[trish.farm]

After the death of my Romney ram in the summer, and the untimely death of my wee baby polled Dorset ram lamb, i now have to purchase a new tup for next year. 

I have had many enquires for my white and brown Corriedale fleeces which have now sold out.  I only have 2 pure bred corriedales left and am wondering if i should go back to a Corriedale ram to bring some nice fleece back into my partbreds.

What white or coloured fleece do the spinners on here demand?  Selling my fleeces and getting skins tanned adds an extra income to my small flock. 

Ultimately i need to produce a good meat carcase which my ewes are all capable of, but adding in a coloured tup with a good fleece would, i hope, leave me with some decent ewe lambs with spinnable fleeces!!  Either that or i go for a meat tup and buy a couple of nice coloured ewes with good fleece. 

Any ideas everyone?? 

[SallyintNorth]

You'll sell corriedale fleeces whether they're white or coloured.   

If the fat lambs fatten in one season, is there enough fleece on them to clip them before they go?  And would you want to clip them then?  Otherwise is there any point in having a fleece tup? 

I'm thinking of trying a Blue Texel tup next year, on my fleece girls.  I've no idea how the colour will or won't transmit, mind.  I'm sure you'd sell corriedale x texel fleece without any problem too

Having said which, if you've only 2 Corriedale ewes, then maybe it would be a good plan to get a Corriedale tup and breed some replacements.

Sorry, that wasn't much help at all!

[nutterly_uts]

Sally the blue texel I know of was put to a variety of breeds (rough fell, white texel, cheviots among others) and the majority of lambs were white - only a few weren't, and I think they were all from white texel parents so potential gene throwbacks - I can't think of any that weren't but I don't keep in touch with who had them so can't check.  I don't know if that helps
.
(Sorry to hijack)

[SallyintNorth]

Sorry, I should have made it clear that I didn't know how the blue texel colour transmits onto other coloured sheep.

Onto white sheep of similar breeds, so onto a white texel, then as the blue is recessive, you'd expect very few blue or black sheep in the next generation.  But where there are coloured genes in the gene pool, then you will get coloured offspring - 50% in a second generation.  ((Blue x White) x Blue)

What I don't know is whether the gene for colour is the same in the Blue Texel as in the Black Wensleydale, where the coloured gene is also recessive, but may or may not be the same gene.  (I have two Black Wensleydale ewe lambs, so would be interested in getting coloured Wensey x Texel lambs from them in due course.)

And similarly, whether the colour in a blue texel tup would give coloured lambs from a Manx, a Castlemilk, a coloured Shetland, and so on.  Or only as many coloured lambs as a white Texel would.

[trish.farm]

Thanks Sally.  I think i am better off increasing my Corriedale ewes, and having a "meat" ram.  However, my purebred corriedale girls have always been tricky post lambing, have had problems with 1 twin being rejected on numerous occasions.  (obviously very lazy mothers who only can cope with one baby)  so i am a tad nervous about getting more Corriedale ewes.  I was hoping that I could keep some  Corriedale x Romney ewe lambs if I used a Corriedale Tup, and their fleece should be pretty good.  Finding any Corriedale breeders is proving a nightmare though!! 

Might just forget this whole fleece idea!!  Knowing my luck they will all end up white, I wont breed any ewe lambs, and my tup will die of some unknown bizzare disease.  (you can tell this year is slowly getting to me!!) 

[SallyintNorth]

Oh, have a hug Trish! 

What about Bowmont?  I think it's Corriedale x Shetland, or 1/4 Shetland, and there's someone on here been talking about them recently... FiB, I think? 

[trish.farm]

ooh ooh, just seen Morri2 has a couple of dorset x bowmont for sale!!! 

[Anke]

I am not sure a Bowmont ram produces a good carcass in comparison to a Texel or Suffolk. Depends on the size of your ewes.

One problem with Bowmonts is that UK shearers cannot handle the skin folds in the neck - you will need an Aussie or NZ-der who has experience of shearing Merinos.

Bowmonts are 3/4 Merino and 1/4 Shetland as far as I know. My Bowmont ewes went to Morri a few years ago.

[BALLOCH]

Ive got a well grown ram lamb he is chocolate brown black his dad was a light grey gotland and mum was a mule x blackwelsh.she just looks like a black mule.He is a lovely natured boy and follows me anywhere,he is a right good size and small horns and has a great length of back,and has a gorgeous soft fleece.Would love him to go to a nice home and not be eaten he would definatly work this season,can email pics,im near huntly aberdeenshire

[trish.farm]

Thank you BALLOCH, he sounds perfect but might be a rather long journey to collect him, I am down in Southampton!! 

[Ladygrey]

If you want to go for a meat ram wich still has a soft fleece, maybe try a charmoise although they probly arent anything like what you are looking for....

They are very very hardy and very easy lambing  and produce a good carcass, I sold the wool last year to a hand spinner and she loved it 

Most people say they are butt ugly pink piggies, but I think they are pretty and I love them 

[Ladygrey]

Also I am about 45 mins from Southampton and you would be welcome to pop up even just for a visit to see what these creatures look like for real and have a good feel of them

[trish.farm]

ooh thank you!  Yeh must admit i do think they look like wee  :pig:s, but would love to come and see them in the flesh and would be lovely to meet you.  I am south east of winchester so just a short hop up the road to you.  Thanks so much for the offer.   

[Me]

I can't comment on fleece (other than they generally have one!) but must say Charmoise are a great little sheep

[Ladygrey]

Ooh thats not far at all My vet is based in winchester,

My sheep are in three different places but not too far from each other

I will send you a PM