New Addition

On Saturday we brought home the latest addition to our Lincoln flock. Meet Lady Rhinebeck:

This lovely ewe came from Brian Larson of Dowling Michigan. We actually bought her at the New York Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck. I know, it's sort of crazy going to New York to buy a ewe from a Michigan breeder 90 minutes from us. It just felt like the right time. Brian was kind enough to transport her back to Michigan and hang on to her until we had a chance to pick her up. She fits in very well with the other Lincolns. So expect to see more pics of Lady R.

Michigan Fiber Fest

Whew! Finally home from the MFF weekend. Nice weekend but exhausting. The sheep were very happy to get home and back to their pasture and freedom. I think the best thing that happened over the weekend was the two Lincoln Longwools got sheared and we picked up our new ram, Clyde. He's awesome with a great personality. He will make a great addition to our flock. Here are some pics: 

Huck and Homer - Lincoln Longwools. Won fourth in Pair of Ram Lambs class.

Wool on the hoof just before shearing.

Wool before shearing.

After shearing - happy boys.

Clyde - won first place in Junior Ram Lamb class.

Clyde and sheep grandpa making a funny!

Gussy won fourth in Junior Ewe Lamb class.

Lilly and Marla won third in Pair of Ewe Lamb class.

I also picked up a couple of really nice Pygora fleeces, dyed Angora locks, and two ounces of Qiviut roving. Want to get my hands into the fiber.

Our Lincoln Longwools

The Lincolns are really neat. Can't wait to shear them in the spring.

The Lincolns and Llama at Breakfast

The calm before the storm.

...And Then There Were Lincolns

Instead of candy for my Halloween treats, I got a couple of "wooly creatures with curly features". Yep, we picked up two bred Lincoln Longwool ewes from the Michian Bred Ewe Sale. It wasn't spur-of-the-moment, we planned to bid on them before we went to the sale. We had the breed pegged for a while now.
Because our BFL flock is certified in the SFCP, we had to decide how we were going to incorporate sheep that are not in the program. We had two choices: lose the certified status of the BFL flock or start a flock that is epidemiologically separate from the BFLs. We chose door number two. We have the means to run a separate flock (separate barns, pastures, and equipment) and it will give me the chance to add a few goats as well. I had many discussions with the area epidemiology officer at USDA-APHIS Veterinary Services to ensure that we're meeting all the requirements.
The ewes came from Harvey Warrick of Adrian (MI) and they are a year and a half old. They have a very good temperment and settled into their new pasture very well. So you'll see Lincoln lamb pics next spring along with the BFLs.