Do that to me one more time....Today I broke up my breeding groups as planned, but I almost did it Friday. After all, that was 19 days after I set them up, which should have spanned two breeding seasons after removing the CIDRs. Good thing I didn't, though, because guess who was getting some serious attention yesterday morning when I went out to do chores!
And it wasn't just posturing on Bunker's part. The date went on the calendar.
Now my rams are back in the Ram-ada Inn (from left:
Cadbury,
Bunker and
Blake; wether Browning not shown) and my ewes are in the Sheep Sheraton (back to front:
Marta,
Sarai,
Annabelle, retired
Inky, wether Bart's rump;
Bonny was nibbling on my camera case;
Bramble not shown). Once everyone gets "flocked up" again, I can lead the ewe group to and from pasture.
I am so happy with my little flock of many colors. From them I have the potential for white, musket, grey, moorit and black sheep with or without the gulmoget and katmoget patterns. Modified colors and spots are in there genetically, too, although less likely to show up. Structures are excellent to good, tails are excellent to acceptable, wool grows on the poll of each one, and fleeces are soft and eminently spinnable with varying amounts of wave/crimp. All will be micron-tested next spring, and I expect them to fall within acceptable limits (back when our breed description still listed a micron range).
This morning's sheep shuffling prompted some coat changes and one pedicure. Here's Marta from the side and at mid-side before getting a size D coat:
Here's Cadbury from the side, at mid-side (dark) and at the flank (lighter) before getting a size E coat and a pedicure:
(Note: Marta & Cadbury were shorn late - July 11.)
Brian's wether Browning has gotten a LOT lighter with age-greying. This is his fleece at mid-side before getting covered with a G(!) coat:
Now to dream of lambs at . . .
