Seasons Bleatings_ June 2008_ SHEEP
Grow Your Own Wool and Lamb
 
June Money Saving Tip:  Check with your feed supplier, you may be able to get away with something more economical    I just found what my local Missouri feed store is calling Commodity Blend Pellets. Same percent protein as the previous breed specific pellet, but TWO dollars cheaper per bag.  I have compared contents and find them to be almost identical (minus anti-coccidiostats).... and this time of year with plenty of forage there should be no problem cutting corners a bit. In fact, alot of people don't feed their sheep concentrates at all in the summer!  I am not ready to go that far, but am currently feeding concentrates every other day plus free choice baking soda and loose mineral.
 
From friends of the farm: 
I wanted to tell you, that your advice to try shearing ourselves gave us
confidence to try and we did ok.  Unfortunatley I cut one a little on
the elbow, but I will know to watch for that in the future.  It was not
so hard, we put them up on the tail gate of the truck in the shade and
it was great.  I got two done tonight, I think if I weren't pregnant, I
could do four or five, but my back doesn't take much right now.

Anyway, thanks so much for the advice, it gave me enough confidence to
try, and I am so glad that I did.  I am not terribly disappointed at the
almost TOTAL lack of second cuts either, and I even managed to get the
fleece off in one peice.  I got all the blanket and good stuff off, and
left the crud on the sheep.  Then I took the rest off separate.  It
worked pretty good.  - Alena
 

 
SALELIST for JUNE:
 
Bluefaced Leicester (registered with BLUNA) a RAREBREED in the U.S. and the finest fiber diameter of all the Leicester breeds. In the U.K. they are used as a crossing sire for meat sheep and contribute large size , length of loin and multiplicity.  Color is extremely rare in BFLs and it was only in the last couple years, that colored semen was available by import from the U.K.  Quiet disposition. Good  mothers / lots of milk.  Rams are non-aggressive and gentlemanly. Clean faces, legs and bellies... easy to shear. One very fine ram is left for sale:
 
 
HMFF Lancaster #227white  Black twin ram Born 2007 out of BT Blackpark (GC Colored BFL ram) and BT Leighford . $400
 
 
The Standard of Perfection for Bluefaced Leicester fleece/ received from BLUNA President Kelly
 
The fleece is in a lock formation that opens cleanly to the skin...The fleece should definitely NOT be a rug. The fleeces are clean, the animal doesn't carry fleece on its head, belly, butt, bag and legs. The amount of fleece is a drawback in mixed breed classes  [when ] volume is one piece of criteria. However, in breed class fleece shows it should stand on the merits stated in the standard.

"The wool should be tightly purled, fine, dense, semi-lustrous, and opening cleanly to the skin." and,
"The Bluefaced Leicester is classified as a longwool breed. It has a staple length of 3"-6", a fleece weight of 2.5 to 4.5 lbs., and a fiber diameter of 56's - 60's count, or 28 - 24 microns; creating high quality luster yarns with beautiful drape and handle."
 
3/4ths and one 7/8ths Bluefaced Leicester choose a ram to improve the fleece on any breed of sheep!  Looks like BFL, but more fleeceweight and staple length plus lower price.  Very stylish in appearance . Easy to shear.  More vigor than the BFL.
 
 
 HMFF Dartmoor
 
HMFF Dartmoor #225yellow   White twin ram Born 2006 out of Beechtree Blackpark (GC Colored BFL Ram) and HMFF Danielle (spectacular white triplet Hybrid ewe). Classic blue skin. Stylish conformation. Great fleece $300
 
HMFF Silver Fox # 220yellow  Silver twin ram Born 2006 out of Beechtree Blackpark (GC Colored BFL Ram) and HMFF Danielle (spectacular white triplet Hybrid ewe) Stylish conformation. Great fleece Proven breeder. $300
 
HMFF Grant #0261white   White ram Born 2007 out of BT Blackpark (GC Colored BFL ram)  and HMFF Gwendolyn ( gorgeous LONG stapled Hybrid). Grant was the biggest ram lamb of 2007 and is a real beauty!  $300
 
HMFF Ravenn's Boy08 -  black twin ram lamb born 3-6-08 out of BT Blackpark (GC Colored BFL ram) and HMFF Ravenn (silver Hybrid) $225 / $150 wethered
 
HMFF Gwendoyn's Boy08  black lamb out of HMFF Silver Fox (3/4 BFL)  and HMFF Gwendolyn (long stapled white Hybrid) Not quite 3/4 by the book, but more BFL than a Hybrid... so  placed in this category.  Should be a beauty! $225 / $150 if wethered
 
 
Hybrid Leicester ( BFL x Border Leicester)  produce my BEST fleeces ... the perfect combination of staple length and fine fiber diameter plus luster!  And the sheep themselves are vigorous and productive.
 
 HMFF GrisGris
 
HMFF GrisGris #217yellow   rare badger patterned ram Born 2006. Out of Beechtree Blackpark (GC Colored BFL ram) and HMFF Guenevere (long stapled white Border Leicester) Proven breeder $300
 
HMFF Danielle's Boy08   twin lamb out of HMFF GrisGris (silver badger Hybrid) and HMFF Danielle (spectacular white triplet Hybrid)  White . $200 / $150 if wethered
 
 
HMFF Improved Border Leicester I worked for alot of years to get these Borders where I want them... gorgeous LONG stapled fleeces, but with a soft handle and uniform character locks.  VERY good mothers. Easy to handle. With clean faces and legs, they are easy to shear.
 
 HMFF White Knight
 
HMFF White Knight #161yellow - BIG bodied white ram born in 2004 out of HMFF Jupiter (badger patterned silver BL) and HMFF Guenevere (lovely white BL). Has super long staple length and massive fleeceweights (last spring he sheared 15 lbs!). Proven herdsire, easy to get along with,  but time to move on.  $300
 
HMFF Whispering Knight #0233white - silver twin ram born 2007 out of HMFF White Knight and HMFF Rapunzel (see above)  $250
 
HMFF Rapunzel's Boy08 - black ram born 3-18-08 out of HMFF GrisGris (silver badger Hybrid) and HMFF Rapunzel (silver BL).  $200 / $150 wethered
 
HMFF Beltane's Boy08  - white lamb born 3-30-08 out of HMFF GrisGris (silver badger Hybrid) and HMFF Beltane (white BL) $200 / $150 wethered
 
HMFF Guilless's Boy08 - white lamb born 4-12-08 out of HMFF White Knight (white BL) and HMFF Guilless ( white Hybrid) $200 / $150 wethered
 
 
A Handspinners Flock  - wethers are the ideal spinners flock... you can get assorted breeds to suit your desires without worrying about them crossbreeding into something no one wants.  No worrying about frozen newborn lambs.  They do nothing but eat grass and put it all into growing gorgeous fleeces... in fact, better fleeces than either rams or ewes!   Most of the 2008 ram lambs, if not sold as rams this month, will be wethered so I can retain them if they don't sell as lambs.  I won't send them to market... they are just too valuable.  At a return of  $16-18 per lb raw fleece,  a wether will have paid for himself within one and a half years!   NOTE: I will be wethering all extra males soon, so if you want a ram lamb contact me ASAP.
 
For  more information and pictures of the sheep listed, contact me at hmffarm@fidnet.com
 
 
 

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