Missouri State Fair results

We had a GREAT time at the fair!  We only did the 4H breeding sheep show, but are already planning on staying for the open show next year!  We hope we represented our breed well.  There were many people interested in our little guys.  My only regret was forgetting business cards for people!  Pictures & results below!  Our Shetlands were shown in All Other Wool Breeds against some very nice ramboullets!!!  The girls showing the ramboullets were amazing young ladies that were very helpful!  In fact we met so many helpful people there! 

 

 

Little Conway earned 2nd place in the Jr Ram Lamb class.

 

Wonderful Kenny!!!!  He took 2nd in his Yearling Ram class & earned Reserve Champion ram from there!!!!  We were floored as we really thought that the Jr Ramboullet that beat Conway was going to get the Reserve! 

Loretta was able to place 3rd in her Yearling Ewe class. 

Minnie Pearl placed 4th at the bottom of her class.  I will admit to a little disappointment at this, because I really thought she was a nicer lamb.  That Said!!!!!  It was an all other wool breeds class. This means they are looking for a finer wool.  My guys at this point are a medium handle.  Minnie Pearl may do better next year because of how fleeces can change over that first year or so.

 

The judge was great! I spoke with him after the show to see how we could improve the flock from a show standpoint.  He pointed out that the AOWB looks for a finer fleece, had it been a Shetland class in this instance it would have been judged a bit differently.  He was very helpful for us 1st timers to understand how it all works.  By the way, this same judge went onto a big Shetland show the next day!!!  So, I feel good that he said ours were competitive with 80% of the Shetlands out there and could hold their own in the AOWB. 

 

Overall a great showing and a great time was had!  We already can't wait until next year.  We know that Conway & Minnie Pearl will be showing and we may be adding Tammy next year.  We left her at home this year.  It'll be spring before we know what lambing will bring us for the youngstock.

 

Also, anybody reading that is looking for a nice ram, Kenny is for sale.  $300.  Please send me an email if you would like to talk about him!

Just in time

Looks like I baby proofed the chicken pen just in time!

3 pochins & 1 cochin so far.  Momma is still sitting on a few eggs & the other aunt should be due in about 2 more weeks.

Baby proofing

Baby chickens that is.  As you know, in the spring I let a hen hatch out 3 pochin chicks. Unfortunately they managed to find a hole that had been torn in the netting previously surrounding my chicken pen to prevent younger chicks from getting out.  My barn cats quickly decided that since these where not in the pen they were fair game for dinner during hunting lessons. 

In the last 2 weeks i had both my black pochin & black polish decide to sit. So it was time to re-baby proof the pen. 

This time with some good chicken wire zip tied along the fence & stapled into the house.  Hopefully this will keep the future hatch safe. I'm pretty hopeful about this hatch of mostly pochins as i plan on  keeping them for replacement layers. 

Spun up!

the left skein doesn't show the colors quite right but it is a lovely purple with tints from blue to dark pink.  It was dyed with saxon blue then dipped into cochineal for an overdye. Then loosely carded & spun into a funky chunky thick-thin set of singles.  This coordinates nicely with the combed cochineal to the right that was traditionally spun into a 2 ply.  These are for sale!