Sunday, May 13, 2012

2012 Shetland Lambs

Variety - one of the hallmarks of Shetland sheep.  This year we have katmogets and solids, moorit, black, white and musket lambs.  All this out of 5 ewes and a single ram - Lil'Country Nightcap.  The boys are at most half polls, and have very small to medium scurs.


We breed our Shetlands to the NASSA breed standard, striving for the fine, soft fleeces that Shetland knits are renowned for.  One of our signature products is natural colored roving in multiple colors, suitable for Fair Isle knitting.
http://www.washingtonwool.net/show3v/Fair_Isle_Roving_Pack

Here are the Shetland lambs:

Three ram lambs acting suspicious.  Isn't any gathering of juvenile boys suspicious?
The black and moorit are out of Dodge Electra, the fawn katmoget is River, out of Bitterroot Bessie.  The 4 ram lambs are for sale - Electra's twins, River and his brother.
River - he went through all the panels starting just after he was born, and still goes just about anywhere he wants.  I'm waiting for him to get big enough that the panels are a real barrier!
River and his brother.  Both have very soft lamb fleeces.  River's fleece is single coated, his brother's is more intermediate.

River's twin brother.

River's brother's rear.  Nightcap put very nice rears on these lambs.

River's brother.  This little guy needs a name.
Electra and her moorit ram lamb.
Electra's moorit ram lamb.  His fleece will be intermediate and silky, like Electra's.
Electra's black ram lamb.  He's going to have a longer, intermediate fleece and larger scurs.
Blanca's black ewe lamb (reserved).  Lovely, soft and crimpy lamb fleece in a sweet package. 
Blanca's white ewe lamb (reserved).  She is ultra soft and crimpy.  I expect these ewe lambs to have mid  20's micron fleeces with nice length.
Blanca's white ewe lamb.  I like this little ewe.  Well...  I like them all!
Spark with her musket ewe lamb, Ember (reserved).  Spark has a lovely soft and crimpy fleece, and she passed it along to her daughter.  Ember's sire and grandsire are both fine fleeced Shetland rams.  Spark will have her second year fleece tested next spring.
 We also have a set of twin moorit lambs from Toffee and Nightcap.  Toffee and her lambs went to live with the elderly Cobbitty Jane after her companion died.  They've given Cobbitty Jane a new lease on life.  Late in June, Toffee's ewe lamb, Godiva (reserved), will come back to EverRanch while Toffee and her wether brother stay with Cobbity Jane.

Contact us for availability of any of our products or just to "talk sheep".
- Franna

3 comments:

Michelle said...

Well, it looks like all of your ewe lambs are already reserved! Congrats, and share your secret for marketing Shetlands carrying polled genetics!

Kelly said...

Lovely lambs Franna. I really like the little white lamb.

Franna said...

Thanks, Michelle and Kelly. Blanca produces lovely lambs, and Nightcap did a great job on them, too. All the ewes and River are crimpy and soft. I think people are learning to look for the finer fleeced Shetlands.