Meet Sheltrgpines Bourdon
Bourdon is a gorgeous fawn katmoget ram lamb from Sheltering Pines. He is owned by Susan Klingler of Shepherds Croft Farm in Wilson, Wyoming. Bourdon is going to be staying here at Kimberwood for awhile so that he can be shown. We will also be using him for breeding this fall to a few of our ewes.Meet Sheltrgpines FionaII
Fiona is also from Sheltering Pines and is owned by Susan. We will be travelling next month to Wyoming to visit Susan and deliver this little doll.
Meet SheltrgPines Tullia:
Tullia is a beautiful gulmoget ewe lamb from Sheltering Pines in Allegan MI.Meet SheltrgPines Dubheasa:
This little doll also comes to us from Sheltering Pines
Not only have I neglected to keep my blog up to date, I've also neglected my Secret Pal who has been taking very good care of me. First she sent me this very thoughtful note to let me know she had been thinking of me.
Then this past week when I arrived home from a very short trip but very long drive to Michigan THIS was waiting for me! I absolutely love everything about this wonderful gift and thank you from the bottom of my heart! I promise to keep things more current on my blog from now on!
In this day and age it's really tough trying to make a living as a farmer/shepherd. When I discovered this 3-tier system that is being used very successfully in the UK, I was very excited. I can actually keep doing what I love with my Shetlands AND I can also earn more by raising a crossbred lamb that is entirely grass fed and grows so fast they are ready for market by fall by simply purchasing 2 rams of two different breeds.
The first cross for me(BFL ram to Shetland ewes) produces a lamb that has excellent fleece which is very marketable and a larger carcass weight. I can then turn around and cross these Shetland Mule ewes to a British Suffolk ram for the ultimate market lamb. Yes, it temporarily pulls a handful of my Shetland ewes out of my Shetland breeding program but it's short term and in my opinion well worth it.
The two ewe lambs pictured above are Rhoswen and Marsali. They are the beginning of my purebred BFL flock. This fall when the rams are introduced they will be with my friend Becky's BFL ram Lester along with a few of my Shetland ewes. Hopefully one of these ewes will produce a ram lamb for us in the spring of 2007 so that we will have our own ram to use for the next breeding season to continue with our plan to raise Shetland Mules. Rhoswen and Marsali will be bred artificially to UK rams the fall of 2007.
Here is a website that tells all about the 3-tier system we are working towards:
My friend Nancy was here to visit and took this pic of Thistle and her mom. She sent me several lovely pictures that I'll share here eventually. Thistle's sire is Kimberwood Gavrael and I'm really pleased with this cross. Thistle will be staying here on my farm and will be a part of my polled breeding group next year.
