Shetland Sheep: Rich in History, Rich in Textiles

Shetland Sheep: Rich in History, Rich in Textiles! Our farm mission is to enjoy and promote the wonderful diversity of the Shetland breed by fully utilizing to the best of our ability all they have to offer historically. We believe the best preservation and management of this breed includes it's full spectrum of history. We encourage old and new shepherds alike to join in the fun by engaging in fiber arts, especially spinning and knitting, as this breed is so intimately linked with those aspects of the arts.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Was that meeee baaing???

I didn't think my baa was so deep! Yes Wooly Bear, that was you! His baa has gone from a sweet little lamby baa to a deep, raspy, garble-sounding, manly baa! He seems a little unsettled when he hears it, not sure if that is himself or not. He is noticing the changes and not recognizing himself. Being such a sensitive and sweet ram, his confusion is quite noticable. You can tell he wants to ram stuff, but isn't quite sure why he'd want to do that yet....and girls are interesting, although he doesn't quite know why yet. You can read the confusion on his face!

His horns are black/grey and very beautiful, having not made contact with much yet!
From above, they look pretty cool. You can see how they fling outward in growth even though his horns are not as wide as some Shetland rams can be. They are always very warm to the touch, and smooth. We try to never handle him on his horns since you can tell they are sensitive. Despite being good handles, (and I have had to use them that way a couple of times), he is proud and protective of them, as rams are. We don't pet him or treat him as a pet, but I do lay my hand on his back as a friendly jesture when halter training or working with him. He's come to know that as reassurance and seems to appreciate it. It won't be long now before we'll have construction work of the ram sort on our farm. Dear hubby is not looking forward to that!
Here is an update on the baby chicks. The oldest one is the dark brown chick. The black one is showing a green sheen in the sunlight. That surprised me! The other two are real light grey/brown. All have feathered feet. Momma hen is amazingly loving, patient and tender. She is an excellent mom! They went out into sunlight today to forage for bugs and grass. When they are happy, they make the cutest peeping noises and musical sounds. I love that about chicks. They are very musical in a soft, happy way. A pleasant way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon.


The yarn on my wheel right now is from Psalm 23 Farm. It's called Raspberry Kiss and the softness is amazing....a blend of shetland, mohair and silk noil. The colors are complex yet peaceful, grey/white/pink/purple...giving it beautiful depth. Thanks Laura!

Lastly, we had the most beautiful sunset the other night. So instead of capturing that, I took a picture of the colors reflected in the barn window! Silly me! Can't get enough of the farm.


Thank goes out to all my customers and new friends we met at the farmer's market yesterday! Hope you all stayed warm! If you get your scarves done by October 3rd, bring it back and show us your pretty new scarf and receive 10% off any purchase of yarn in our booth that day!

3 comments:

  1. I'm glad you like the roving! Your yarn looks very nice. I love you chicken picture too! Are the chicks pullets or cockrals?

    Is Wooly Bear by himself? Rams are happier with a buddy.

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  2. Thanks! The chicks are too young to tell yet if any are roosters. Wooly Bear is not alone yet, but he needs a buddy pretty quick. Know of any nice-fleeced wethers in 09 lambs? Amy

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  3. I didn't castrate any purebred Shetlands this year, but I do have some nice fleeced Shetland/BFL wethers. One in particular is very tame as he was supplemented with a bottle. His fleece is light grey, med grey and charcoal with a bold crimp. If you want a purebred Shetland wether you could ask around at Jefferson.

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