I shall be reducing my flock numbers considerably this summer, preparatory to moving, with just a small flock, to my new home in North Cornwall at the end of September.
The sheep have been bought and bred for fleece for handspinning.
This is an early notice of impending sale. I thought I’d better let people know before Woolfest, in case anyone wanted to talk to me there, or see/buy some fleeces. I shall have three of my sheep on the British Coloured Sheepbreeders’ Association stand, so you can see examples of the flock there. (Although it’s against the rules for me to offer them for sale, or to let members of the public touch them, at the show.) There will be coloured fleeces for sale on the BCSBA stand and white ones in the main Woolfest fleece sale.
Sheep to be sold later in the year include :
EwesDot Cotton (2011) – Manx Loaghtan, multi-horn, unregistered, 4-crop (3x twins, 1x single. Reared twins 2015 and 2016.) All her Shetland x offspring have had very interesting fleeces, and her daughter Dulcie Grey (2013) has always been one of the first three ewes on the list of those I am taking with me. I shall also be taking one of Dot Cotton’s 2016 daughters and quite possibly one of her 2015 wethers, as well as one or two of Dulcie Grey’s daughters. DC’s own fleece is short staple, but a lovely rich chocolate colour, and usually quite soft.
Pricket (2011) - Manx Loaghtan, multi-horn (one a spike), unregistered, 5-crop (Single 2013, twins since.) A breeder of good breeders who breed good breeders.
Goldie (2012) – Castlemilk Moorit, unregistered, geld as a yearling, twins 2015 and 2016. Good mother, very tame. Passes on fine fleece to her Shetland x offspring, although her own fleece is very short staple and therefore not the easiest to use. Had a small anal prolapse as a yearling but has had no recurrence. I will be taking one of Goldie’s 2016 ewe lambs with me.
(
reserved) Anya (2012) – registered Shetland, black, 3-crop. Single black ewe lamb 2014, grey katmoget ewe lamb and moorit tup lamb 2015, black and moorit tup lambs 2016. All her lambs have had wonderful fleeces. Anya is also known as ‘Tatty Ears’ as she shredded her ears losing her first set of ear tags. She’s a pretty laid back ewe, however. Very reluctant sale – I just can’t take them all. I am taking her first daughter, however.
(
reserved) Wincey (2014) – registered black Wensleydale, 1-crop. Tremendous lustre in her fleece, which is a real black (although the tips will fade.) Needs clipping early in the season or there will be some felting on her back. Has done a great job with her strapping Shetland x single tup lamb (grey katmoget, looks to be a very interesting fleece.) (
Lamb reserved) Has had an abcess on the back of her right ear; vet unconcerned.
GimmersSilver (2015) – Castlemilk Moorit x Shetland. Horned (2, swept back.) Very nice fleece; fine like Castlemilk Moorit but more staple length. Musket katmoget; I anticipate the bulk of the fleece being very light brown.
Pricket’s daughter (2015) – Manx Loaghtan x Shetland. Horned, 2 small slightly more erect than swept back. Rich chocolate brown (tips fade.)
Buffy’s daughter (2015) – 7/8 Shetland, 1/8 Castlemilk Moorit. Polled. Lovely fleece, probably not coloured, or maybe cream. Lambed as a hogg, had a very nice single ewe lamb, did a great job.
Gissy (2015) – 7/8 Shetland, 1/8 Castlemilk Moorit. Polled. Bottle-reared (mother had 3 that year, a single the year after.) Lovely fleece, expected to be very light brown.
Lilipad (2016) – 1/4 Blue-faced Leicester, 3/4 Shetland. Polled. Grey katmoget (bulk of fleece white.) Gorgeous fleece. Lambed as a hogg, had twins. I took one off to help Lilipad along; she has been a very good mother.
Rosebud (2016) – Shetland x North of England Mule. (So 1/4 Blue-faced Leicester, 1/4 Swaledale, 1/2 Shetland.) Horned (2, swept back.) White. Lots of nice fleece. Lambed as a hogg, did a good job with twins.
Denny (2016) – Shetland moorit, unregistered. Looks to have a nice fleece and to be a nice little ewe.
(
reserved) Anya’s daughter (2016) – Shetland grey katmoget, unregistered. Lambed as a hogg, had a ewe lamb the spitting image of herself. Very nice little ewe with a super fleece – lots of grey tones in there.
Cinders (2016) – 3/4 Shetland, 1/8 Charollais, 1/16 Beltex, 1/32 Swaledale, 1/32 Blue-faced Leicester. Grey katmoget (bulk of fleece white), polled. Lambed as a hogg, did a great job with a very nice lamb.
Chutney (2016) – 1/4 Manx Loaghtan, 3/4 Shetland. Musket katmoget, polled. Lambed as a hogg, did a great job with nice twins. I think she will be a good breeder.
Sauce (2016) - 1/4 Manx Loaghtan, 3/4 Shetland. Moorit, polled. Chutney's sister.
Adult WethersA variety of 2015-born Shetland and Shetland x wethers, some with white fleeces, some moorit, some grey katmoget. Some horned, some polled. If you want your grass eaten, your own fleece but not the bother of lambing, perhaps you’d like a few of these boys?
2016 lambsI haven’t got them completely catalogued yet, but there are boys and girls of: pure Shetland, Shetland x Manx, 1/4 Manx, Shetland x Castlemilk Moorit, Shetland x Wensleydale, 1/4 BFL, Shetland x Mule and 1/4 commercial. Mostly musket katmoget or grey katmoget (most fleeces will probably be mainly white in adults, except one 1/4 BFL wether and one 1/2 Wensleydale wether which I think will be greys all over), moorit (brown – the Manx crosses are a rich chocolate brown), some white. One black-and-white splotchy 1/4 Manx wether.
There will be some very nice moorit and katmoget ewe lambs, both pure Shetland and crossbred, and one or two white, if anyone wanted to start their own fleece flock with ewe lambs. (I'm taking a few, but I can't take them all!)
On pricing, I will be keen to find nice homes for the breeding females, and handspinning homes for any wethers with nice fleeces - so talk to me
I am also receptive to purchasers wanting any of these animals to rear/fatten for meat; realistically, I am unlikely to find handspinning homes for all of them! The meat is fantastic - dark, lean and tasty.
As a guide, I've just sold two of the 2015-born white wethers (one 1/8 Castlemilk and one 1/4 BFL) in the primestock ring, and got £56 a head. I sent two 2014-born wethers too (one 1/2 Manx, one 1/8 Castlemilk - I'd wanted another fleece off each of them), and they fetched £71 a head. (If you're wanting meat for yourselves, two summers gives a decent size for home use. They can be kept on longer if required.)
The sheep can be collected from their home on Hadrian's Wall in north Cumbria, or delivery within a reasonable drive. I may be able to deliver in Southern Scotland / Borders - please ask. Delivery to Devon/Cornwall later in the year may also be possible.
Ewes rearing lambs, and this year's lambs, will be available from end August. Wethers and ewes not rearing lambs any time.
Topic: Impending flock reduction / part dispersal (Read 7148 times)
