Spered Breizh Ouessants

Winter Solstice

noreply@blogger.com (Kanisha) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 11:20:00 +0000

The shortest day of the year is marked in many cultures and religions its significance varies from a time of celebration and festival to the marking of a lean or famine period. For the sheep as their hormonal cycles wax and wane, the time for remaining fertile and receptive to males begins to lessen. Today I broke up the breeding groups, just a little over six weeks after the rams went in, hopefully time enough for the ewes to have all cycled twice if they didn't get taken the first time. For the ewe lambs this may not be the case as they often cycle later, for this reason in about two weeks time I will put Cesar back in with all the ewes to act as a clean up ram.

Year on year I build a set of statistics, last years showed that all the ewes, bar one cycled and were pregnant within the six week period, those ewe lambs that didn't get pregnant didn't get caught even with a ram remaining a further month with the flock.

The building up of statistics will allow me to choose not only the time of lambing, for example, last year the majority of lambs were born within the second week of April, five months and two weeks since the rams went in, but also to gauge maximum conception with the shortest possible time for the rams to run with the ewes. Based on next years lambing dates I may well change the programme a little to take into account any information gleaned from the past two year breeding programme. The boys all went back together today, there will be a period of jostling for position but keeping them as a bachelor group they already have a good idea of who's who and where there are differences to be settled the prescence of other rams eager to take advantage of the situation keeps things for the most part on an even keel. I do have two rams who are relatively evenly matched but with three juvenile rams ready to move up and take a step into the adult arena positions may change a little. Its always interesting watching them grow and develop in confidence and assurity particularly when they are in with the ewes.

Photo of the boys about half an hour after they went in together.

For me, the winter solstice marks a welcome return of longer days, the graual but perceptible drawing out of the evenings and mornings means I get to spend more time outdoors. Christmas , the winter solstice and all the festivities is a time for enjoying firelit evenings, and being in the warm with all those winter projects that you just never seem to have time for but the clock has started ticking and spring whilst distant is almost palpable, I can't wait for those first shoots of leaves.

The Debutantes Ball

noreply@blogger.com (Kanisha) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:19:00 +0000

I haven't really posted any updates on this years lambs since their baby photos. So here's a few of those that I have kept from this year. The three ewe lambs are running with a ram at the moment. I still have very mixed feelings about mating ewe lambs, the statistics from last year are that fifty percent of the ewe lambs became pregnant I am still very undecided if they are mature enough to rule out any increased risks of lambing difficulties but I will give it another year or so before I make a definative decision hopefully time will prove it is the right choice, the alternative of keeping the ewe lambs seperate is not an easy or practical solution. I just wish I was more comfortable with leaving them with the ram. So, here's photos taken in the last day or some of them in all their glory

Spered Breizh Amélie the true test will be once she is shorn but she has always been a very balanced lamb and I am hopeful that once her fleece is off she will show as much promise. She was the smallest of this years lambs photos can be deceptive, I will wait until she is shorn to measure her but at this stage she looks the right size too.

Spered Breizh Soizic, fifty percent dutch breeding and it shows, she is a carrier for brown, the first generation of this type of breeding always seems to be neither one thing nor the other. The difference between her and Amélie is that Amélie is just better constructed with more bone. This is not something which will improve greatly with age but it is no surprise either. This pairing was always going to produce a mixed bag, the intention is to improve on this with the second generation and to produce a well constructed brown lamb.

Spered Breizh Soélie who would rather play king of the castle on a mud pile ( new fencing gone in!) than pose nicely for the camera. Plenty of substance, just like her dad, if she has a fault its that her tail is on the long side for me but I have an idea for future matings that will help work on that.

Spered Breizh Yann his topline is alot better that it appears in the photo, a run in with a bramble bush meant I had to cut away all his fleece over his shoulders. This fella is a half brother to Amélie sharing the same sire and grandsire but different dams, I have hopes that in the next year or so he will consolidate this bloodline as it appears to be nicely consistant.

Decisions, Decisions

noreply@blogger.com (Kanisha) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:15:00 +0000

No photos on this post until the weather improves, I'm like a drowned rat this morning!!

So yesterday was the big day. I wormed and tidied up the rams a week ago and yesterday was the turn of the ewes in preperation for putting them into their planned breeding groups. Preperations included renewing and / or reinforcing adjoining fences between the rams once seperated as they do like to have a go at each other through the fence. I have spent the last couple of weeks mentally match-making, trying to spot any flaws in my proposed pairings. Naturally I want to have fun with colour but equally important has been to produce some good quality ouessants, to this end the aquisition last year of some very good rams has handsomely paid off in this years lambs. This year the aim is to do the same but I have to keep an eye on in-breeding and the possibility of any less desirable traits either appearing or continuing. When buying in breeding stock it is this work and forethought that has already gone into several generations. In this way by hopefully bringing in compatible and complimentary rams I have jumped a couple of years in terms of producing some consistant and nicely put together lambs. There are never any guarantees. So each year you roll your dice and hope that you have managed to somehow stack the odds a little more in your favour but it is always a game of chance, thats what makes it such a buzz and this from someone who won't play the lottery as I don't like the odds!

I will post a little later on my colour plans as this is more about how I see colour and not necessarily what the books say. It will take me a while to put it together.

This years rams are.

César des Lutins du Montana Aa/Aa BB/BB MM/Mm - I love seeing his stamp on the lambs my only problem is that I can't use him all the time and I have to let some of the other rams have a go!

Spered Breizh Josse Aa/Aa Bb/Bb MM/Mm - My aim has been to have a high percentage of blacks that carry browns each year Josse gets a select number of ewes, eventually the aim is to produce consistant browns who cannot be picked out from the rest of the flock in terms of type or conformation. It has been a long standing difficulty in french breeding to produce consistantly good typey browns.

Koudou des Lutins du Montana Awt/Aa BB/B? M?/M? - Another quality ram whose potential includes possibly carrying brown and also maybe homozygous for colour modified. Not only does he bring type, but the potential for some interesting play with colours we'll see if I can draw them out of him.

Spered Breizh Louarnig Awt/Aa BB/B? MM/M? - A home bred lamb and one where I have some very old ouessant bloodlines this years matings are primarily about colour with him.

Faolan Aa/Aa BB/BB Mm/Mm - One of this years lambs he's very forward so I let him have a couple of ewes to keep him busy. He brings generations of consistant breeding I hope to see some interesting results.

I'll post their photos when I have some decent weather along with some of this years ewes.

Scrumping

noreply@blogger.com (Kanisha) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:35:00 +0000

It will be interesting to see what the google translator comes up with for a translation for Scrumping. Heres an online dictionary explanation.

[edit] Pronunciation
(UK) IPA: /ˈskɹʌmp/ SAMPA: /"skrVmp/
[edit] Verb
Infinitiveto scrump
Third person singularscrumps
Simple pastscrumped
Past participlescrumped
Present participlescrumping
to scrump (third-person singular simple present scrumps, present participle scrumping, simple past and past participle scrumped)
To steal fruit, especially apples, from a garden or orchard.
1994, Edward Bond, Edward Bond Letters: Vol 1, page 180
(we've all seen trees, and arent Adam and Eve condemned for having gone scrumping?; interestingly a great philosopher recalled Saint Augustine spent a lot of his long life being racked with guilt for having gone scrumping for some pears when he was a boy!...)

Yawn, deathly dull. It gives no sense to the meaning of the word which actually conjours up great images of small boys and girls climbing trees, skinning their knee's as they go, the fruit all the sweeter for the thrill of stealing it. Usually from some grumpy old neighbour who had too much fruit to use it all anyway. An innocent prank and one which is as homely and as English as hot buttered crumpets,.

So not to be out done the young rams decided it was their turn to make a foray into the garden where the forbidden delights of falling fruit could be heard calling them seductively through the fence. The adults were all far too sensible to be swayed by such temptation.

Do they look guilty to you? or just caught in the act? oops!

Si Belle, La Nouvelle Agnelle!

noreply@blogger.com (Kanisha) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:59:00 +0000

When I started keeping sheep it was just to keep the grass down, practical, cost effective and with a purpose in mind. The odd leg of lamb for the freezer was also an added potential bonus. How things have moved on...........This is Bigoudène des Lutins du Montana. Vital statistics. Born 23.03.09 current height 39-40cms she is a grey ( colour modified) ouessant. She looks a little dishevelled, she just made the trip up yesterday to join the family of ouessants here. She has captured my heart, really, I didn't see it coming a sheep is a sheep right? Petite and feminine with exquisite colouring right down to the subtle shades of grey when you part her fleece. Woosh............ the sound of practicalities disappearing out of the window! It may be some while before I recover my composure!

Colours

noreply@blogger.com (Kanisha) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 11:04:00 +0000

Growing Horns!

noreply@blogger.com (Kanisha) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 09:14:00 +0000

At this time of year, its a double entendre. The rams are definately getting a little frustrated. Their hormones are begining to surge , the girls are begining to bat their eyelids and soon the annual cycle of reproduction will begin. Its at this time with the rise in testosterone that the rams horn growth actually begins to slow down. It will be January, February time before much further growth is seen.

I am always fascinated by the variation in the growth of horns. The different shapes, curves, rates of growth and the seeming lottery when it comes to being able to breed consistantly good, correct ( whatever that is) shaped horns. Here for example are three of this years rams. I like all of them for various reasons and yet their horns and what they will pass on to their off spring is still so much of a mystery.

Louarnig, by César, out of Liza

In contrast

Yann, by César, out of Brianna

Yann's Horn growth is almost horizontal although I don't doubt they will turn eventually but the final outcome seems fixed by not only their inital growth from the base and curvature but also growth rate and despite everything I still think its the hardest thing to predict the final outcome but it will be fun watching them grow!

Faolan, the little grey wolf in sheeps clothing very different breeding from the other two and I know that this guys growth curve is on a very different track to the others. He will take time to grow and it won't be for almost another year before he starts to get any real maturity about him.

Right now his horns are a very different shape to the others but one thing I have learnt is patience. As the horns grow through in their second year the twist in the middle section of the horn seems to determine the final direction in the points, It will be very interesting to compare all three later on to see how each comes through that twist.

IGOU Ouessant Breed Club Show 2009 Treffen

noreply@blogger.com (Kanisha) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 12:30:00 +0000

Link to slideshow for photos from this years breed club event.

The German Ouessant (IGOU) forum link is HERE

And more slideshows and links from the day can be found here , although understanding a little German helps.

The Great Colour Debate

noreply@blogger.com (Kanisha) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 08:23:00 +0000

First, the argument or bone of contention. GEMO earlier this year pointed out that the agouti grey or "schimmel" coloured ouessant as it is referred to in Holland is a colour outside the breed standard according to their interpretation.

Agouti grey sheep pattern
The french ( and original) breed standard allows for any solid coloured sheep, currently white and black are shown and awarded prizes, with those of other colours brown and the french greys (colour modified) being presented at the annual competition but not awarded the same honours when it comes to assessment.

French grey colour modified sheep, fleece on and fleece off.

Confusing isn't it?
The reasoning behind GEMO's decision to allow presentation of browns and french grey or modified colours is an historic one and not without some complexities but first it would be helpful to really understand the crux of the problem.

Photo circa 1900 curtesy of John Ushant of an Islander leading a black and white ouessant on the island of ouessant.
The earliest texts that mention coloured sheep on the island of ouessant talk in 1890 of black and white sheep and as the breed was already on the decline by the time photography was taking off the photographic examples of colour variation date from a time when there was already thought to be an outside influence. Certainly some of the breed revivalists such as Mr P Abbé felt that in reality only the black ouessant was a true colour representation and that whites were a more modern introduction from the shipwrecked Mikanos ( 1935) and the mainland and areas such as the Monts d'Arrée.

I think it can be established without doubt that white ouessants existed on the island well before the introduction of any stray white sheep from the mikanos and in reality trade in sheep from the mainland may well have taken place over many decades.

So GEMO have accepted both black and white sheep for many years and although originally the numbers of white sheep were very small due to an undoubted selection on the island for blacks they did exist. Interestingly there is some anecdotal evidence for the existance of the odd extension dominant black for the most part all I have come across in french breeding is recessive blacks. Although I do know of a number of cases of extension dominance genetics in dutch and german sheep. This may prove a relevant point at a later date.

The historical argument for the acceptance of both brown and grey ( colour modified) ouessants has been that both colours are recessive and could be hidden by black and so the potential for the production of the odd rare recessive colour is always a possibility.

There is no doubt that the origin of the colour modified greys belongs in one of the original flocks as identified by Mr P Abbé and as such is as genuine as it is possible to get in terms of being original genetics to the island of Ouessant.

The browns are a different story and yet even so it may be possible to explain the appearance of some of those original browns. Whilst the breed standard calls for a clear white sheep without pigmentation the examples of in some cases heavily pigmented whites continues to pop up time and again and in some cases the pigmentation doesn't fade they remain heavily coloured and to all intents and purposes brown. Of course they are not true browns but infact part of the white colour variation coming under the nomenclature of Agouti white and tan. This colour variation also pops up quite often in some flocks identified by Mr P Abbé as again being in part of the original foundation flocks for the breed revival. They would also appear on the face of it to be recessive, they could easily be mistaken for a true recessive brown.

Today it is impossible to trace any true recessive browns to the original french population all have come from Holland and so the story takes a new turn.

The history of brown ouessants in Holland and their rise in popularity is well known it is also acknowledged in the dutch breed society literature that both finn sheep and romanovs were used to "improve" the ouessant breed ( My own personal opinion is that shetlands must also have been used at some point) and some today talk also of the heideschnucke a small german breed of sheep whose colour variations come often in agouti grey.

What ever the exact reality it has been acknowledged that in producing some of the present day colour variations seen in Holland, Belgium and Germany outcrossing has taken place. The resultant progeny is now registered and accepted as part of the ouessant registry in those countries. If you own an agouti grey registered ouessant it is a hard pill to swallow if someone then tells you it is no longer considered registrable and so the potential for a schism arrives as GEMO seek to clarify the other breed societies position on the registration of non-standard colours. On the other hand if your ouessant is one centimetre too tall..... its also not considered registrable despite many generations of breeding. Tricky to get to grips with it all isn't it?

My own position is that the genetics of the ouessant sheep are valuable and care should be taken not to reduce the breed to the role of simply an ornamental fancy. Even today there is much we do not understand in the genetics of sheep and other mammals that makes the dilution of the breed genetics by outcrossing using the justification that as long as it meets the breed standard or some other contrived rule it is fully justifiable, is missing the point.

However there is another point to make and that is that I believe the genetics for agouti grey exist within the current french population of ouessants and that the argument over colour belittles the deeper and more important understanding of the consequences of outcrossing and using introduced genetics.

Firstly the argument for the existance of agouti grey genetics within the french ouessant population. Here we enter the realm of extension genetics something which I think has been over looked in the sheep world. The traditionally held view is its really only of significance in sheep where the agouti / extension dominance is reversed. It being hitherto accepted that if sheep weren't extension dominant then the agouti locus was in full control. However going back to my previous post which explains the basis for my assumptions on extension and accepting that extension is an incremental modifier you can begin to understand a very different picture. Those white ouessants that were and are more heavily marked and that crop up with alarming regularity are part of the extension genetics. It is entirely possible that the reason these mismarked whites continue to crop up with regularity is that the resevoir for this is in the black sheep population. Continue to select for heavily marked whites and you will end up with a white sheep that has more black on it than white, at that point do you have a white sheep or an agouti grey one? It may be that the contrived breed standard ( to select only for the clearest whites) puts the segregation of agouti greys at a distinct disadvantage in french ouessants but to date with an overwhelming population of blacks still carrying extension genetics those heavily marked whites keep appearing. In fact its worse in Holland and Germany where the agouti greys maintain extension genetics in the blacks not to mention several breeders preference for very black blacks and when they are then crossed out to whites they are often heavily marked. It may also explain why Holland and Germany have a higher incidence of dominant black ( extension dominant sheep) than the french sheep population. If you move on from an agouti grey sheep in extension terms you will eventually arrive at extension dominance and an apparently black sheep potentially obscuring an agouti pattern. However, the agouti grey patterns original to the french ouessant sheep may be very different to those of the present and already introduced agouti greys. Each family or group of ouessants will show their own variations in the agouti grey pattern and some of them can be strikingly different.

To my mind the argument over colour is a non argument I believe if those in a position to make policy decisions had a clearer understanding of the basics of genetics they may not be quite so quick to try to force the hand of other breed societies BUT I also believe that if this little breed, a relic of a different age is to give up some of its other secrets and I do believe there are more to uncover then the breed integrity must remain as far as is possible intact and that means people having a much broader understanding of the colour argument and the dangers of accepting outcrossed genetics.

One little point I'm working on. Ouessant meat has often been described to me as being a darker meat. Several little points have made me ask the question is there a reason for this and would the tyrosine deposits seen in black boned sheep that are also deposited in muscle account for this greater colour? I understand the romney marsh sheep are known to exhibit this. If any one has any info on either black boned sheep or the specifics in romney marsh sheep I would be very interested. It may yet be that there are undiscovered genetics traits within the breed that make them of interest and to lose the genetics for the sake of an argument over colour would be a tragedy.

Ouessants in Holland Ctd

noreply@blogger.com (Kanisha) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 16:09:00 +0000

From here on apologies for the quality of the photos. For some reason I don't have many good pics at all, so I will use what I have and for the rest you will have to use some imagination!

This guy takes the prize for me as the one I would have taken home, assessed only as an AB I thought it was a little harsh and merited an A but there you go, I'm not a judge:-)

I didn't get this guys number but from the looks of his ears tags a french bred ram originally.

White ram.

About the only two other reasonable photos of the line ups. ( note to self get a better camera!)

Sadly not a single one of the breeders groups all far too dark but they were very even groups and a nice selection.

I was fortunate to have enough time whilst in Holland to be able to visit several breeders and thank you to everyone who welcomed me, the kettle is on if you ever come in this direction!

There is no doubt that there is a realisation that there is a difference between the ouessants in Holland and those in France and dutch breeders have made some great strides in ironing out some of the differences. I saw some beautiful groups, and certainly some sheep that I would have been happy to see in my flock

Browns as always well represented.

Some flocks were exceptionally even in terms of type and quality and hold plenty of promise for the future of the ouessant.

Although some may be a little past it now;-)

And to finish there were some nice examples of the schimmel or agouti grey pattern, however the debate on this subject threatens to pull apart some of the close ties between the national breed societies and so the subject of my next post will be the big colour debate!

Ouessants in Holland - From the Begining

noreply@blogger.com (Kanisha) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:57:00 +0000

Ouessant sheep have a considerable following in Holland. The breed has been established there for well over thirty years. Reading through the literature supplied by the dutch breed society (FOS) they were first imported into Holland in 1971, initially, with ouessants imported from Belgium. It was only later that ouessants were actually imported from France itself. The literature states that the breed was further increased with more Belgian breeding stock. The breed society was formed in Holland in 1992.

Having seen and been involved with ouessants for several years in France now. I was keen to see the assessment of ouessants in Holland by FOS judges at their annual meeting and also to see close up a selection of Dutch ouessants.

The venue was rural but the beautiful brickwork and dutch style was still there.

Unlike in France, ouessants in Holland are graded according to the breed standard and their closeness to it. I have covered this topic before ( HERE). There are benefits to this system in that it does allow all good quality sheep in theory to be acknowledged, as opposed to the french system where the winner beats all.

Of course showing is ALL about "in the eye of the beholder" what appeals and suits one person may not suit another.

I was keen to make a comparison to french ouessants and also to see what dutch judges are looking for.

First off, the usual measuring and also weigh in, very small ( under 40cm) and also very light weight ouessants are not encouraged. The breed strength lies in its health and not just in its size. To concentrate soley on the smallest / smaller ouessants and to fail to promote health is considered detrimental to the breed and acknowledged as such by the dutch breed society.

The breed society is progressive in its thinking but not without its controversies, more on that a little later.

As sheep are not being judged against each other but against the breed standard the structure of the day is quite different. Sheep are presented and judged in small lots of eight sheep at a time and each is examined and assessed by a group of judges. The sheep are all pre-entered and a full catalogue of their statistics including parentage is provided for all who are present. This has some advantages, and it can be useful to know who bred a particular sheep and of course whats behind their breeding BUT as with all showing it can become very "facey" . Certain names or faces can be judged perhaps too critically or even too generously.

There were a considerable number of sheep present on the day and so judging got off to a prompt start at 10.00 am. It would take most of the day to assess them with a short break for lunch. The final assessment after the individual sheep was the group or breeder ensembles.

The lighting wasn't brilliant inside for my little camera and on a black mat, the pictures are very poor in contrast so only a few snapshots of the assessments. Where else but in Holland would you find ouessants being shown with the handler in clogs, loved it!

The noteable and most obvious general differences between french and dutch ouessants, fineness of bone, for me, this is probably the single most obvious difference. As a point of construction it makes a huge difference to the general prescence of the sheep, its frame to carry all that fleece and also very obviously in the face.

The second and related point is in the depth of chest ( not leg length as some might see it)

On the whole ( and as a generalisation) dutch ouessants have less depth to their chests, this gives them a very "high on the leg" look. In comparison, many of the french breeders breed for a deeper chest, the shoulder height may be the same but the gap underneath the sheep is very different.

Another day I will go into some of the background behind the differing types, here I'm just trying to point out some of the more obvious differences.

Whilst trying to neatly sidestep some of the politics involved with the development of the ouessant in Holland. One thing that seems to have been lacking is a definative representative type or model of a french ouessant to follow through in Holland. However there is no doubt for me that in some cases the idea of what is a ouessant comes more from comparisons with other small european primitive breeds than with any real representation of what is in France.

The browns are far more numerous than in France

I thought the whites really had very little substance to them at all. I'm not sure why the whites were so fine boned unless there really is a colour divide and they aren't mated out across the other colours. Certainly there were a number of noticeably marked whites.

Not to mention the hugely ~~controversial~~ topical agouti greys.

Also some nice sets of horns.

To Be Continued.............

Ouessants Abroad - and a little detour

noreply@blogger.com (Kanisha) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 14:43:00 +0000

Last week, I took a little trip to Holland to see some dutch ouessants for myself, and I couldn't resist the invitation to spend some time in Amsterdam. You'll have to forgive the diversion but it is a beautiful city - not to mention country.
The architecture is so distinctive, tall elegant buildings with luminous, voluminous windows detailed into fine brickwork , from the glazed tiles and gabled rooves, each house with its own individual features. Row after row sitting compactly on the waters edge or nestled into narrow streets and courtyards. Today, a modern, efficient, bustling city of people , cars, trams and bicycles, restless and ceaseless in its activity. Somehow despite the advertising hoardings, the neon lights and all the necessities of the 21st century,

It is possible to transport yourself back to another place and era.

I loved the fine detail in the brickwork, I can only imagine the play of light on the inside from the windows, such a contrast coming from Brittany where the window tax put paid to all but the most functional of lighting. The Jordaan district seemed only a step away from the 17th century, if you listened very carefully you could almost still hear the ghosts from times gone by. With its green and living streets, it breathes life into the heart of Amsterdam.

Amsterdams city culture is modern, eclectic, and vibrant,

But it was possible to get a glimpse of a city that speaks of a very different time.

Sadly not enough time for me to see it all, this time but a place where time is just a question of perspective.

I can't say thank you enough to Marion and Erik for such a great trip, I loved it. And so to the burning question...did I get to see any sheep?.................... You betcha!

err and a few hens too:-)

GEMO National Competition Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Kanisha) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 09:22:00 +0000

A few more photos and descriptions of the show day.

The competition was hosted by the Parc Naturel Régional d'Armorique and organised by the association Bro an Are - Terres d'Aree. There were a large number of stalls, events and exhibitions going on, on the day, many of which I didn't get to see but a few close to hand that caught my eye were some of the livestock.

There are several breeds who teeter on the brink of dying out and this breed along with the ouessant has been one of them. Until recently I had found very little on them and it was the first time I had come face to face with some at the show, some essential differences and also some similarities but they are not the only local breed found in Brittany.

Familiar colours but a much larger more commercial breed of sheep altogether.

They also had some of the local rare breed goat, Chèvre des Fossés. I absolutely fell in love with these goats.

With long hair all over and a very fetching set of bushy eyebrows, I found them hugely appealing. If only I had the space................

Most of the stalls were local crafts or had an environmental aproach to their trade.
And finally at the end of a long day and with a two hour drive home ahead of me, the awarding of the prizes, the book I received curtesy of the Ecomusée Monts d'Aree was a real treasure.

A series of charming black and white photographs of people and events in the region with verses in Breton, French and English. Many of the photographs had a timeless quality to them, really lovely. The perfect end to a good day.

GEMO New Website and Show Results

noreply@blogger.com (Kanisha) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:54:00 +0000

At last, fantastic news GEMO have revamped their website (still some work to do) and listed the winners of this years show. It beats having to wait until the bulletin is produced!

GEMO Website

Results page Bravo à tous!

Anyone Speak Czech?

noreply@blogger.com (Kanisha) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:35:00 +0000

The ouessant sheep forum continues to grow with members joining almost everyday. It is quite amazing the number of nationalities and languages but we all seem to muddle through. Most recently the Czech contingent seems to have arrived with several members making contact. A couple of their blogs for those who read Czech.

Czech blog 1

Czech Blog 2

The forum is open to all nationalities, sales and exchange of sheep, ideas and assistance at all levels is most welcome.
If you want to join then click HERE for the link.

GEMO 2009 Slideshow

noreply@blogger.com (Kanisha) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:41:00 +0000

Link to the full screen slideshow for a series of pics from the day.

GEMO 2009 St Rivoal National Competition

noreply@blogger.com (Kanisha) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:10:00 +0000

This year I decided to take two sheep to the show. The shows are not just about competing with sheep but a chance for breeders and those with an interest in the breed to come together, spend alot of time leaning over railings, discussing sheep and the politics of the sheepy world. If at this point you are yawning then you have missed the point of the show entirely. For those of us with an interest in the breed this IS where it gets interesting!

Solaia and Koudou were not entirely thrilled with the crack of dawn start but at least they travelled comfortably. Health and transport regs mean that the flock must meet the legal requirements including brucellosis testing, vaccinations for Blue Tongue 1 and 8 as well as ensuring all the relevant treatments to prevent any transport of extra midges or other disease vectors. A little bit of an effort for the paperwork but on arrival everything is checked.
Tag numbers, next year we move to microchipping ( plenty of discussion on that topic!)

and of course for Ouessants the inevitable height measurement, care is taken to place the sheep correctly. Here one of Koudou's competitiors looking really nice.

Entrants have stalls for their sheep, the sheep are on view to the public and there are always plenty of curious people with lots of questions.

TV was there too. This ram entered by a first time competitor did very well.

The ubiquitous 2 hour french lunch. Here some members of the public enjoying some of the many stalls catering for a variety of tastes. Breeders, many of whom had travelled quite some distance were able enjoy a good meal curtesy of the Parc Regional National d'Armorique.

And so to the judges, the judges had travelled far and wide, here along with two french judges Lawrent Wynant BOV ( Vice- President Belgian breed society) and Horst Roller IGOU ( Head of the German breed club)

And then to the showing, this guy took Prix d'honneur or Champion white ram (adult) .

and this guy was champion of champions and a very worthy winner he looked stunning.

So how did we do?

Koudou des Lutins du Montana Prix d'Honneur
Yearling white ram

Solaia (Billes) Prix d'Honneur
Yearling black ewe

I had to use a previous photo of Solaia she is extremely difficult to photograph and as usual I just got a shot of her peering out from hiding behind others, shes the second one in.

I am chuffed to bits, it is with HUGE thanks to their breeders, Dominique Morzynski once again for trusting me with one of his rams. To have taken the prix d'honneur two years on the trot with one of Dominique's just goes to show the consistancy in his breeding.

And to Claude Billes I was struck with his breeding the very first time I saw his sheep and he never disappoints. Solaia beat one of Claudes own ewes for first place but it was a close thing both were very nice . I'm just pleased he was gracious enough to let me have Solaia.

More to follow.............

Spered Breizh Yann

noreply@blogger.com (Kanisha) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 07:57:00 +0000

This year I have kept back three of the ram lambs , who I will run on to see how they develop and to hold blood lines for the future. One of these is Yann. I am particularly pleased as he is one of the first lambs of the second generation that I have retained.

Yanns breeding:

---------------------------------------[Chloe at Spered Breizh

---------[Spered Breizh Brianna

---------------------------------------[Ivo at Spered Breizh

Spered Breizh Yann

---------------------------------------[Gwen

---------[César des Lutins du Montana

---------------------------------------[Troll des Lutins du Montana

Genetic diversity within rare breeds is important, Ivo's blood line was an important one and one that I didn't want to lose but at the same time Ivo's poor horn growth was a concern Previous post

Yann's horn growth to date is way in advance of Ivo's at this stage of development, so far so good.

Through his maternal line he also carries a surprise, modified colour genetics. The reasons and my justification for not getting rid of Ivo's bloodlines may yet bear fruit. I won't be using Yann this year he's definately a ram to hold back for the future but I'll post some updates as he grows to see how he progresses.

New lamb and Update

noreply@blogger.com (Kanisha) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 07:19:00 +0000

Faolan at Spered Breizh, this guys name means little wolf. Its rather an apt description as he is a grey ( modified). Lets just say I'm pretty pleased with him all round. Hes got some growing to do so time will tell, how he develops.

This is Louarnig a few weeks ago. Remember him? The red lamb, as you can see he has lost a great deal of his colour and for me its interesting so see where he retains the most.

This is him taken this weekend. His colouring is barely discernably different from alot of other white sheep. I'm also begining to like his emerging character and physique alot. He was a very gawky leggy lamb, but you can start to see some prescence about him now I hope it continues.

Spered Breizh Soélie, she was always a very pretty little lamb and she remains one of the lambs that always catches my eye in the pasture.

The influence of Koudou is very strong in her and I hope much like him, she will mature slowly but surely. There are one or two lambs that I have my eye on, I'll post on them as and when I can get decent pics. Those that are due to be moving on have done so and the flock is now reduced in numbers. It is nice to get back to a friendly bunch of favourites. I am already planning next years mating arrgghh! when will I ever learn!!

Showing Ouessants

noreply@blogger.com (Kanisha) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 11:20:00 +0000

In a couple of weeks it will be the annual national french breed championships. Some of the top breeders from France will be presenting their sheep for the judgement of the jury. I will be taking a couple of my sheep along of course I'm hopeful but the competiton is tough and so you never know how things will turn out but I like to give myself the best chance by making sure presentation is good.

Above a picture of one of my sheep I will be entering . Rules for presentation state that no shearing or trimming must be done within two weeks prior to the show. In fact I sheared all my sheep several weeks ago and this is the regrowth already weathered by the sun to a rich golden brown. So I took some time to do a bit of trimming and here is the result an hour or so later.

Last year I got a special mention for my presentation which was very nice:-) but it isn't that hard to do and here's what I did. I used a pair of professional dog clippers I don't like traditonal sheep shears I find them too hard to handle they weigh in at several pounds. So with my trusty oster A5s and a 5F blade which leaves a longer trim than I would usually use to simply remove all the fleece I just shear in the usual manner I scissor any ends or lines that the clippers may leave in the fleece and put back in the field. I gain length because I haven't shorn to the skin so the sheep doesn't look practically bald and by shearing just before the two week period they go to the show with a clean fleece that looks almost as fresh as the day it was cut. To achieve the same length using a traditional short shear would mean by the time the length of fleece had regrown to a nice length it would begin to sunbleach or look weathered. Just before the show I will use a dog slicker brush ( the one with the metal teeth) to just card the wool very lightly to provide an even all over finish and remove any dust and debris from the fleece. With the rams sometimes it can really make a difference if you oil their horns. Other than that they are just natural , but the end result looks a whole lot better. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Updated Sales Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Kanisha) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 10:30:00 +0000

Much as it breaks my heart to see this guy go hes up for sale or loan if you fancy getting some fresh blood in, even if just for this years breeding.

See the fleece and fibre blog

Competition Time 30.08.09 St Rivoal (29)

noreply@blogger.com (Kanisha) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 07:42:00 +0000

The annual GEMO show has come around again. This year it will be held St Rivoal in dept 29 not too far from last years event. This time it will be held at the Parc National Regional d'Armorique. The whole event is held under the title Marché des Energies Paysannes. It is organised by the association Bro an Are - Terres d'Arrée. In addition to the Ouessants there will be a presentation of the "Chèvres des Fossès" the breed of goat specific to this region.

With the last year and the problems associated with not one but two types of blue tongue virus and the required health conditions for entry not to mention its setting again in the extreme west of the country may mean a diminished numbers of participants. I hope not but there should be plenty of stalls and stands in addition to the ouessant competition to make a good day out . I look forward to meeting some of you there.

The Curious Case of the Collapsing Lamb

noreply@blogger.com (Kanisha) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 11:02:00 +0000

This is Aislin at four days old.

She was born, possibly slightly prematurely. From the day of her birth when she was slow to stand and suckle it was clear she was going to be a lamb that needed a little help. That first day I found her making only feeble attempts to stand and possibly slightly chilled from the wind that was whipping across the field. It took a couple of days of TLC to set her on the right track, she stood for the first time in the evening of the day she was born but suckling seemed too much of an effort. I carefully milked the ewe of her colostrum and bottle fed the lamb. I could find no reason for her to be slow in getting started and just assumed that a little support and she would be on her way hopefully still bonded to her mum so that I wouldn't be needed.

It became clear that whilst she was happily taking the bottle she wasn't going to get the hang of suckling from mum so by day four I had made the decision to hand rear her. The stress in milking and confining the ewe was not doing her any good at all.

We used to joke that Aislin "didn't do" mornings, she would take her bottle but doze or be quite lethargic until about 2 in the afternoon, by which time she was bright and alert and raring to go. I wrote this post at this time, I had no idea how prophetic it would turn out to be.

By day ten I could see she was improving every day and now the morning lethargy was clearing , she would greet me with a welcoming bleat and we'd sit on the outside step for her early morning bottle. A few times during those first two weeks there had been some puzzling moments, she would go all floppy I assumed she was developing an infection of sorts ( I knew how at risk she was, as her immunity was likely to be low) All this time I had been waiting for signs of something definate, actually being wrong but there was nothing concrete. I would take her temperature, the puzzling thing was her temperature was so variable I came to the conclusion maybe the battery was getting low on the thermometer. So, no antibiotics and other than a precautionary injection for any possible selenium deficiency and some probiotics as she seemed to get a dull tummy ( hard to describe but there was less gut feel than I would have expected) she was on no treatment.

By day sixteen I had seen the first really clear signs that something odd was going on. Her legs would buckle underneath her as she took her bottle and the early morning walk to the outside step for her first feed was becoming a battle to get her to the step before she fell down. She was so keen for her bottle and even during these very odd moments she would still take a bottle if supported. Then having had her bottle we would take a walk up to the field to see the flock, no sign of her falling down. I was very keen for her to remain in contact with the flock and every day we would spend time with the flock. I felt if she was strong enough then she could spend her days with the flock even if I was still bottle feeding her, but these odd episodes were worrysome. I decided to video one of her odd moments and also her during normal behaviour. By this time thoughts of epilepsy, diabetes or even narcolepsy were running through my mind.

Video of Aislin during one of her episodes. It was becoming more apparent the moments of collapsing were almost exclusively linked to feeding. I stopped walking her out to the step in the morning and fed her as soon as I could after she saw me, her legs would still buckle and sometimes she would appear to go completely out of it but after a few seconds she would come to and get back to taking the bottle. When I supported her taking the bottle during these moments that she would go completely limp you could feel no tension, tremor or twitching of her muscles at all. It seemed more and more that narcolepsy with cataplexy was the explanation.

As I began to learn more about narcolepsy I began to understand what this could mean for her if this was indeed what she had. Narcolepsy has been most widely studied in humans and in dogs I didn't have a lot to go on in sheep. I began to learn a little of the process and disorder and what might possibly be wrong in her body that would cause her to present this way.

Whilst all this was going on Aislin was getting on with the day to day process of living. She moved on to start on solid feed, if confirmation was needed of the trigger for her funny behaviour her first dish of hard feed was met with such enthusiasm that she was unable to eat any of it, she just fell over and got right back up, to fall over again. After the initial excitement she was able to happily feed herself. What a relief, my biggest nightmare of her not being able to be self sufficient from a food point of view was less of a concern.

For those who are concerned at this point Aislin has never been in any pain, she never appeared disturbed by these episodes indeed she just gets up and carries on with life. This video of her taken at 20 days old when her falling over episodes were at her worst shows her doing what lambs do, just having fun. As time went on, the degree of her collapsing lessened she would maybe sway slightly during taking a bottle but from six weeks on she had no more complete outs that I was aware of. She spent her days with the flock, with a very close eye being kept on her to start with but all was well. At night she was kept inside for her safety. It seemed she was growing out of it. This was not unexpected and definately hoped for, cases in particularly, horses where foals are born with narcolepsy ( fainting foals) do show that by the time they are six months old they have invariably grown out of it.

I was still however curious as to the processes going on, that would cause narcolepsy. Was this damage due to a difficult birth perhaps, or a congenital defect, an hereditary problem. As there is very little precedence for narcolepsy in lambs I was struggling to get any clear answers. I delved more into the understanding of narcolepsy itself. In humans onset is not thought to be from birth but the chemical processes described, what ever their cause were interesting and started to make me wonder if what I was seeing was part of a bigger picture.

I learnt that narcolepsy can come with a cluster of problems and in Aislins case her symptoms were pointing to a problem with a very specific area of her brain, the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is also responsible for temperature control. It was clear that during a bad period if she was having a prolonged floppy episode or a sucession of episodes her temperature would vary to a significant degree. I would never know from one moment to the next if she was going to be hot or cold. So maybe my thermometer readings were not so badly off as I first thought. Whilst her digestion was always good she never had the runs she would get bouts of bloating where everything appeared to stagnate I found a dose of probiotics every four or five days seemed to keep things on an even keel. Hypocretins ( also known as orexins) a neuropeptide and their receptors are found in the hypothalamus and have recently been determined to be involved in the symptoms of narcolepsy specifically if hypocretins are not produced in sufficient amounts or if the receptors are in some way damaged. Hypocretins are also involved in feeding, gut motility, satiation and temperature control.

It seemed possible that either a problem with the production or receptors for some chemical pathways in her brain could explain the variety of symptoms I was seeing. This still didn't explain the original cause for this dysfunction, an accident at birth may explain the problems, or it could be a genetic defect and there was one other sign which also needed to be considered. Her colour, some of the chemical pathways which lead to neurological problems could also be involved in colour pigmentation. Was there a precedence for this? People with the griscelli syndrome have characteristic silver grey hair as well as a cluster of other problems including possible sleep disorders and neurological problems. However in sheep who are homozygous for colour modified the characteristic clumping of pigment ( seen in people with griscelli syndrome) is not seen. Possibly not the exact same process but if this was a case of some similar defect in colour modified sheep why is narcolepsy not more prevelant?

I looked for anything that might correspond with health problems with colour modified sheep. To date this is the only article that I have come across which explores both a silver grey gene in sheep and any potential possible health problems. At this stage I have more questions than answers. Why are the same health problems not seen in shetlands where the number of modified sheep is relatively high? Is it possible there are two forms of colour modification genetics or is it that in shetlands those carrying the more lethal form have already been weeded out? Is an explanation for why more narcoleptics lambs are not being seen, that in most cases they don't survive beyond birth? I am aware that in colour modified ouessants there are occasional problems with the death of lambs but in general these could be considered part of the unexplained deaths seen on a number of ocasions in sheep and lambs. Could it be in the white sheep population where colour modification goes unseen this could be a contributing factor to lamb deaths?

Or is Aislin simply a one off, whatever the cause of her problems? I don't know, but you can be sure I will be looking for more answers.

One Year On

noreply@blogger.com (Kanisha) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:58:00 +0000

Josse, brown ouessant who also carries colour modified genetics, here he is last summer. A gawky adolescent and here he is photo taken last week after he was shorn.
I have to say he has exceeded my expectations in every way. Exceptional quality fleece even for a first shear and an attractive rich brown colour, with the added bonus of modified genetics I am very much looking forward to seeing his bloodlines in his future progeny. The added plus for me is that he has the nicest of natures and is a great fun character to be around always one of the first to come over and say Hi . Happy 1st year Aniversary Josse!

Visitors and Shearing Sheep!

noreply@blogger.com (Kanisha) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:14:00 +0000

César in the arms of another! He looks pretty pleased with himself especially getting shorn this weekend when the weather has been stifling hot. His trim is pretty good too. This weekend Mary came all the way from the charente- maritime I really must get to grips with french geography I had no idea it was quite so far away! Anyway Mary made the long drive up to learn about shearing ouessants and César was her first guinea pig. I admit Mary is a bit of a hero (heroine?) in my eyes, her website and blog Warmwell is pretty legendary for keeping a finger on the pulse of hot topics in the farming and livestock industry in the UK. I am in awe, born out of the foot and mouth fiasco in the UK. It can be relied upon to give an up to date and unbiased account of some of the issues affecting the livestock industry in the UK.

It was a pleasure to show her how I shear my sheep and heres Mary's second victim err willing volunteer, Koudou.

He looks hot to trot! It was a pleasure meeting you Mary and I hope we will be able to meet up again at some time. I look forward to pics of your sheepies very soon.