Early on Friday morning, Hazel, delivered twin boys! Her lambs were fathered by Edison. Hazel is a Hampshire ewe, therefore her lambs are half Hampshire and half Romney.
Hazel keeps a close eye on her boys
Denver (white with black markings) - 12 lbs. 1 oz.
Dillon (all black) - 13 lbs. 9 oz.
Some have asked why we are crossing pure-bred Hampshires (meat breed) with pure-bred Romneys (dual purpose breed, meat and wool). Our answer: we are attempting to capture the benefit of the first cross. It has been observed and documented, the first cross from two distinct pure-bred sheep breeds will often result in lambs displaying vigorous growth characteristics. Last year was our first attempt and we observed the desired effect! The crosses put on the desired growth reaching 80 to 90 pounds in about three months. We had the added benefit of seeing some of the ewe lambs with desirable wool characteristics, too ... Carolyn, Clover, and Caramel. We will be studying these three and their offspring from this year's breeding. Those of you who have purchased fleeces from these three can help our study by adding your personal observations as you handle the wool.
1 comment:
Some girls just look better in short hair and I think Celeste is one of them! Her fleece is lovely, but it hides her precious little face.
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