Sunday, June 14, 2009

Pokey things

Adding insult (jabbing their little ears) to injury (separating them from their dams), the lambs are now all sporting little white tags. I prefer the unadorned look, but now they can officially leave Boulderneigh and strut their stuff (or be drug through the sawdust :-) at the Black Sheep Gathering next Friday. As you can see, halter-training continues. It's actually going pretty well; no one is flopping on the ground and most are walking decently on the lead. Standing still and looking pretty for the judge is a whole 'nuther story....

I'm trying not to get too excited, but I'm thinking little Boo, now that he's sporting significant horn growth, may generate some buyer interest at BSG. He's got a good bite, very soft fleece, nice tail, and all the necessary "equipment," plus the still-novel gulmoget pattern (combined with Ag). A cute little package for someone willing to take a chance that he's not a half-poll (no local interest in polled Shetland genetics here yet).

I spent hours this afternoon chopping thistles. I did pretty well at eradicating the bull thistles last year, but I let the Canadian thistles get away from me and it's showing. Got everything from the barn east today, and my body is wondering what it did to deserve that. Think I'll sit at the computer awhile and do stall tags and sales flyers for BSG.

Here are a couple shots I liked from yesterday - Bronwen's fine behind, and Beau looking none the worse for his early weaning:
That's it for now from . . .

6 comments:

Jenny Holden said...

What well behaved lambs. I'd love a gulmoget tup but I only have one ewe carrying gulmoget so it would be a waste! Can't think about buying in boys... I've got lots to sell!

Rayna said...

I thought gulmoget and katmoget couldn't be carried and was expressed only? Hmm. Anyway, LOVELY pictures as always, congrats on the halter training...wanna come train mine now? lol

Ebonwald Cardigans said...

Rayna he IS a gulmoget AND Ag, he's not in these photos in this post :)

Michelle said...

Reading the comments this morning made me laugh, because I think each of you is commenting about something different! Ha! Jenny, gulmoget IS a c-dominant pattern, and can ONLY be hidden by white. So unless you have a Awt/At white sheep, none of yours could "carry" gulmoget. And Garrett, my At/Ag boy IS pictured in this post -- he's the one with the HORNS! (The Ag has caused his At facial markings to fade, but it's still quite evident on the rest of his body.)

Shula said...

Those halters are precious! Where did you find ones small enough for shetland lambs? LOL over your drag through the shavings comment and congrats over your halter training. As you saw mine is not going great but it was their first try. Oh and I still love Boo, makes me wish I was looking for a third ram.

Michelle said...

Shula, the black and brown ones are the 3-way adjustable alpaca halters (Mallon Design) from www.usefullamaitems.com -- the XS/Weanling size for the lambs (works from weaning up to most yearlings), and S/Yearling for all my adults. I do think you'd need a M/Adult for some of the larger rams; mine has a smaller head and JUST fits in the S/Yearling. Anyway, I love them, because they clip on; you don't have to struggle to fasten a buckle.