Or more specifically, Boulderneigh boys with a Boulderneigh prefix. There are two - Boulderneigh Blackberry and Boulderneigh Blake. (My third ram is Whistlestop Bunker.) I am looking forward to having all three rams' fleeces tested this spring and getting a good look at what's under all that wool. Until then, I won't know who - if any - I will be using on my ewes next fall. (Of
course I'm already thinking about next breeding season even though this year's lambs are still in utero - I'm a
shepherd!) If none of my rams look like they can contribute to the improvements I'm working toward and Barish's lambs are dynamite, I might just have to lease
him again. Of course, I have high hopes that the rams I own will be worth using - especially my smooth-poll, Blake:
I have liked this boy since the day he was born (he's the square brown lamb in my header photo), and the fact that he
may be a fully polled ram is exciting. His uniquely colored fleece looks and feels heavenly, and he's not related to any of my ewes. So far, he has been a perfect gentleman, but he's just a coming yearling.
Blackberry, a year older than Blake, is not as square but has wonderful fleece and a typier tail. He is a proven sire, but is related to my two youngest ewes. Just this winter Blackberry has started to think about challenging me; his days will be numbered if he doesn't gain some respect as well as yield an impressive micron report.
That's it for now from . . .
I have liked this boy since the day he was born (he's the square brown lamb in my header photo), and the fact that he may be a fully polled ram is exciting. His uniquely colored fleece looks and feels heavenly, and he's not related to any of my ewes. So far, he has been a perfect gentleman, but he's just a coming yearling.
Blackberry, a year older than Blake, is not as square but has wonderful fleece and a typier tail. He is a proven sire, but is related to my two youngest ewes. Just this winter Blackberry has started to think about challenging me; his days will be numbered if he doesn't gain some respect as well as yield an impressive micron report. 
14 comments:
Intact boys be they sheep,goats, or colts are always a bit of a pain. My sympathies but you do have some wonderful choices.:)
I'm in love with Blake. I'd like a pin-up poster to hang in the barn for my ladies. ;-)
Thanks, Theresa, and Christine, I think that's one of the highest compliments anyone has paid one of my sheep! ;-)
If Blackberry is still small enough to do this, flip him. You basically roll them like a dog and sit on them. I had a horned dorset ram who came after me at just under a year. Since he was still relatively small, I threw him down, beat on him with my fists (sounds way worse than it was), and yelled at him. My dad was watching, and I'm sure he was wondering who I was!!
While this didn't completely cure him of the urge to "get" me, I always watched him and could tell when he was bitten by the urge, and could sic Harry on him. Harry knew Tuck's name - all I had to do was say it loudly, and he would get him to back off - it was pretty funny! You might see if you can get Jackson to do the same!
Oh yeah, Blackberry is still small enough - he isn't any bigger than Blake. I think I flipped him once when he was younger, but it's obviously time to do it again - if I can sidestep and grab him quickly enough when he tries to charge.
Unfortunately, Jackson is NO help. He got rolled a time or two by a ewe with lambs when he was young, and is afraid of sheep. He won't close to them even if I try to recall him.
Nice boys Michelle. And......I thought I was the only one that had their eye on this fall and the possibilities. :D Now I am not feeling so alone.
Methinks Blackberry may need to be shaken like a rug and used as a stool to sit on. ;) I had to do that with Loki a couple of weeks ago when he "forgot" himself and whom he was dealing with. He now remembers I am the Alpha and the Omega around these parts...and that I can make room in a freezer if need be. Growling helps. Now, all I have to do is growl just a bit and he steps right in line.
Sometimes it's good to be the queen! LOL!
Rams. Very happy not to have any (besides Blue) for a year here at the little farm. Blake sure looks like his daddy.
Tammy
they are both nice michelle!! I really like blake, im not a polled breeder so i dont know this, how is blake not a full poll when he doesnt have horns or scurs? sorry if that is a dumb question.
Mac at Spring Hills Farm
Well, I'm hoping for spectacular Barish lambs myself :-)
Then again, Blake is a real looker and going back and forth between him and Barish or Barish sons might be the bees knees. ;-)
Rams. Darn them. One of our nice Gotland rams is now in little white packages, after he wouldn't quit coming at me - even with throwing and growling. Fortunately, we have quite a few of his lambs to carry on, and more coming this spring. He was coming 3.
Mac, not a dumb question at all. Half-poll rams can run the full gamut of phenotype from smooth-headed to large aberrant horns that are difficult to differentiate from fully horned rams. Test breeding is the only way to know.
Franna, I definitely want to keep brown in my flock, so that is one of the big appeals of using Blake. Using Barish means all my lambs are black-based!
Michelle, What fun...I'm jealous. I'll be able to have fun after August. Until then I much get back to the books.
See you at church. Love you lots.
Pamela
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