Fiber Test Results

...came back today. I was starting to think the package had been lost. So, here are the raw results, some surprises, and some changes in my keeper sheep.

First, the Shetlands, since I think there are more Shetland readers than Gotland readers. :-)

Format is Name/Breed/age/AFD/SD/CV

Astrid/Shetland/3/32.1/10.2/31.8

Barish/Shetland/4/27.2/6.2/22.9

Bessie/Shetland/5/31.4/7.3/23.3

Blanca/Shetland/2/25.7/5.4/20.9

Electra/Shetland/9/31.6/6.3/19.8

Mindy/Shetland/2/27.9/7.3/26.3

Toffee/Shetland/2/24.7/7.1/28.7

Average - 26.66 - not bad!

So, the surprises - Astrid has a much softer feeling fleece than her micron results show. However, she will be for sale.

Bessie has been below 28 for the last 2 tests, so she's worth retesting. I didn't expect Toffee to be as low as she is, so she's coming off the sales list, and is staying. Electra and Barish are similar to previous results. I didn't expect Mindy to be so low either, but I'll leave her on the sales list. Blanca has a nice tight peak, both Toffee and Mindy have significant "tails" on the higher side - shown in their higher CV's.

Now the Gotlands, starting with the yearlings:

Alice/75%Gotland-25%Shetland/1/29.5/6.8/23.1

Caidon/87.5%Gotland-12.5%Shetland/1/28.2/7.3/25.9

Cocoa Puff/25%Gotland-75%Shetland/1/24.4/7/28.5

Dancer/75%Gotland-25%Finn/1/27.5/7.6/27.6

Eclaire/37.5%Gotland-67.5%Finn/1/25.8/6.1/23.7

Fiona/67.5%Gotland-37.5%Finn/1/25/5.3/21.3

Marie/75%Gotland-25%Shetland/1/30.4/8.0/26.4

then into the adults:

Bits/50%Gotland-50%Finn/4/34.6/6.8/19.8

Bossie/50%Gotland-50%Finn/4/32.4/6.8/20.9

Bunny/50%Gotland-50%Shetland/4/35.6/9.3/26.2

Chamois/50%Gotland-50%Finn/2/34.3/7.4/21.5

Daisy/37.5%Gotland-25%BFL-25%BL-12.5%Shetland/2/36.7/8.0/21.8

DeeTee/50%Gotland-50%Shetland/4/33.9/8.9/26.2

Gem/75%Gotland-25%Finn/2/35.5/9.6/27

Jewel/75%Gotland-25%Finn/2/39.9/10.8/27

I've been selecting for finer fleeces in the Gotlands, too. Gotland sheep are not fine fleeced, althought the lamb fleeces are often under 3o micron afd. So, I'm seeing higher AFD's in the higher % Gotlands. I'm hoping to select for finer fleeces still within the standard range for Gotlands.

So disappointment wise, 75% Gotlands, Gem and Jewel, have 35.5 and 39.9 microns at 2 years old. Alice and Marie are near 30 afd in their lamb fleeces. Bunny is their dam at 35.6 afd, and Hoppy is 33.61 afd, so I was hoping these two would mature in the low 30's. They still might.

Also, Bits as a 2 year old tested 27.4/6.3/23, considerably lower than this result. Six of the fleece tests came from sheared fleeces, where I guessed at the midside, last rib location. Bits was one of these, so she deserves to be retested. Bunny and DeeTee also showed increased thickness since their 2 year old tests, so maybe Gotland sheep coarsen for several years... or again, maybe I just need to retest those six (Bits, Bunny, Bossie, Chamois, Gem, Jewel)

So, there they are, just as they are.

Just so the blog includes photos, here are Cocoa Puff:

and her daughter Licorice Drop. Licorice is 50%Gotland/50%Shetland.

- Franna