Monday, March 30, 2009

NICE ENDING TO A GOOD MONTH

Wednesday last Meghan found out she won a short story contest for the local monthly periodical. There were 47 entrants and she was judged by professors, published authors and last year's winner.

Then on Thursday Meghan's new horse Sofie arrived at the barn where we will be working off her board every month. Sofie is an overweight grade paint mare with a build like a Mac truck who is good for trail riding and seems to be very sensitive to Meg's cues when ridden English. She likes to go forward and seems to have a pretty good, rhythmic working trot already--no peanut roller.

And when we got home from settling Sofie into her new digs, we found a pair of lovely moorit lambs running about in our back paddock with our very pregnant older ewes. Ruby is the proud mother and the sire is Lil'Country Nightcap(polled). The ram lamb has a very short, soft, crimpy fleece and lovely elegant look to him...and it appears he is clean polled. The ewe lamb has a slightly longer, crimpy fleece that is also butter soft. Both lambs are doing well and already giving the rest of the ewes which are due anytime now fits.

Then the test results on our two newest ewes arrived from Yocom. Rose is 23.9/6.7/28.2 and 16.1% as a five year old ewe at the last rib. Heffe is 22.6/6.7/29.5/13.4% fibers greater than 30 at the last rib as a three year old.

So March is ending on a high note. And we still may have some lambs to come before it ends. YEAH!!

Saturday, March 14, 2009

THE NEW GIRLS

Due to the untimely death of a nearby farmer and friend we have recently added two new ewes to our flock. On the left is "Heffe" a two year old daughter of Sandstone out of a Skater Boy ewe. We will be sending her very nicely crimped fleece in for testing during our next round of CD/T shots.

On the right is Winter Sky Secondhand Rose who is one of the last registered daughters of Winter Sky Skater Boy(one of the first spotted katmogets born in the U.S.). Rose has a very short crimpy fleece and a wonderfully mellow personality. She likes to hum in the mornings when I am bringing them their hay.

Both ewes are bred to a shaela colored Finn ram for May lambs. This fall if their test results are good they'll be A.I.'d to Heights Orion with a back-up breeding to Forrest or Red for Rose and Tennyson for "Heffe".