[Fronhaul]

Hugs Jaykay and hopefully this might bring a smile - 


I am collecting these two from Wiltshire tomorrow.  I particularly wanted a fawn ewe lamb and when I heard she was called Summer and had a twin called Winter I couldn't resist them both.

[jaykay]

They're lovely Fron and thanks for the hugs 

I think I like the patterned ones most, like the Foula sheep, though I like well-marked katmoget and gulmogets too  Just learning about the genetics. Seems I will want a brown, spotted tup -hmmmm, that'll be easy to find then 

[Fronhaul]

Thanks.  I am really struggling with the genetics.  The link on the Society website is great but I still need a pencil and paper and even so it seems Mother Nature can play a joker.  I think I should have mainly Moorits and Fawns next year but I suspect I will find out otherwise.  These two will have to wait another year though.

[Blueeyes]

Hiya, very much a novice where it comes to sheep, but we bought 6 Shetland Rams a few weeks ago, they are this years lambs, and within a week they were bucket trained, in fact when they see you they almost bowl you over in excitement  we got a mixture of colours inc two dark chocolate ones and then a mix of other markings/colours.

They are very cute and run witurnur two Shetland ponies like they have been friends forever  so sweet to see them all laid down together!

We havnt had any escape yet, but we do check the fencing regularly, but we do find they always have branches and leaves etc stuck in their fleeces, they never look tidy 

Good luck in finding the sheep you want and enjoy 


Blueeyes xx

[jaykay]

we bought 6 Shetland Rams a few weeks ago, they are this years lambs, and within a week they were bucket trained

this is very reassuring 

[Fronhaul]

Well I collected my erm three and as usual left that particular flock with regrets for the ones I had to leave behind.  It is great when you can buy from a breeder who has put so much care and attention into the animals.  And I always seem to come back with an extra one.  This time it was a ewe lamb called Manila who I simply couldn't leave behind.  Also learnt a lot about Shetlands in the process having been taken through the good and bad points of a large number of lambs and most of the rams, had a few of the finer points of fleece evaluation explained to me and also met Mothers and Grandmothers of the lambs I was looking at.

No Moorit Fronet rams though although there was a stunning Black Krunet boy I would have loved to take home.  At least I think I have those the right way round.  There were no spotted brown rams and the black ram had a white patch on his head.  I will get my head round the markings one day.

[jaykay]

  I'm glad to hear other people come back with more than they intended 

I went to visit a breeder today and bought 5 moorit gimmer shearlings, a black shearling tup and a black wether lamb to keep him company. I go to collect them in a fortnight 

I also learned loads and what to look for   Decided to start my flock with these very nice sheep, which had bee well handled so were quit friendly (and add colours in as and when I learn what I want)

[lachlanandmarcus]

I love the coloured ones too....but found them very hard to send off to the abbatoir... which is why I currently have an elderly white ram for my mainly white ewes and two coloured wether companions for the ram - bred em but couldnt send em off!

[SallyintNorth]

I went to visit a breeder today and bought 5 moorit gimmer shearlings, a black shearling tup and a black wether lamb to keep him company. I go to collect them in a fortnight 

That is brilliant news, jaykay.   

I don't suppose you took any snaps...?  (Or will we have to contain ourselves for a fortnight?  )

[jaykay]

I didn't and now I have to wait too  Maybe the lady will email me some 

[colliewoman]

if it's of any interest here is my shetland taming timeline  (they're half castlemilk moorit too)

day 1  PM. vertical take off when any human is seen anywhere. i poured a couple of scoops of ewe nuts on the ground and left immediately.

day 2 AM. placed food on floor and went to edge of paddock to watch. sheep devour food.
day 2 PM. placed food on floor and stayed near, sheep wandered over slowly, then devoured food.

day 3 AM. placed a bit of food in trough, sat on bucket and held out handfuls of feed. 4 out of five eating out of my hand.
day 3 PM. get escorted to feed shed by sheep, extract sheep from said shed so i can get to the feed bin, then trodden on in haste to get to trough, all except the horned one eat out of hand.

day 4 AM. sheep at gate yelling for breakfast, constantly in the way and all trying to get into feed shed before me.
PM see above.

horny still wont eat from the hand but has hers in a bucket. the others are always climbing on me for food.

they are worse than goats!   

[SallyintNorth]

As someone considering Castlemilk Moorits, I am delighted to hear your story colliewoman!

Mind, I've just had a neighbour today making it abundantly plain that my wild primitives all over his good dairy ground would not be very well received...  uh ohhhh.... 

[jaykay]

CollieWoman - thank you very much for sharing that, it makes me feel very hopeful mine will learn to come to food -  and that's all i want, to be able to 'gather' them with a bucket instead of a dog. Though i do love sheep eating out of my hands too 

That was a grumpy neighbour Sally! As if a few stray Castlemilks would hurt his dairy grass  You could always deny all knowledge and claim what he saw were deer 

[Fronhaul]

Looking forward to hearing more about them Jaykay.  And I think the record so far this year among my friends for buying more than intended goes to my friend David who went to the Hill Radnor sale on Saturday to buy a ram and came back with 2 rams and 4 ewes declaring it was a shame to take a trailer that far for one animal.

[Brucklay]

Fronhaul - I agree totally with your friend David - I couldn't return with an empty trailer and added a castlemilk to my shetlands - who have now been here a month and are just like Colliewoman's - they are just a delight - picked up 2 shetland ewes on Saturday and you have thought they always been here - feeding out of my hand already and tearing down the field when I go to check on the ram lambs next bit along.