Show report

Yesterday we attended a very wet Bolton Fair in MA. It was the 126th Bolton fair but the first time we have ever attended it in a show capacity. We took 5 sheep Dreamer, Suncook, Jewel, Gypsy and Cammie (Kanasatka). 

Did I mention wet? Dreamer says who cares where are the animal crackers?

We had a lot of rain Friday and then it rained pretty much non-stop on Saturday with only a few breaks in the weather which is a shame as the fair is a blast to go to. The wonderful thing about the Bolton sheep show is that they actually have a Shetland group so this is the first the first time I've shown against other Shetlands.

Our first class was Yearling ram which Dreamer won.

Our second class was Junior ram lamb which was a large class in which Suncook came 3rd. This was Sandra's first time showing.

Then the kids had took Gypsy and Jewel into Yearling ewes class (another large class) where they came 3rd and 4th respectively.  They also did Yearling pairs which they came 2nd in.

There would be a picture here but blogger wouldn't load it.

Next class was Junior ewe lamb (large class) which I took Cammie in and she won! She then went on to win Champion ewe for the Shetlands.

Still no picture I'll post one later.

We also entered a pairs class with Suncook and Cammie coming 2nd and Dreamer and Jewel coming 3rd. 

What a day!

It was very long (the sheep had to be  penned by 8am and we weren't allowed to leave until 6pm) but really good and I was so proud of my sheep. They met a lot of new people and won a few fans (hi Holly). So many people were surprised at how soft the sheep are and that the boys horns are warm. The children also took the sheep into a sheep agility class but I'll post pictures of that tomorrow if blogger lets me lol. 

I love the new fencing

So I have invested in PermaNet and ElectroNet fencing from Premier after having an escape from wire fencing. The first type is tall and sturdy but heavy and I'm not that tall so it is harder to install (although I can still get 4 rolls out in 30 mins alone) the second type is lighter and a breeze to put out. Last night I moved a paddock I had made for the 3 boys and put it up in a new place. The whole thing took 10 minutes of my time. 3 rolls of fencing and a good size area. Wonderful.

This morning they liked the new pasture. I like the view from my deck. Of course all of this has to come down soon as I want to put my sheep into their breeding groups. They are all ready to go lol. The wonderful thing about the fencing is that I have more time to do other things like tying practice.

We have a local show next Saturday and this will be our first time showing against other shetlands. The haltering practice is going really well even our new lamb Colby is doing well for a first timer although she's not showing this time out.

Sunny says thanks for the new grass.

Goodbye Yosemite and safe travels

Today my youngest and one of my favorite ram lambs left for Oregon. It was quite the experience as I have never shipped a lamb by plane before. Here's what I learnt.

1. American Airlines require a health certificate with a date 10 days (max.) from the flight date even though the state health certificate is good for 30 days. Amen for fax machines.

2. The maximum weight of priority cargo is 70lbs....shame that Yosemite in his crate weighed 73lbs. Fatty lol.

3. The person that takes the lamb/sheep to the airport pays for the transportation. Thank God for the ability of wiring funds quickly.

All in all rather a stressful few hours but I'm happy to say he made it on the plane eventually...true it was a later flight than planned but at least I didn't have to drive him back to the airport in the early morning. Now I'll say a little prayer and cross my fingers that he makes it to Oregon safely. 

Goodbye sweetie and be happy and healthy for a long long time.

Meet the girls'

Well after showing plenty of pictures of the boys it's time to meet some of the girls'. I have 6 ewes in my flock plus one ewe lamb that is for sale. I'm not having much success selling yet although I do believe I have one ram lamb sold (yay!). I just have the 3 other rams that need to go before breeding season begins, I have 2 shows next month to go to which I am quietly hopeful for, they have quite a lot of shetlands there normally and I have also got several people to talk to locally. Next year I will remember to market my lambs earlier.

Anyway enough of that. This is RF Bella the only ewe lamb born this year at Ridgeway Farm. I think she is going to stay black, the brown is just sun-bleaching. She is wonderfully delicate, her body type reminds me of my wonderful Gypsy. Her fleece is very soft with a moderate crimp to it and it is already so thick.

This is BluffCountry Gypsy and her best friend RF Amelia. They can always be seen grazing together. Gypsy won an award at the MA sheep and wool festival for best fleece in the rare and minor breed class. An accomplishment I hope to replicate a few more times.

This is Hythe Farm Hermione. She is my oldest sheep and has beautiful babies. It's not a great picture of her, I'll try and get something more flattering lol.

This is Painted Knoll Kanasatka I love her markings and her fleece is exquisite. I'm looking forward to watching her grow up and seeing what her lambs look like in a few years. She also has little scurs which I'll be following.

Last but by no means least this is Hythe Farm Sabrina. She was the first sheep I got and I bottle raised her from a day old. She even went to the veterans day parade and will walk very happily in a collar and lead. Some people even mistook her for a dog although I am not sure how! I love her fleece and hopefully I can continue to keep the burrs out of it this year. 

Anyway that's all my girls' and I love them all!

On a side note does anyone know anything about canine epilepsy? Our Siberian Husky Ji was just diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy at 2 years of age and started phenobarbital. He's had 4 seizures total in 3 months with the most recent ones being 12 hours apart. So far none since starting the meds, but it's only his 2nd day. Any info would be grateful :)

Head shots and other pictures.

Today I spent a lovely few hours enjoying the not too warm and not too humid MA weather with the sheep and lambs. Here's some of my pictures. I am off on vacation tomorrow to a dude ranch  for a few days. It should be fun.

Like father....

....Like son. This is RF Yosemite. Doesn't he look like his dad? He is the youngest of my lambs but probably the biggest. 

This is RF Yates and he is the friendliest lamb I know. He has a very soft fleece and would be happy to sit in your lap and receive pets all day.

This is RF Yippee looking all regal. Doesn't he have wonderful horns? He's going a very interesting shade of grey. Almost metallic. 

This is RF Yankee (Yippee's brother). I love his markings and his fleece is super soft.

New additions to the flock

I'm pleased to introduce my two new lambs. I actually picked them up last Saturday and they have settled in really well. I have just been far too busy finishing up work last week to be able to post so here is my delayed picture. I'm sure I'll get more of them later.

Aren't they cute? This is Painted Knoll Suncook (Ram) and Painted Knoll Kanasatka (ewe). I have been looking for a good moorit ram to bred with as Dreamer is black. Their fleeces and colors make them wonderful additions to my small flock. It was also great to meet Nadine, Glenn and all of their animals, they have a beautiful farm.

The babies continue to grow. I have separated all of them except Yosemite and night time in the stables and that has been very successful. Now that I have some time off before I start college again I hope to start the halter training and look out for a few shows to enter my sheep into. 

To anyone else reading this blog any tips for marketing lambs for sale? This is my first year selling any lambs. All of my lambs (except Yosemite again lol) are advertised on NASSA sale site for $200. Yosemite is $250. Does that seem reasonable? Where else can I try? I am hoping that competing at local shows might garner some interest.

Oh final quick picture of some of the flock and what I affectionately call the clover paddock.

Next day of pictures

More photo's from yesterday. On the left is Bella who is so far staying black. She is far more delicate than the boys that's for sure! She is also still a lot shyer but has finally started coming over for pets, I need to introduce the animal crackers as it almost time for halter training to take place and the first series of shots. On the right is her twin brother Yates who's really enjoying the grass right now thanks to all the rain we are getting. It looks like the white stripe on the top of his head is staying even though the others have faded is this krunet? It looks like he will go light grey although I can't tell yet.