe
Ginny (Corriedale X BFL/Shetland)-white ram, white ewe
Eco (BFLXShetland)- white ewe, grey katmoget ewe may be for sale
Fudge (BFL X Shetland)-white ram, white ewe

Interesting statistics:

180% overall lambing rate

*172% goats (190% without the open doe)
* 188% early group of ewes
in that group:
*Shetlands 190%
* Shetlands bred to pure rams 160% (accident)
* Commercial ewes 192% death loss
* 153% Shetlands bred to pure rams for May lambs

The lambing rate in the May group is really low, I think due to being bred and then shortly after breeding being fed poor quality hay. I am planning on lambing a group in May next year, but will make sure to feed them really well. (If sheep get poor quality feed shortly after breeding they can reabsorb or abort a lamb.) I think I will breed to start in the beginning of May instead of mid May next year as well.

So far the pasture born lambs are growing well. Not one pasture lamber needed any help. I only needed to did navels. There were no mix ups or lost lambs either.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Pink Goat!?

Not sure how the color got there, but it does look funny! Now to breed

for a naturally blue, pink or orange goat!

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Sweet Deal!

I just got some chemical fertilizer spread today on the pastures and now it is raining!!! It is really good to rain after fertilizing as some of the fertilizer would be lost to the air if it didn't rain.

I don't normally put chemical fertilizer on, but the pastures just aren't growing as well as they used to and the grass is thin in spots. I did do a soil test and put on a bit less than it called for (I don't like the idea of contributing to the problem of too much fertilizer and fertilizer ending up in lakes and the sea.) I do spread all of my manure, but don't have enough to do everything. The organic fish fertilizer didn't really make much difference last year. I hope this helps along with the rain to make lots of grass!

Now to put everyone back out on grass....

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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