Under The Son Farm: June 2013

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

2013 Shetland Sales List

Yeah, it's been awhile. I've been taking my time to figure out who is for sale. This year, it is actually easier to figure out who the ewes are that are available than the rams. I only want to keep relatively few ewe lambs this year - compared to previous years. So, it is a ewe buyer year. I've also tried to make viewing pictures a bit easier - both for you and me. I made picture collages of the different age groups. It has made a tremendous difference when comparing. This way you don't have to scroll through 50 pictures to find one, just go to each group's collage. Unfortunately, all of the for sale sheep are not on the collages, for various reasons. Mainly, it is hard to remember who to get a picture of, finding that particular sheep (out of nearly 200), getting a good angle, AND having the camera! Some either want to hide or be underfoot. Neither offers a good photo op. I'll try to update them . . . if I can.

The ram lambs are either horned or scurred. I'll make a notation of each. Medium to high UK/Shetland Island genetics. The fleeces on the lambs are good to great single coated type so I won't repeat this for each one. This means most will be grade 2 type as adults (AFD between 25-30, SD 4-6.5, CV 24% or lower, SF lower than the AFD). In other words, breed standard Shetland wool with a typy frame and looks. I'll just make a notation if one is more different than the rest. Not that they are cookie cutter sheep by any means!! But it is hard to make complete descriptions telling variations such as who has a teeny tiny fluke tail, who has a very boxy/square body vs. a longer body/leg, etc. Pictures are much easier and faster! The size of the lamb will be listed and the horn size as well.

I'll list the mother of the lambs under the sires. All ewes are listed in the order of the birth of the lambs and are UnderTheSon prefix, unless noted. Lambs are born in March with the exception of Shalimar's, which are born in April, and Ellie's ram, which was born in May (and won't be available anyway until Aug). Therefore, all lambs are ready to be weaned and off to their new homes!

Sire:
Crosswinds Pegasus (black/shaela HST, B/b, very fine and very crimpy fleece. AFD 25.9, SD 4.8, CV 18.4, CEM 8.2, SF 24.6)
Bombycina: black smirslet scurred ram lamb (TW), large
Jade: black/shaela, small horned ram lamb (TW), large
Viva: grey spotted, yuglet, small horned ram lamb, (TW), very fine crimp, large
Paxina: white ewe lamb, med/lg size
white ram lamb, med/sm horns

Cambric: 2 white ram lambs, med horns, sm/med fine boned
S'More Mazurka: spotted yuglet katmoget ram lamb, med/large size, with med/lg horns
black ewe lamb
Radisson (F1 Timothy): she has triplet ram lambs, a grey katmoget, a moorit, and a black. The kat is the bigger of the three but all are on the smaller, fine boned size. All horned, small/med size horns.
Magnolia: black HST type ram lamb, med/lg size, smaller horns. TW
S'More Rhumba: black ewe lamb, med size
black ram lamb, med size, scurred

UTS Stronsay (moorit, carries spots, very fine and very crimpy fleece. AFD 23.1, SD 4.3, CV 18.6, CEM 7.4, SF 22.1)
Madeline: moorit ram lamb, med size and horns, TW
Spice: fawn kat ram, scurred, large, TW
Assam: white ewe lamb (TR, raised as TW)
Cinnerelle: triplet ram lambs: shaela smirslet spotted, sm/med horns; light fawn smirslet spotted, scurred
Galerina: shaela ewe lamb, TW, moon spotted
Mercure: black ram lamb, scurred/sm horned, med size, TW
Keemun: 2 fawn katmoget rams, both scurred, large size, one spotted
Coppelia: moorit S ram lamb, scurred, has one broken off, med/lg size
Minuet: moorit ewe lamb
moorit ram lamb, med size, med horns
Ellie: moorit ram lamb S, born in May so won't be ready till Aug.

UTS Earl Grey (grey katmoget, spotted, B/b, fine, purly/crimpy/silky fleece. AFD 29.7, SD 5.1, CV 17.2, CEM 9.4, SF 28.1)
Moreen: black ewe lamb, TW
Pashmina: white ewe lamb, TW
Cypress: fawn kat ewe lamb, S

UTS Cleggan AI (F1 Skeld, white, B/b, crimpy/wavy/silky fleece; no data from this year but still holding as a mid grade 2)
Moire: black TW ram lamb, sm horned, large
WS 0923: black, sm horned ram lamb, med
Marina: white ram lamb, sm horned, med/lg size
black ram lamb, scurred, sm krunet head, med/lg size

UTS Velour ( fawn katmoget, 2011 Reserve Champion Ram at WSWF, #2 in class in 2012 when UTS Coburg took Supreme Champion at WSWF; fine & crimpy fleece. AFD 26.6, SD 4.1, CV 15.5, CEM 7.3, SF 24.8)
Dakota: black ram lamb, TW, large horns, large size, longer fleece type
Samba: Triplet ewe lambs; very dark grey kat (lots of red), smaller; moorit ewe lamb med size

There may be a few more lambs listed later on. I have to evaluate them more closely. Click on the pictures to biggy.

For the yearlings and adults, these are good starter flock ewes or upgrading ewes on your current flock. I just have too many and I need to keep colors I'm low on this year and these are extra.

Yearling Ewes for sale (with micron data)

Eriskay (SP Orchid Whisper/C. Pegasus) - black HST, TW (24.1/5.0/20.8/9.0/23.4)
Fara (UTS Dungaree/UTS Ellie) - moorit, TR (24.3/4.9/20/8.4/23.5)
Jura (UTS Walden/UTS Formosa Jade) - black, TW (24.7/6.6/26.6/13/25.3)
Shuna (UTS Perse/UTS Bombycina) - white, smaller refined ewe, TW (22.4/4.8/21.6/8.9/21.9)

Adult ewes for sale
UTS Monaco AI (F1 Minder/UTS Morel AI): 2009, iglet spotted grey, Ag/Aa, silky wavy fleece, med/large size. If you are looking for high UK genetics, this ewe has it.
UTS Allison (B. McDreamie/UTS Anglaise): 2009, fawn katmoget, large size, big fleece. Tori's winning ewe a couple of years ago. Excellent ewe all around except for a bit longer tail.
S'More Minuet: (UTS Apache/S'More Fantasy): 2011, moorit/fawn, med size, teeny tiny fluke tail.

This is just the first pass on the adult ewes. There may be more added later.

Adult Rams for sale - these are the last times for most to be offered. I'm hanging onto a couple of others that may be available later on.
UTS Cleggan AI (Island Skeld/UTS Fraiche) - 2005, white
UTS Fetlar (UTS Perse/UTS Fraiche) - 2012, polled moorit

Looking down the lane at sunset.

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Early June/spring catch up

It has been a busy spring.

Lots of this (with the accompanying soaking rains, which was needed):

Then this in southern Indiana (my son and his lovely, sweet bride):

Then last week-end at Hoosier Hills:

And of course, 87 of these lovelies are done (Yeehaw!) and only 8 more to go . . . by hand . . . (but then, the skirting begins):

But then I can get to these!

Welcome to Under The Son blog!

There are about 50 Shetland sheep on our farm during the winter months and over 100 with the lambs in the spring time. Most patterns along with a few spotted sheep are here on the farm. I specialize in breeding classic fine fleeced Shetlands that are the hallmark of the Shetland wool industry and have been for hundreds of years.

Blogs posted will be relevant to our Shetland sheep farm goals such as working towards a classic type fleece - a fine to very fine, dense, silky, lustrous, 3-6" Shetland fleece, raising conformational correct pure Shetlands and growthy Shetland cross market lambs, as well as all manner of Shetland fleece production through to the finished products.

I am a spinner, weaver, knitter, felter, crocheter, dyer, soaper and have done all manner of other crafty things such as basketry, beaded jewelry, sewing, quilting, cross-stitch, etc.

Wool for sale includes raw fleece, washed fleece, rovings, spinning batts, quilt or comfortor batts, felt yardage, handspun yarns, millspun yarns, and finished knitted, woven, or felted goods such as fingerless gloves, purses, scarves, shawls, ponchos, ruanas, vests, jackets, and blankets.

Vist my Ravelry group for even more information. http://www.ravelry.com/groups/fine-shetland-wool

About Shetland Sheep

Shetland sheep are a heritage breed dating back a thousand years or more and are related to Soay sheep. They have primitive characteristics such as a naturally short fluke shaped tail, wool that 'roos' or sheds in the springtime, small size, and fine bone. They are famous first and foremost for their fine, soft, naturally colored wool that is very lightweight and warm. This wool was one of the two pillars of the Shetland Island economy for centuries.

Shetlands, the 'kindly' (soft) wooled native breed of sheep, were preserved because the Shetland wool industry was facing extinction with the the infiltration of coarse long wooled big sheep on the island. Steps were taken, such as the writing of the breed standard and paid ram incentives, to ensure the existence of this rare native breed and the continued existence of the woolen industry that employed so many of the women of Shetland.

Garments made from breed standard 'kindly' Shetland wool can be next-to-the-skin soft scarves to warm, soft outerwear sweaters. It is a fine wool with crimp (called 'wave' by the writers of the standard) and is normally used for knitted garments with good memory such as stockings/socks, hats, gloves, mittens, scarves, shawls, under clothing, and the famous Shetland sweaters. It is a 'longish' wool, around 3-6", depending on crimp. It is sometimes good for felting and some fleeces are very silky. As it is a heritage breed, there is quite a bit of diverseness found within the breed, especially in the colors and patterns that run the gamut of browns, blacks, greys, and white as well as spots and patterns. All in all, it is one of the premier handspinning fleeces to be found.

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 recognised 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 25to 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 sprin. 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 fibres 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 sorsted 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."

Under The Son Farm

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Tuesday, June 25, 2013

2013 Shetland Sales List

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Early June/spring catch up

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