Rama dama ding dong(s)

Rams. Can't live with 'em; can't live without 'em (if you want lambs!). This week I've been looking at my rams; comparing them; thinking about the future.

Boulderneigh Blackberry is the oldest at two years of age. He has sired lambs for Franna but not here, because I've had access to rams unrelated to any of my ewes the last two breeding seasons (he is related to three of them). He was such a good-looking lamb, but is not impressively built as an adult. However, his teeny-tiny fluke tail, pattern/color genetics, and consistent, crimpy, soft fleece have remained very strong selling points. He is a half-poll, At/Aa, BB/Bb, SS/Ss out of a ewe with virtually no age-greying at ten years of age. His scurs broke off and haven't regrown, so nothing to manage there. He got a little aggressive towards humans over the winter, but my husband turned WWE smack-down champion on him and now Blackberry respectfully turns away when a human enters his pen.

Whistlestop Bunker is a blessing I didn't think I wanted. He came as a package deal with his poll-carrier dam, and then turned out to have the best fleece in my flock! It is like lace; 4" staple, dense, crimpy, fine, soft, and consistent from stem to stern. He's a half-poll; we had to trim his scurs last week but didn't hit blood on either of them. He has excellent structure and a great tail; his only drawback is that he could be Awt/Awt (I'm hoping for Awt/Aa). He has not had a chance to show what he can throw, so he will stay here awhile even though I've had an offer on him. Oh, and he has a perfect temperament for a ram; not psycho, but wants to avoid contact with humans if possible.

Boulderneigh Blake is a musket yearling with three lambs on the ground this spring, even though he was still a ram lamb and in with the ladies for less than 24 hours last fall. His structure has impressed from day one (he's the handsome brown lamb in the header photo) and I think he's still awesome. (If I were going to get picky, I'd give him Blackberry's tail and Bunker's earset.) His fleece has fantastic handle, good crimp and consistency, and microned well this spring; I hope it doesn't change dramatically over the next couple years. I don't know yet if he's a full poll, but I sure like his smooth, maintenance-free head. I'm assuming he's Ag/Aa because he was such a slow, non-typical fader, but I don't know that for sure since all his lambs are Ag.

Mid-side and fleece sample shots of all three of these boys can be found here.

And here are this year's ram lambs; one with horns, one without. Barrister is being held with deposit; Bart has someone interested in him (although they may decide on Blackberry). The sun was shining on Bart's nose; it's not THAT light!

That's it for now at . . .