New Lambs!!! Cutie Patooties! Finnsheep Mom x Icelandic Dad.

BB ("black beauty"). Preemie sized ewe lamb.

I knew my Finnsheep ewe Suklaa ("chocolate") was due soon, but I wasn't expecting anything yet. I had felt her bag Sunday night and it was definitely filling up. Walked out to feed Monday morning and found two lambs on the ground and one very confused 2 yr old first time mom! She delivered a normal sized white ram lamb first but there was a soggy teensy tinsy black ewe lamb on the ground awaiting her mother's care. That wasn't gonna be happening. Suklaa decided that the solid black 1.5 pound ewe lamb wouldn't make it so she focused on her ram lamb.

My neighbor came over and we took them to a small stall and set up watch to see what would happen and sure enough, Mom rejected the tiny tiny "black beauty." So with help from Nathan our Vegetable Production Manager, I set up a metal dog crate for BB to stay in and I hustled up some colostrum from our goat dairy neighbors (Once Upon A Meadow) and started working on getting BB comfortable.

Meanwhile, the handsome ram lamb got Suklaa's colostrum started and settled in. Then he was up and curiously wandering around the stall.

Ram lamb with mother.

Suklaa making sure ram lamb is safe from me. ;)

My friend Anna came over and cuddled with BB and wanted to take her home!

Wee hours of Tuesday morning for 4:00am feeding.

BB really wants to live and to prove it she is drinking her colostrum and getting her legs under her for little walkabouts in her crate! Welcome to the world little lambs!

2015 Icelandic Ram Lambs For Sale

This year's ram lambs are sired by INGL Zeke 2012 (CLRC # 684958-H) who is a three time winner at SAFF. Because the dams are both polled, the rams have small scurs (1 inch or less). They both have lovely fleeces and great dispositions. They've had their CDT shots, hooves trimmed and are being halter trained.

I. Cato: Moorit Mouflon. SOLD

Out of SM Deva 2012 (Moorit Badgerface Mouflon Polled) (3 time winner at SAFF)

SOLD        Cato: 2015 Moorit Mouflon Ram

Cato: 2015 Moorit Mouflon Ram

Cato: Very broad across shoulders, back and rump.

Cato: Lovely, soft fleece.

Cato's Dam SM Deva: 2012 Moorit Badgerface Mouflon Polled

II. Melark: White Patterned with heavy phaeomelanin.
Out of FMGL's Portia: 2013 Black Grey (CLRC # 697067-P). 2 time winner at SAFF.

Melark: 2015 White Patterned Scurs

Melark: 2015 White Patterned Scurs

Melark's fleece: very soft!

Melark's dam FMGL's Portia: 2013 Black Grey Polled

Reference photo of INGL Zeke, Sire of above ram lambs.

Zeke: 2012 White Patterned horned, amazing fleece

2015 Icelandic Ewe Lambs For Sale

All three ewe lambs are friendly and come up for treats. They have had their CDT shots, hooves trimmed, etc. They are being halter trained now. $500.00 each

I.   Twin ewe lambs out of SRX Tacocoa M2C (CLRC # 623250) by STAR THROWER R M5SP.

A. Sae: Moorit Grey polled.

Sae: 2015 ewe lamb, moorit grey polled

Sae (left) and mother SRX Tacocoa

Sae: 2015 ewe lamb, moorit grey polled

Sae's fleece.

B. Effie: Moorit Grey Spotted Polled

Effie:2015 ewe lamb - moorit grey spotted polled

Effie (right) with her mother SRX Tacocoa

Effie:2015 ewe lamb - moorit grey spotted polled

Effie's fleec

II.  Ewe Lamb out of SM Deva M34P (CLRC # 673952) by INGL Zeke 01H (CLRC # 684958). Deva and Zeke are each three time winners at the Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair.

Hawthorne: Moorit Badgerface polled

Hawthorne: 2015 ewe lamb - moorit badgerface

Hawthorne: 2015 ewe lamb - moorit badgerface

Hawthorne: 2015 ewe lamb - moorit badgerface

Hawthorne's fleece - SO SOFT

Hawthorne: 2015 ewe lamb - moorit badgerface

Hawthorne's mother: SM Deva - 2012 Moorit Badgerface Mouflon Polled

Hawthorne's father: INGL Zeke - 2012 White Patterned Horned

Catching up on the lambs.

It was a pretty warm day yesterday, 4 May. All the ewes and lambs claimed their spot of shade for the afternoon. Of the 7 to shear, 2 are done. 

All of the lambing is done. Here's a update on the 2015 lambs.

First time mother, FMGL Portia delivered this handsome well made white patterned ram lamb, Mellark. Mel for short. He is polled with lovely long curls. His father is INGL Zeke.

 SM Deva delivered this fun set of twins also sired by INGL Zeke: Moorit Mouflon ram lamb, Cato, and Morrit Badgerface ewe lamb, Hawthorne. Thorne for short. Thorne is polled and Cato has barely noticeable scurs.

INGL Yuli's Moorit Mouflon ewe, MockingJay is growing nicely. She's very friendly. Her sire is Starthrower ram. She is polled.

These twin ewe lambs are out of SRX Tacocoa and by the Starthrower ram. Sae is the Moorit Grey on the left and Effie is the lovely Moorit Grey Spotted girl on the right. These two fall all over me for petting! Both are polled.

I'm keeping back Effie, MockingJay and Cato for sure. 

First lambs of 2015!

SRX Tacocoa (Moorit Grey) was the first to lamb with two ewe lambs on 4 April 2015. Their sire is STAR THROWER R M5SP1161A.

Moorit Grey Ewe "Sae"

Moorit Spotted Ewe "Effie"

INGL Yuli lambed 11 April 2015 with a single ewe lamb. Sire is also STAR THROWER R M5SP1161A.

Moorit Mouflon Ewe "MockingJay"

As you can tell I'm sticking with names from the Hunger Games Trilogy. This is the last year of this theme.

Frolicking Finnsheep and Icelandics! The Finn ewe is the only one not heavy with lambs. Makes a difference!

Introducing my new Finnsheep, Suklaa (means chocolate in Finnish).

I brought home my first Finnsheep Saturday! I drove 3 hours from NC to VA to purchase her from Shari Nees. I'm in love with her! Her fleece is so soft and her disposition is so lovely. Shari had put a lot of time and energy into gentling and halter training her. 

Finnsheep are in the Northern European Short Tailed family of sheep along with Icelandics and Shetlands. There are a few visual similarities in addition to the short tails: small ears that are set high, head shape, etc. The fleece is very different as it is fine to medium and a single coat. Finnsheep breed all year and can have litters of up to 7 and 8 lambs. Pretty wild!

I decided to go ahead and breed her for a fall lamb. When introduced to my young white patterned Icelandic ram, Haymitch, she immediately came in heat. I do believe she is bred! HA!