Friday, August 22, 2014

Keeper Ram Lambs

This year's lamb crop is really nice.  The ones for sale, that have been posted, are great and the ones I'm keeping will keep my breeding program within the parameters of the Traditional 1927CM Shetland breed standard.  Below are the ram lambs that will be incorporated in the ram flock for diversity, horn structure, build, growth, and fleece.  Theme for 2014 names:  Mountain ranges.

In no particular order:

Aug 2014
UTS Cameron
UTS Stronsay x UTS Colla
Grey spotted ram (B/b), Tw
Strengths: dense, very fine and soft, tiny crimp, still holding color in fleece, spots, fore wool, lovely typey head, excellent horns.
His mother's line goes back to Glenmore March Madness, one of my founding ewes 12 years ago.  I've been impressed with every ewe on the maternal side and, of course, his sire is tops.  Glad to keep a ram from it.  I've never been one to even look at grey rams, but this one has the package to pull it off.

NEWS FLASH!!!  Cyndee noticed that Cameron may be EMSKET, not Ag grey!!!  This is possible because his maternal gg grandmother was mioget and Stronsay's sire Perse was emsket!  Way cool beans!!! This is a game changer for breeding and it means I'll be using this boy this fall on some of my modified ewes. Stay tuned!

Note:  After examining Colla's yearling fleece, she did not turn 'white' until she was almost a year old.  So, most likely Cameron is Ag like mum.  That's ok.  I'm still planning on using him.  Cam the Ham.  He is always posing for the camera.

Cameron's fleece.


July 2014
UTS Cayoosh
Bramble McDreamie x UTS Chenille
Black (B/?), Tw
Strengths:  Deep build, very soft, very fine, dense fleece, fore wool, uniform crimpy fleece, excellent horns, typey head (but a bit different than Cameron, who is more refined), deep black color.  As Dreamie will no longer reside here on the farm, I needed a replacement for him.  Chenille's ewe lambs from last year (Stronsay daughters) are also still here as both of them are top notch (Coolea was the WSWF first place ewe lamb).  Good genetics and an excellent addition for the flock, especially in that hard to get really soft and fine black.  

Cayoosh's head - end of June.

Cayoosh's fleece - July 2014


July 2014
UTS Dawson
UTS Venaco x UTS Damask
Grey katmoget (B/?), TR
Strengths: Very fine, very soft, tiny crimp, dense, uniformity of fleece, strong build, good horns, excellent growth rate for a triplet, mother is in top condition for raising triplets, grandson to UTS Allison (Tori's Supreme Showmanship winner) and great-grandson to Thistle Keep Prairie Smoke (first place ewe lamb at Converse in 2002 - and one of my best ewe lines),  great X gene carrier, very laid back but showy personality.  


Aug 2014

Dawson's fleece (from July, so 4 months).

Umm . . . yeah, that's crimp in his britch!


Aug 2014
UTS Smokey
Grey kat, B/b, Tw
I will also be hanging onto this boy, a UTS Venaco/UTS Sateen's son until the WSWF where he'll be shown.  He is a grey katmoget (B/b).  At this point, I'm waffling on him.  I have his half brother, Stilton, a moorit yearling that I'm really impressed with and I know that I'll be impresed with Smokey.  Which do I keep??  This ram can be used on Stronsay daughters and probably most other ewes in the flock.  Since Stilton is a Peg son, I wouldn't use him on Peg daughters, but I can also use him on Stronsay daughters.  Both bring strengths to the flock.

Strengths:  excellent build and typey all around.  Great fleece (see below), good horns.  Obviously his mother is a top producer, of both rams and ewes (and has placed both times I've shown her at WSWF).  I've kept Stilton's sister, Sirene, and I'll be keeping Smokey's fawn kat sister, Sierra Nevada. Both of these girls are great.  This line is just fantastic - true type Shetland.  

 Smokey's fleece - on the hip, Aug 2014.  Good length for not even 5 months, great crimp and density, pretty color, and very fine.


June 2014
UTS Rocky
Bramble McDreamie x UTS Rysa
White (Awt/?), S
Strengths:  very fine, very soft silky fleece, uniform, excellent length to body, framey, Dreamie son, may be a half poll (has knocked his horn caps off already and the poor boy knocked one of his horns loose too).  I really like this ram.  He reminds me of his grandsire, Broderick who was an excellent fleece and body producer.  He is a little different than the rest of the ram lambs in looks, but has Rysa's genetics behind him who is an F2 Jericho.  Definitely outside genes for most of my flock.


This is the line up for keeper ram lambs.  I'll be using 2-3 of these boys plus Mahon (2013 WSWF Supreme Champion and a modifier carrier), and maybe one other adult ram, on a select few ewes this fall.  If anyone is interested in a lamb from next year, please place your order now for a breeding.  

Monday, August 18, 2014

Pictures of Adult ewes FS

I was able to get pictures of most of the adult ewes that are still left for sale.  Several lambs did not make themselves known so need to get more shots of them.

Adults

Britta (Brandon/Clara) - emsket, 2006  RESERVED

Cypress (Apache/WS 0932) - shaela, 2011 RESERVED

Galerina (Brandon/SP Guinevere II) - emsket, 2007 RESERVED

Galette (Stronsay/Galerina) - moorit, 2013 RESERVED

Blackberry Sage (B. McDreamie/Chanterelle) - grey katmoget, 2010 RESERVED

Onyx ( B. McDreamie/Piemonte AI) - black/shaela 2009

S'More Rhumba (Apache/S'More Spunky) - fawn, 2011

Keemun (B. McDreamie/Cookie) - fawn kat, 2010 RESERVED

Shannda (Velour/Sencha) - fawn kat, 2012

WS0929  (WS0727/WS702) - white, 2009 (Ridland genetics) RESERVED


Shaughnessy (B. McDreamie) - grey kat 2009 RESERVED

Ruby (Brandon/Underhill Crystal Gayle) - moorit, 2006

Paxina (Cleggan AI/Prairie Wind) - white, 2007

Radisson AI (Campaign Timothy/Rahab AI) - grey kat, 2009 RESERVED


Lambs

Grey kat ram lamb (Venaco/S'More Maraca) 

Black ram lamb (Venaco/Mercure) 

Black ram lamb (possibly modified) - (Stronsay/Iona)



Spotted fawn kat ewe lamb (Venaco/Giga)

There are several more ewe lambs that are availalbe, I just need to get pictures of them.  A couple of grey kats, a moorit, and another fawn kat.