Spered Breizh Ouessants

Unpublished - The Year That Was

2012-01-01T13:27:00.007+01:00

Ti'Beau ( Leduc)

Have a great 2012!

'Tis the season.....

2011-12-25T12:13:00.002+01:00

To be Jolly and Jolie, all the flower pics were taken this morning. It is mild and calm and you could even dare to say there is a whiff of spring in the air and yet autumn it seems hasn't finished.


Choisya

Hydrangea

This is actually a new flower and the leaves are still on the plant not yet frosted.


Fuschia!

Hebe

This hebe is the largest variety and generally puts on a good show at most times of the year but it is excelling itself at the moment.


Liza

"OK enough of the christmas carols what did Santa bring me??"

And Its All Over

2011-12-18T11:28:00.001+01:00

This week Brittany was hit by some large storms. Fortunately the north coast escaped relatively lightly but it did lead to some impressive skies. The photo doesn't really show how very black the sky was ahead, it was as black as night and in total contrast with the brilliant sunshine.

Today was the last day for the breeding groups and as of this morning Gary is very pleased to be back with all his girls and the boys are back to swinging the lead.

It has not been the breeding season that I had originally planned and as always it will be another 3.5 half months before the earliest lambs might arrive, as usual everyone waits with baited breath in the hope that expectations may be realised or even surpassed but above all that everyone is delivered safe and sound and with out complications. Its all over?................ no its all yet to come!

To this years breeding groups I am delighted to have been able to add this rams bloodlines. "Ti'Beau" has been working hard and I am extremely grateful to his breeder for the opportunity to introduce his breeding to my flock.

I will be following his lambs closely and you can expect plenty of updates on this rams breeding.

Christmas Cracker !

2011-12-11T10:32:00.002+01:00

A stunning photo of a grey ram.

For those who haven't been following Pepino's progress on the German Ouessant Sheep Forum and with thanks to Pepino's owner Simone LINK for the kind use of the photograph.

Aine Update

2011-12-04T12:45:00.002+01:00

The photo says it all really, no significant change, well unless you count a further week of not being well and eating virtually nothing. It seems the diarrhoea is under control but worryingly Aine has no appetite. Nimue joined her for a few days earlier in the week until I found Nimue ( who was doing a wonderful impression of a very healthy lamb) preventing Aine from getting to the water bowl. For the last few days with the mild weather I have put Aine out with the other lambs for a few hours a day, today, perhaps, there is a slight improvement , she voluntarily nibbled some ivy and after a few hours outside did actually seem to acknowledge the presence of the other lambs.

On the menu is vegetable soup to keep things going on the digestive front and to keep her strength up, how much longer she can continue like this I'm not sure, I will have to reappraise things in a couple of days if there is no improvement.

UPDATE on the update. Monday the vet exam showed an abdominal mass The x-rays showed that her bowels were in stasis, Aine was put to sleep. I am none the wiser and a lamb has lost her life. There are no words to describe that feeling.

Its That Time of Year Again

2011-12-02T15:23:00.001+01:00

Click on the picture and enjoy the magic:-)

Troubles and Tribulations

2011-11-27T11:30:00.000+01:00

It is sometimes said that sheep will take it turns to read the medical dictionary and find ways to die. I don't subscribe to this, I am a firm believer in good management significantly reducing the likeilihood of sheep sucumbing to many opportunistic infections. Sheep are very susceptible to stress and this can be stress from poor housing, over crowding, insufficient or unsuitable grazing or low body condition due to parasitic burden. By ensuring good management you can make life a lot easier on your sheep and in doing so on you.

That said sheep like all animals do get sick from time to time and it can be hard to spot a sheep that isn't doing well, they will do everything they can to maintain an outwardly normal appearance and it may only be at the last moment when they are really very ill before they start to show any obvious signs.

For the sheep owner this means two things good management is essential to the health and well being of your flock and secondly be vigilent. Know your sheep, their behaviour and above all whats normal for them. If you find a sheep separating itself from the flock and this isn't usual behaviour then it can never hurt to take a closer look and see if there is something amiss.

It is rare for me to have a sheep unwell without any obvious reason to explain the problem but I have been watching Aine for a couple of weeks, sometimes she has appeared well and at other times subdued, distanced from the others and not grazing as she would normally do. Having brought her in once for a couple of days and found nothing obviously untoward she went back out only to show signs a few days later that all was not well. Mainly just that she was quieter and resting more than the others. This time when I caught her up it was clear she was scouring

Having an area where you can bring a sheep in and isolate them is essential, you can monitor their progress and ensure that they are kept out of inclement weather, the heat lamp may not be an essential item but if the area is large and the sheep have a choice of where they position themselves, it is surprising how many choose to remain under the lamp ( it may not be essential but it is appreciated.)

If needed I could section off the area to provide several pens, potentially more useful during lambing but this old chicken house has served very well for a variety of uses.

It is never wise to try to diagnose an animal yourself, however there are some basic's of sheep care that should be part of a first aid kit and can save an expensive vet call out particularly as these things seem to happen when it is least convenient. Firstly a good range of wormers, it is generally one of the first questions your vet will ask you. If you are not worming your sheep or can't remember when you last did it, your management needs improving. My most important tool apart from taking a good careful look over a sheep is a thermometer, digital these days is easy and knowing how to correctly take a temperature reading makes all the difference, if you're not sure ask your vet to show you one time. Don't forget to label the thermometer to make sure it just gets used for sheep!

A 60ml lamb feeder is a useful item for drenching and unlike a 60 ml syringe has a nice nozzle which can be used to make sure your sheep gets the drench and not have it spat out everywhere. It is a good idea if your vet is willing to provide them to have on hand some treatments to help with diarrhoea, oral rehydration products and also in cases where needed a product to help improve gastric function. Having these few items on hand may save an expensive vet call out but it doesn't mean you don't need to call the vet, a quick phone call once you have brought a sheep in and examined them and preferably taken their temperature may be all it needs for the vet to provide some useful advice and basic care often with the proviso that if things don't improve to call them back.

Aine seems to have turned a corner although her appetite is still poor and I have discussed her condition with my vet. It may be a while yet before she is fully recovered and with low body condtition she may still have further problems to come with the rest of winter yet to go, she may well need extra attention when she does eventually go back out to the field to make sure she has sufficient reserves to cope with winters demands.

Designer Genes

2011-11-20T15:02:00.000+01:00

You have no idea how much fun I had finding a suitable photo;-) but I was thinking more of genes - a little description.
"The Agouti gene is responsible for determining whether a mammal's coat is banded (agouti) or of a solid color (non-agouti).^[1] The chief product of the Agouti gene is Agouti signalling peptide (ASP), but there are a number of alternative splice products.
In dogs, the Agouti gene is associated with various coat colors and patterns, including sable and tan points.^[2]
[..........]Mice that are homozygous for the non-agouti allele and non-agouti-yellow allele have non-agouti coat color (such as black)." LINK

All very technical but more creatively, the agouti gene is one of natures designers, in sheep it is responsible for pattern, it puts motif on an otherwise drab canvas, this is all well and good in a breed where agouti patterns are well known.

But we are talking Ouessants here, although, the design element doesn't have to be broad brush strokes of paint sometimes the effect is in the shading.

LINK This shows the best representation of agouti at work along the length of a hair although this is represented as its seen in dogs.

So why would you get pattern in a non-agouti black sheep............? Food for thought.

The Tups are in

2011-11-13T11:14:00.001+01:00

The Nursery

2011-11-10T19:29:00.000+01:00

Irony

2011-11-09T21:13:00.000+01:00

A maturing oak is a beautiful thing. This one is in the adult rams paddock.

Its not small and there are several others on the perimeter but they don't present the rams with a problem.

However this one did. LINK

La Bergerie

2011-10-29T20:22:00.000+02:00

Over the summer the area where the sheep igloos have been sited has undergone some development, there is more planned this comming autumn but I guess at this point it has moved from a collection of igloos to a fold.
Whilst I do have a very nice brick built spacious des res for the sheep should I need to bring them in overnight or for observation it is some distance from the main paddock. Fortunately Ouessants are easy to move around and its not been a problem but there have been times when it would be handy to have a place closer to the field and one where it would be possible to gather all or some of the sheep and make all the jobs that need doing a little easier. Ideally the aim is to be able to avoid the need for anyone to give me a hand with catching up or moving a sheep something which isn't always possible at the moment ( try opening a gate or three with a ewe in labour in your arms!)

My neighbours spoil heap just grows and grows (sigh) however the igloos are now enclosed and I can move the sheep through from one paddock to the next and if the gate is shut at the far end its easy to pen the whole flock
This winter a further large igloo will provide more than enough shelter for everyone and the addition of a gate or two over the opening of a shelter will allow me to pen a ewe and lamb if necessary rather than have to catch them up several times. The next project is to provide a wind break, the view in the photo is north facing and as the rest of the field has no real opportunity for the sheep to get out of the wind it seems ideal to combine it in a place when the sheep will get the most benefit.

The final addition will be the possibility of positioning a couple of hurdles in such a way that I have a smaller more mangeable sized pen inside in which I can sort sheep with relative ease. I still use the trusty roll of fencing at the moment but this is really only suitable for the odd sheep or for use with two people.

Further projects for this field include planting of more hedging assuming that we ever get a spring worth talking about! and planting some more shade I have gone for holly this time as its evergreen providing some relief from the unbroken view even in winter.

I have had a bumper selection of wooden travel crates arrive this year which will serve as temporary shelters for the rams until my budget stretches to some more permanent fixtures.

Sheep shelter one LINK

Sheep shelter two LINK

A View of the Ewes

2011-10-23T12:02:00.001+02:00

It has not escaped my notice that very few ewes have appeared on the blog recently, no particular reason why not except that they are not always easy to photograph well. Today I took the opportunity whilst they were scrumping apples to see if I could get a few pics. No ewes to pick out specifically, those shown are just the ones that appeared relatively photogenic and willing to stand still long enough to get a photo that wasn't fuzzy. I am still thinking of my breeding groups and nothing is yet decided but sometimes having some photos helps to focus the mind.

Fée ( Hastipa-Royer x Solaia-Billès)

LOL this is what I mean by focusing the mind Fée is anything but a fairy! I had one particular ram in mind for her but I am rapidly changing it. She is square both front and back despite the way she is standing in the photo.

Aine another of this years ewe lambs only she won't be going with a ram. I will be keeping a non-breeding group this year and I only plan on using three rams but that will still mean four groups to keep an eye on which is more than enough work. Plus of course the bachelor group of rams not being used but with extra space this year it will make life a lot easier.Aine's bald neck is because she's still sticking her head through the fence!!

Mia (Kerdaniel)

She looks a lot blacker in the flesh, this ewe has not really been put to her best advantage and I plan a mating for her this year which should accentuate her plus points I am hopeful for a nice lamb from her.

Nixie, Mia's lamb from this year, she will run with the ram but is one that may not take.

Nimue, I have agonised over this ewe lamb, the temptation to put her to a ram this year is strong, but I think on balance I won't get any further any faster and it makes sense to wait for the right mating next year. She will join the non-breeding group.

Amelie, grandaughter of my first ewe Rosie and each year I hope for a ewe lamb from her, but not so far. I would very much like to continue this line as a ewe line, fingers crossed this year may be the year!

Soélie ( Koudou-des Lutins x Oanez-Ecomusée)

Again I'm waiting for a ewe lamb from this ewe she had a nice ram lamb this year and I will repeat the mating.......

I would dearly love a decent photo of Lodicia as none so far have done her justice. This ewe has a special place in my heart her character is quite unlike any other ewe and although she is aging we take extra special care of her to make sure she is great shape. I doubt that she could beat the lamb that she produced last season but I can't wait to see her lamb in the spring. She will be mated to César ( des Lutins) who is also a great favourite here, a special lamb from two special sheep? We'll see.

Autumn Watch - Red Alert

2011-10-22T18:57:00.003+02:00

Happy autumn:-)

Sugar 'n' Spice.......and all things nice

2011-10-20T13:14:00.000+02:00

The boys were lured out from under the trees where they had been sheltering from the rain.

I keep a salt block in the paddocks year round but over the summer they have become exhausted. Now is the time to ensure everyone is in tip top condition so I have replenished all the blocks. I don't have any holders and they don't seem to weather badly so I just put them out as they are. The sheep love them!

The blocks are manufactured locally and contain more than just salt or trace minerals. They are also specifically made and balanced for sheep so there shouldn't be a problem with overdosing of copper or other elements. For the sheep its just something tasty to spice things up a little.

2011 Rams Horns Comparisons Autumn

2011-10-16T10:27:00.000+02:00

Well this was going to be a comparison between Elwen and Kerwen both rams were earmarked for staying here and running on but Elwen has gone to Holland to continue his duties there, so not really a comparison at this stage although I hope the photos will prove useful in the longer term against other ramlings of the same age maybe next year.

It has to be said at this stage that getting the right shot of Kerwen has proven an impossible task and it will have to be a composite of pictures as the front view head up isn't amongst these photos!

Given that horn growth seems to be virtually impossible to determine with certainty I remain quietly hopeful that things are going in the right direction.

From recollection Elwens horns had slightly less length but were more substantial I'm not sure that one is better over the other just a question of difference.

Currently Kerwen is sharing with Helori as I didn't want to put him in with the adult rams just yet, that said his behaviour with the ewes in the paddock next door shows that he's all ready to do his duty no matter his precocious age.

Helori was more than happy to oblige for a photo!

Leipzig 2011 CTD

2011-10-13T19:52:00.001+02:00

A Sizeable Entry

Kilima Best Older Black Ewe Owner H Roller

Marylin Best Older White Ewe and runner up Best Ewe All Colours bred and owned by H & A Wolfe

Manna 1 Vom Tannenhof Best Ewe All Colours Breeder A Janssen Owner G Paul

This ewe also took best ewe all colours last year.

This is Manna in 2010:-)

Second generation of a French import into Holland which makes this ram a grandson of a Carré ram

Owner I Giebner

And the French Imports just keep coming Pablo from 100% Abbé bloodlines Owner A Bergmann

Thankyou to Jürgen once again for his photos and information, it makes everything so much more relevant and congratulations to everyone.

IGOU Leipzig Germany 2011

2011-10-10T21:58:00.001+02:00

This weekend was the annual National Competition held in Leipzig Germany and judging by the photos I have seen some stunning entries and winners.

With Many Thanks to Jürgen Schneider for the kind use of his excellent photos and information, just feast your eyes on these rams.

Lodiciant ( Royer) Owner J Schneider, This ram has already taken several Prix d'Honneur titles in France including last year at Cormont in the Champion of Champions class, this year in Germany he was top white older ram and runner up Best Ram all colours.

and here is the Best Ram all colours ......Onig van de Watermolen Breeder K Dieker owner M Henke

Once again a french bred ram took a top title with C Billès imported ram Lavall taking top older black ram owned by the German breed society IGOU.

Armand bred and owned by A Bergmann took Best Ram other colours in the two year old category, this ram is a rare brown dilute

Congratulations to all

Breeding Strategies

2011-10-03T20:43:00.000+02:00

Having made the decision to breed the choices or selection you make in terms of pairings of ewes and rams will ultimately affect the type of lambs produced. Assuming that there is some ultimate aim that goes beyond having a lamb or two for the cute factor (and they are cute) the hows and whys of choices for mating is a far trickier prospect particularly for the novice breeder.

It goes without saying that there is often a huge element of chance and that the best laid plans may come to nothing and the least likely of pairings may produce a promising lamb so there is no certain way to produce " the" lamb

It is said, a ram is fifty percent of your flock and if you consider that a ram over its lifetime will serve a large number of ewes, their influence can be quite substantial but that doesn't mean that the influence of a ewe should be under estimated, we all know the saying " behind a good man there is a good women......"

For me, as a novice breeder and starting from scratch it was easier, certainly, to source good rams than to persuade a breeder to part with several good ewes. I found this a good way to rapidly improve on the ewes that I had, even one good ram could pay dividends in the shorter term than trying to build a flock of quality ewes from zero.

I have spent the last few years carefully selecting the lambs each year to hopefully improve overall the quality of the flock. My primary aim has been to select those lambs that showed the most promise and in the meantime carefully select a few ewes available from bloodlines I felt of interest as and when they became available.

It is one thing to own a beautiful sheep, it is another to have bred one and ultimately my aim is to have my own breeding producing and perpetuating the bloodlines and breeding that most closely resembles that which I take to be Ouessant.

In this approach I have deliberately aimed to maintain a diverse and varied genetic stock particularly in the bloodlines of my ewes. Far from looking to produce homogenous peas in a pod the maintenance of unrelated ewes means that I am able to provide in the long run a selection of rams that carry my choice of selection without painting myself into a corner from an inbreeding point of view. Currently I have around 8 ewe bloodlines that I keep to ensure maintenance of diversity, sourced over time from a number of different breeders they provide the maternal bloodlines that I count in the long run as equally important as the rams.

As I begin to produce my own rams, it is the ewes sourced from other breeders who will provide the fresh genetics to the flock producing in their lambs the sum of several years selection in the ram from my own breeding spread across a number of different unrelated ewes giving me a greater choice for future generations.
For the novice breeder finding a place to start can seem like an impossibility and keeping hold of that direction when it can seem as if you are not making progress can be hard. This past year I have been lucky, the previous years of slow, patient, consideration and selection seem to be finally paying off. Of course what works for one person may not work for another I have no idea how other breeders have worked through their selection process and there is more than one aim with a breeding strategy, I have yet to consider and integrate the concept of conservation breeding something which is on my list along with a growing number of selection criteria that makes my head spin. First I will turn my attention to this years breeding groups and try to define the criteria I am hoping to select for, this will determine how I put together the groups but there is still some time for thinking.

All is Forgiven

2011-10-02T19:41:00.000+02:00

The vine in the garden may well be in the wrong place but its determination to remain there despite me digging it out several times has born fruit, and what a bounty!! The best bit there are still plenty more grapes on the vine, and they are juicy, sweet and succulent, too good!

I tried them out on the sheep, they loved them too, sadly this years crop is spoken for:-)

Der Hornbläser 2

2011-09-30T21:17:00.001+02:00

For The Hornbläsers comments see the comments section on the previous post.

It is quite common for french greys to remain very dark for quite some time and often it is only when they are shorn for the first time that the owner discovers a grey fleeced body. That the ewe was classified as black initially isn't surprising. On the other hand it could be age grey.... but age grey is generally distinguished by the production of coarse white hairs in a black body of the sheep.

Above Photos without and without fleece of the same black ouessant ewe ( one of mine) who shows a uniform age grey throughout her fleece note once shorn the white hairs become quite distinct.

Photos 1 & 2 Two french grey fleeces there is some difference in depth of colour some can be very dark and some light but the overall colour is a uniform grey wool fibre.

To go back to the ewe in Holland to be certain of her colouration it would need a check on the fleece but it looks as though she is a dark grey.

Thank you for pointing out the comments on schimmel and white sheep in the FOS bulletin, I hadn't seen it. So now we have to add Texel, Finnsheep and Skudde to the list of breeds in addition to Romanovs crossed with Ouessants in Holland?

I guess they haven't read the origins of the Ouessant sheep in the book Races Ovins et Caprins Françaises LINK

I quote ( my translation)

Babo writes on the Ouessant sheep: ‘L’origine de cette race est relativement difficile à établir avec précision. On peut quand même dire que la race était présence depuis fort longtemps dans la partie extrême ouest de la Bretagne bien avant que des zoologistes débarquent à Ouessant. On a découvert des documents de 1750 mentionnant la présence de ce mouton dans l’île et dans les monts d’Arrée.’

‘The origin of this breed is relatively difficult to establish with precision. All the same, we can say that the breed has been present for a great length of time in the far western part of Brittany, well before zoologists arrived on the island of Ouessant. We have discovered documents from 1750 mentioning the presence of this sheep on the island and the Monts d’Arrée.’

Für Der Hornbläser

2011-09-29T17:34:00.005+02:00

Waves:-) Re Number 24 How did you know its parents are white?

I took this to be french grey ( without being able to check the fleece) Having white parents doesn't mean you can't produce a french grey .

French greys primary action on the fleece ( wool fibres) dilutes black to grey I think you can see this in the fleece in this photo but the picture in this sheep is confused by age grey ( white fibres) which mostly can be seen in the hair fibres ringed in red, a pattern often seen for age greying in the ouessant across the shoulders and thighs. Photo LINK

FOS Holland Sept 2011

2011-09-27T19:10:00.002+02:00

A large representation of brown Ouessants at the Didam meeting Photos HERE, interesting that in comparison there were none shown in France this year.

A nice selection at Angeren Photos HERE

The FOS website lists a selection of photos and catalog entries from the most recent events under their nieuws section LINK

And I couldn't leave the events in Holland without a little reflection

Didam 2011

According to the catalogue a schimmel sheep was given "S" studbook status, the criteria according to the breed standard I am unclear of, however I was struck by a certain similarity

St Rivoal 2011

Someone can explain the difference to me I'm sure............................

You Scratch My Back

2011-09-25T15:29:00.001+02:00

Love this video, keeping the cat out of my fleeces is difficult enough, once they have been shorn but this cat takes things to another level :-). Blog LINK

A Little Light Relief

2011-09-24T20:07:00.004+02:00

As the shadows lengthen the landscape grows a new perspective

The autumnal glow deepens and softens the flat summer palette

Bigoudene tête à tête, golden delicious no doubt!

Helori in full afterglow

Golden moments

Goals and Aims

2011-09-18T15:21:00.001+02:00

Rosie, my first ouessant ewe with her first lamb, Twiglet. Rosie was already carrying when she arrived here. The aim was to have a few sheep to keep the grass down. I soon realised that Rosie and her daughter Teazel who also came with her would have their work cut out on their own.........even Twiglets arrival was not going to make much of a dent in the paddock.

Looking back I viewed the sheep as a charming addition to what was then a vast open space and very little else. Soon after came a few more sheep and of course a ram.


Doddy and his girls

My fascination with the breed has been documented through this blog and so my interest has grown. Today as I contemplate this years breeding groups and ask myself where am I going, I find it is helpful to look back and see again those early days, what my hopes and plans for the future were then and if they have really changed.

Rosie has a wonderful retirement home along with a few of her good friends. Today more than ever I am sure that having a definate goal is important in even considering the reason to breed. Everyone starts somewhere and no matter what sheep you have and how small or grandiose your ideas, to breed for the sake of breeding without purpose does no one any favours.

The next few weeks will be spent contemplating and evaluating as objectively as is possible what my plans are and how best I can hope to achieve them. I admit a mounting sense of anticipation and excitement. This years lambs have once again given me hope and inspiration that there is progress and as importantly understanding.

The relationship of the breed with its environment, its past and its historic use offers a reason for the breeds existance and its construction. It is these elements that provide the Ouessant with its sense of place and purpose and only with these essential elements is it possible to understand what it is that you are breeding for.

I shall enjoying reviewing the breeding groups with fresh and old eyes.

2011-09-16T20:38:00.000+02:00

Run Free, Ma Belle x

Photos Slideshow St Rivoal 2011

2011-09-14T20:10:00.002+02:00


H Vaillant

SLIDESHOW LINK CLICK HERE

E Landerneau - Prix d'Honneur Béliers Adultes Noir

GEMO 2011 St Rivoal -The Results ( unofficially)

2011-09-06T19:12:00.009+02:00

Black Ram / Bélier Noir G Percq

As announced on the day and until the official results get published on GEMO's website....

Yearling and Adult White Rams - Béliers Adultes et Jeunes Béliers( Antenais) Blanc

Prix d'Honneur P Carré

Premier Prix Parc d'Armorique

Deuxième Prix Parc d'Armorique

White Adult Ewe - Brebis Adultes Blanche

Prix d'Honneur H Vaillant

Premier Prix P Carré

Deuxième Prix Parc d'Armorique

White Yearling Ewes - Jeunes Brebis (Antenaises) Blanche

Prix d'Honneur - Not Awarded

Premier Prix P Carré

Deuxième Prix - Not Awarded

Black Adult Rams - Béliers Adultes Noir

Prix d'Honneur E Landerneau

Premier Prix R Hemming

Deuxième Prix C Billès

Black Yearling Rams - Jeunes Béliers (Antenais) Noir

Prix d'Honneur H Vaillant

Premier Prix Parc d'Armorique

Deuxième Prix H Vaillant

Black Adult Ewes - Brebis Adultes Noire

Prix d'Honneur H Vaillant

Premier Prix P Carré

Deuxième Prix M Pottier

Black Yearling Ewes - Jeunes Brebis (Antenaises) Noire

Prix d'Honneur C Billès

Premier Prix C Billès

Deuxième Prix C Billès

Couples ( Ram and Ewe- Belier et Brebis)

Prix d'Honneur E Landerneau

Premier Prix Parc d'Armorique

Deuxième Prix P Carré

Breeder Ensembles - Meilleures Ensembles

Prix d'Honneur Parc d'Armorique

Premier Prix C Billès

Special Mentions - Mentions Spéciales

M Pottier

H Vaillant

E Landerneau

Faolan ( Billès) at Spered Breizh - Premier Prix Adult Black Rams

GEMO St Rivoal - 2011

2011-09-04T21:44:00.001+02:00


Work


Play


Some Won Some


Some Lost Some

Helori (Vaillant ) at Spered Breizh

Had a great day THANKS

White is White..............Right?

2011-09-03T19:15:00.005+02:00

Have you ever stopped to look at a white sheep? No, really look, ever noticed that Koudou has a pink nose?

Louarnig doesn't. Both rams are known to be heterogzygous for white, that is they both carry one white gene and one gene for colour so that isn't the reason why.

Louarnig also has a lateral black stripe in his left horn.

Have you ever wondered why white lambs have funny splotches on them and sometimes they don't?

Quiberon is mostly white with a little patch of red at the nape of his neck and on his tail.

Fionne is red all over but shes still a white sheep....................

One of these lambs is almost pure white all over and the other two have reddish legs, lots of dark noses going on too

and if seen from behind the same lambs have a red tail and back legs.

Nimue, red legs ( under the white ) nape of the neck and a little dark head.

White and ........... hmmm black or grey patches on this one........

A couple of points to consider first. Ouessant sheep don't have white spotting beyond in general a poll spot or forehead spot. As the majority of ouessants are solid coloured blacks its fairly easy to state this with some authority although there are always the exception to the rule and I can think of one off the top of my head, but in general white spotting patterns are extremely rare. The reason so many of the pictures are of lambs is that the red pigment in particular fades in sunlight and so it is often not possible in the adult sheep to see the patches.

Keira, a favourite of mine I don't know if she carries for colour or not, she has only had one lamb a white one. She has a darkly pigmented nose leather and if you look closely four little black hooves. She was born

Heavily coloured but white nose leather and white hooves ( this photo was taken at birth)

I have been playing with these differences for a few years now. This years breedings have confirmed ( although another couple of years testing is still needed) that the white lambs are really red lambs, the sparkly white coat is a kind of white spotting in addition to the white gene. This white spotting clearly isn't in the black self coloured sheep. That in itself is interesting, what we are looking at is white spotting that only affects white (red) sheep ( well in ouessants, there are a few other ideas and thoughts running around but more of them later) . A gene at a seperate loci inherited independantly? of white that produces sparkly white sheep........ in sheep who would otherwise be pigmented but genetically white ........ Plenty more to come on that thought.

So what about this one then? Well yes this one is even more interesting. The thing with colour genetics is how surprising things become when you start to scratch the surface to most this is a white lamb but there is so much MORE going on. For now, start looking at your white sheep, lambs in particular and checking out some of the differences. I now have a genetic profile for many of my white sheep that goes into far greater depth that just Awt agouti white and tan and lambs are begining to show some results which will allow me to play with these colour variations in much greater detail and produce some of the rarer pigmented lambs.

Attention to Tension

2011-08-31T20:00:00.001+02:00

Galifrey and Koudou

The other evening my attention was drawn outside by a commotion. When I checked what was going on I found Louarnig with one of his horns wrapped around a low branch of a tree. He was stuck fast and unable to free himself. What was more interesting ( although I made sure that Louarnig was freed immediately) was the reaction of the other rams. Louarnig was being mounted by Koudou, the other rams were involved in a free for all session of head butting and charging. No pics I was more interested in setting Louarnig free. Once Louarnig was free things seemed to calm down quite quickly but Louarnig was panting heavily and obviously quite stressed. He had also acquired a shadow, Koudou........ For two days every move Louarnig made was supervised by Koudou where he grazed, when he went through a gateway the ever present Koudou was in his face.
Since then I have watched curious to know how things would play out. The rams are begining to show signs of an hormonal rise for the breeding season but there are no ewes on site to tease them.

Koudou and Louarnig - I see you


But I have the upper hand ( head)


You're in my space

The prelude to this earlier series of photos is this one, far from Koudou being submissve he's actively stalking Louarnig . Louarnig may have faced him off but its only a matter of time. At the moment Louarnig is still in charge but if at anytime he is disadvantaged Koudou is letting him know he's right there ready to take over. The subtle posturing often goes unnoticed and it can be difficult to determine exactly whats going on.

It can be hard to "see" the tension particularly in a photograph but the slow deliberate movements the repeated postures and watching for grouping and liaisons will reveal alot more than the bouts of charging and headlong pushing and shoving that goes on if you are keen to take the time and sit a while to listen to the small talk.

Of course to be leader of the pack you are not necessarily shy about showing off.

Déjà Vu?

2011-08-28T10:13:00.000+02:00

This photo was on the German Ouessant Sheep Forum LINK recently. The series of photos are catalogued in cultural archives. LINK and LINK by the french government and list a Ouessant ram bought in 1932 and at the time (1934) residing in a circus. A rare find, photos attributed as Ouessants from this era are hard to find and even more so of adult Ouessant rams of any period!

So the first question, is it a Ouessant? I have taken the liberty of using the classic GEMO photo and presumably an ideal for a breed standard representation of a Ouessant.

Whilst there is no human to represent scale it can be assumed they are under the breed maximum height of 49cm for a ram. I'm willing to bet that for most people there are significant differences to be seen and not just in height between the two sets of photos. So how can there be such a difference and is the ram from 1934 incorrectly labelled?

I thought it might be fun to see if it was possible to recreate the 1934 photo in 2011 .............

Given that Gary is a castrate and not a full ram his horns are a little more lacking than most even so I don't think there is a striking difference between the photos of the 1934 ram and those of 2011. Had Gary not been castrated at a year old they would have been similarly curled to those of the 1934 ram.

To understand fully the context of historical references and breed references it is essential to grasp the Ouessant breeds history and its development. Not just its history on the island although this is extremely relevant but also its history in relation to the mainland and also how the breed came into existance.

Primitive breeds unlike modern developed breeds were not shaped by a series of cross breedings to produce a desired end sheep with a potential for a meat market or as a wool producer or for any other selected aim, the primitive sheep breeds evolved over millennia, it was a process of slow selection from the progenitor population. Time, natural selection and mans hand have all had their part to play but the biggest for the Ouessant has been environmental selection. Apart from the Ouessants ubiquitous black fleece the sheep retains the physical attributes needed to survive in an extreme environment. Until the breeds more recent history (latter half of the 20th century) there was no standard by which to judge what was and wasn't a Ouessant. They were an integral part of the landscape and by that definition Ouessant. This makes the Ouessant a landrace, I have written on this subject before. LINK, through a process of natural selection, over time and sometimes with mans involvement, a uniformity across a local population of sheep arises, in part due to inter-relatedness but also in part to the exterior selection factors that shape a populations adaptation to its environment. However the selection factors particularly the environmental ones tend to favour the long term survival of a genetic population over the individual, its all about ensuring your genes get passed on and the mechanisms employed to do this are complex and often invisible to mans outside perspective but studies conducted into natural models such as the soay have shown some surprising results, as previously discussed, that favour heterogeneity in a population and not as one might think a population of genetically homogenous sheep.

Until the production of a breed standard the Ouessant sheep was undeniably a landrace population.That Gary in 2011 a product of selection, only by his generations of past family members belonging to the same landrace population should look so similar to the 1934 ram is a testament to this very process. Land race populations retain as an adaptation mechanism the genetics to profit from changes in environment, this maybe a particularly hard winter or an abundant spring or summer. This genetic variation is part of the flocks overall safety net to ensure that some individuals will survive no matter the conditions and so maintaining a genetically variable population has benefits in the long term.

The process of transition to a fully fledged breed starts with the introduction of a breed standard, the criteria for this will decide the phenotype of the breed for generations to come and the selection process around producing that phenotype will alter and reduce the genetic variation in a population but this is the nature of the beast, not to set a standard as an artificial control leaves a landrace population vunerable. In the case of the Ouessant sheep the market forces which had made the little sheep so profitable no longer existed and the breed quickly lost favour to more commercial modern sheep breeds. It is not an understatement to say the breed standard saved the breed. However that doesn't mean that all sheep met the breed standard, the process of selection for that standard is only a starting point. The salient points of a breed standard are to select for and to produce a sheep that in reality never existed or only in a rare few examples. The breed standard is drawn from averages across a population of sheep taking identifiable features such as in the case of the Ouessant its size which is understandably an imperative in the standard, as well as other features. The search for the perfect Ouessant begins. When we look back at photos of the past it is easy to state " thats not a Ouessant" but perhaps not so easy to confirm. The first published breed standard to be found to date is in the book Les Races Ovines Françaises published in 1950 but the work was done in 1947.

1950

But earlier photos from the island itself show some differences


Circa 1900 With thanks as always to John Ushant

1898 Le Tour Du Monde Paul Gruyer

The lack of historic examples and the inability to see more than a snapshot of a few select individuals makes the deciding criteria somewhat difficult to judge and of course the lack of examples of rams even more so. Which one represents the "right" one or are they all representations along a spectrum of time and characteristics? At the time that all of these photos were taken there was no breed standard. The idea behind the standard was to quantify that spectrum of variation, to define and refine the criteria, to produce a generation of sheep that share an immediate visual and genetic identity, and can be easily seen as belonging to the breed. This was recognised by the originators of the 1947 breed standard. Heights were listed as ranging from 45cm to 55cms. Interestingly by the time of Paul Abbé the breed standard height was listed as between 40 and 50 cms (1978) later to be reduced to 49cms maximum height.
Paul Abbé himself identified some of the reasons behind this variation in height in his paper "Conservation de la race ovine d'Ouessant" of 1978 . He writes " Le mouton d'Ouessant adulte devrait peser de 11 à 20 kg et measurer de 40 à 50cm. Toutefois dans l'etat actuel du cheptel il se trouve des individus de taille plus élevée, ce qui peut être attribué aux influences combinées du terrain plus riche et de la sélection humaine. Il est d'ailleurs frappant de constater que c'est sur le massif Armoricain que la taille s'est le mieux conservée. Comment ne pas voir que le mouton d'Ouessant a trouvé là un terrain granitique semble à celui de son île originelle......."
The adult Ouessant sheep should weigh between 11 to 20 kgs and measure between 40 and 50 cm. However in its current state within the national flock there are to be found individuals of a greater size, which can be attributed to the combined influences of richer grazing and selection by man. It is also striking to see that the size is best conserved on Armorican terrritory. How can it not be seen that the Ouessant sheep has found there a granite terrain similar to that which is to be found on its original island.

It seems the Ouessant breed standard has been getting smaller but also that environmental conditions are acknowledged to have a part to play in the final height of an animal and particularly in the grazing available, a point which has significant relevance to those sheep of the past on the island and their small height. Today we know what the standard is and it is used quite rightly as a measure of breed along with other factors but that doesn't mean to say that the criteria for judging a Ouessant today bears a complete relevance to the criteria of the past and so we return full circle to the definition of a Ouessant, today as a breed and in the past as a landrace.

These photos raise for me a significant number of questions in relation to the origins of the standard and how it is implemented today, fundamental questions on the subject of breed, not just confined to size but to include horns and horn shape as well as other criteria. I shall return to this subject and these photos again to tease out a few more areas of debate. What is clear is that the landrace population outside of those within the breed standard is still present in the region today and can be considered representative of the earlier generations of the same population. Garys family connections are good although he'd like to think hes moved on from a circus act, thank you!

Fruitful Friday

2011-08-27T12:36:00.000+02:00

What do you mean its Saturday already?! Whose counting! My favourite apple tree has outdone itself this year its branches are positively groaning under the weight of apples.

This is some variety of Russet with dry sand paperyskins and a crispy crunchy texture they have a little too much bite for my taste.

I have dug this vine out twice but here it is flourishing, if I ever get any of the grapes before the birds, they are sweet and tender, I suspect its a dessert variety of grape but its still in an inconvenient place! The sheep are enjoying a bumper early harvest of fruit this year.

Pasture Management Summer time

2011-08-23T19:00:00.002+02:00

The jobs to do list seems endless, even if the sheep generally keep on top of things, there are always jobs that need some attention.

Tansy

I call this Tansy which is probably just the garden variety but to a lot of people its ragwort which is the wild variety. This is one plant that shouldn't be left to propagate in a pasture. Its full of alkaloids which don't go down well with many animals and whilst the living plant is not generally considered attractive to eat once its dried particularly in hay it can have serious and sometimes fatal consequences. It is the responsibility of everyone with pasture to remove the living plant to prevent it self seeding and becoming established in an area. Whilst most commonly associated with poisoning in horses its effects can be noticed in cattle and sheep. The new pasture for the sheep has only one patch and it will be uprooted and removed now that its been noticed.


Bracken

My annual battle with bracken continues by the trailer load! Whilst not really toxic, the sheep only like to eat the new bracken shoots which don't seem to pose them a problem and rarely touch the adult fronds. It is invasive and virtually indestructible I am still looking for a solution to keep the bracken under control.

The poplar saplings that had already taken hold in the new pasture are now stripped bare by the sheep and the grass is begining to take on a neater cropped look.

In comparison to the untouched section next door which the sheep have yet to get to.I have yet to finish fencing this section. The best bit is that the old paddock which was tired and overgrazed is now looking rejuvenated.

This is an old hazel stump now hiding in a lush growth of rich grass. My intention was always to graze this area relatively lightly and use the sheep more in a conservation process rather than grazed paddock. I am hopeful I may yet be able to do this with the large new paddock likely to provide two additional areas large enough to comfortably maintain the rams without needing to completely utilise the conservation area. GREEN SHEEP PROJECT LINK It may test my skills a little especially as the sheeps dung seems to have provoked a flush of new growth far in excess of the grass that used to grow there .It will be interesting to see if its possible to realistically meet my expectations for grass control whilst keeping the spotted orchids and other wild flowers in their usual habitat.

Hangin' in the Hood

2011-08-21T12:15:00.000+02:00

The new pasture has been annexed to an existing pasture rather than making it a seperate paddock ( as things stand at the moment anyway) The boys prefer to come back under the trees to chill. Each face tells a story but mostly they are just very chilled, I love to see them grouped together like this.

Summer Lovin

2011-08-19T20:50:00.000+02:00

Its time to take look at some of the lambs as they start to mature. This is Ganieda

Aine, a grey

Fée, she is looking quite chunky!

Nixie

Nimue

Fionne ( the Yak)

I'm not quite sure whats going on with her fleece. She did have a few days where she seemed off with nothing apparent possibly a slight temperature. I resisted the temptation to treat with antibiotics and just gave her a good wormer. She has since settled down but I wonder if she did have a slight fever, she is definately losing her fleece, I'm not sure if this is down to a lamb coat or being off colour.

I have retained all the ewe lambs and will evaluate all of them next year. As for the boys well I admit to being quietly hopeful but its still early days. As for horns here are some taken on the run photos from tonight.

Elwen

Kerwen

One thing that is clear already, Faolan has consistantly proven himself across all the ewes and improved the lambs for this year.

Castrates and Horns

2011-08-14T19:33:00.003+02:00

I took this photo about ten days ago, Konnor is around three months old and as an early castrate his horn growth is significantly reduced although as you can see not by the length of his horns but in substance, they are long flat slithers of horn with very little solidity to them.

In comparison Kai has small barely formed scurs. By castrating early, around 20 days or a little earlier and making sure its a complete castration (perfecting the technique in such small lambs isn't easy but it can be done sucessfully with a little experience) The lambs produce a horn growth that is not likely to rival those of an adult ram, as they are most often to be going as pets or easy keeper lawn mowers the added complication of a fully horned sheep is often not wanted.

This is the same lamb as in the first photo today and one of his horns has broken off. The much reduced horn growth is more prone to getting broken off during a bit of rough and tumble.Not such a bad thing for owners looking for sheep without horns.

It should be noted there is one specific disadvantage to early castration and that is the potential for an increased risk of problems with urinary calculi, this problem can affect entire and castrated males but due to the reduced development in the size of the urethra of castrates it is something which should be considered a potential for problems. The most likely cause of urinary calculi is a diet high in concentrates such as sheep pellets. As the Ouessant as a rule is not a breed that needs a great deal of supplementation the incidence of urinary calculi should not be a significant factor. I am sometimes asked about castration of entire males that are older in general this is asked about due to a behaviour problem with rams that are agressive or charging. I have covered this is a couple of previous posts on Gary the reformed wether whose days of bad behaviour are far behind him. LINK 1 LINK 2 I am also happy to retire a ram to a pet home as a castrate even if there is no history of bad behaviour in fact I am more likely to rehome a castrated adult ram than an entire one. I'll post a little later on just such a procedure.

Whats In A Name?

2011-08-13T20:33:00.004+02:00

I feel I should probably add cliché alert to this title. I googled for some of the information around names and naming. The statistical studies can twist the figures to show just about anything from correlation with names and where you live, to your prospects in life or your likely partner. In truth the choice of name probably says alot more amount the person doing the naming than the named, but this is about sheep............
So lets start again "whats in a name?"

Identification in sheep is a requirement throughout the EU so sheep should all have in theory a unique identification number and there are some for whom this is sufficient. Each sheep is individually identified and can be followed for any particular purpose necessary be it breeding or for a health programme or lambing statistics so why name a sheep? There are a few naming systems and reasons behind their use.


Click to Enlarge

This is a popular system in Holland. The choice to name the male and female line and to keep the names just adding a number for each subsequent offspring according to gender allows a breeder to follow a particular bloodline without reference to any pedigrees. However the thought of looking out over a sea of Sam's or Carola's I find quite disconcerting as if in some clonal world.

A common continental system which is employed for registrations of dogs and cats is to have letter designated for each year. This has been adopted by some Ouessant sheep breed societies

geboortejaar	beginletter
2004 ( stamboekwerking VHGS)	M
2005 ( stamboekwerking VHGS)	N
2006 ( stamboekwerking VHGS)	O
2007 ( BOV - SLE)	A
2008 ( BOV - SLE)	B
2009 ( BOV - SLE)	C
2010 ( BOV - SLE)	D
2011 ( BOV - SLE)	E

Table from the Belgian Ouessant Breed Society BOV LINK with each year and the letter for names. Meaning that registrations for that year must start with names begining with the letter. A B C etc. I absolutely cannot get my head around this system. I don't want to have my choice of names dictated by a breed society that goes for dogs and cats as well as sheep, at the end of the day I can see that it serves very little purpose, other to have a glut of Oslo's coming through the kennels when its the letter 'O' or heaven forbid Xanthia's when it gets to X. I am still reeling from Uria's and Uvea's from the dog U year. Ughh!

There are some original systems out there.

Click to Enlarge

Lodicia is a construct from her parents names and this as a system does allow a more meaningful method to follow through bloodlines and whilst not one I choose for myself I can see that it has merit and is ultimately useful to a breeder.

An aternative system is the year of birth and the number of the day of birth so 11056 ( Year 2011 day fifty six) would accurately allow a breeder to know the animals date of birth at a glance and is likely to be a relatively unique number unless you get more than one lamb born on the same day and I confess I spend a fair bit of time looking up birthdates for weaning etc so this system too has its benefits.

Then of course there are the just plain wild names the "anything you fancy" system. Ok I am a subscriber to this and lets be honest as a system goes it isn't one, so where 's the use in it? At this point I'm struggling to find a succinct and satisfactory answer. Can we just go with coz its nicer than a number? As all my sheep have a unique number there is no need to provide them with a name and so we return to the reasons behind naming itself. To assign individuality and endow meaning. I don't think anyone has ever conducted a study into the statistical prospects of partners for sheep or even pets due to their names but there it is, by giving them a name there is a sense of familarity, a pet name. A relationship that is outside of the perfunctory.

And so to my newest arrived name ' Helori' it is Breton naturellement and means generous and raised with dignity.

Ouessant Berger or Burger

2011-08-11T19:06:00.001+02:00

Ouessant Burger

on a bed of petit pousses and garden fresh cherry tomatoes

optional extras could include

grilled with mild english cheddar

or spiced with Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce.

Funny Stuff

2011-08-08T20:57:00.001+02:00

The textural and tactile qualities of fleece never cease to amaze me. Its one reason amongst many why I like to shear my own sheep. Shearing the sheep every year is a necessity, a chore, in some countries an annual shear is also a welfare regulation. No getting away from it then unless of course your sheep self shear but even so the by-product the fleece is still there in one form or another. A natural fibre and one which man was quick to see its value and properties in so many different forms. There is no subsitute for hands on learning about those properties no book can teach you or commmunicate the exact touch or sense of fibre. No descriptive can truly substitute for a good feel.
It is perhaps ironic then that the decline of many breeds was brought about with the industrialisation of wool processing looking for ever more uniformity of fibre, colour and maximum yield a concept that is contrary to many breeds particularly those whose development was at its height during the earlier less industrialised period.

Some breeds did specialise in the finer arts of hand spinning and today are enjoying a revival such as the shetland, known for its exceptional qualities and range of fleeces. LINK In the main however the art in fibre production has been lost in the rush to produce an end product that is predictable and endlessly repeatable. In reality certainly for primitive breeds the qualities that serve it best are those that exploit the natural variety in its texture and colour. The above photo is from two different parts of the same fleece the colour variation reflects the variation in fibre qualities and type. Each year as I learn more about the subtleties and attributes which allow the craft of working with fibre to utilise those differences I learn more about what qualities I should be looking for in my fleeces. It is only by understanding the end user that you can really appreciate how those qualities influence the fibre the sheep has just produced. This year my fleeces are going to felters. Each fibre craft has its own requirements and skills and I hope to learn more about the properties of wool and how it can be exploited in so many different ways.

Yin - Yang

2011-08-06T20:59:00.000+02:00

A few photographs taken this evening. It seems almost incredible how varied this season has been. The weather simply cannot make up its mind even in the same photograph there is a shadow from the hedge and yet the sky is ready for rain. Complimentary opposites.

Despite watering, this is all thats left of a beautiful deep purple japanese acer. Sob!

But the plums this year are big and juicy and just dripping with succulence.

The hazel bush lost its leaves long ago there has been no sudden chill, just the dessicating dryness that has sucked the life out of it.

but the waterlillies are flush with all the rain and the pond is full to the brim, if only they had scent too, they are the most exquisitely formed flowers.

And to finish little and large. Fée still with a penchant for sticking her head through the fence meets one of the neighbours youngsters

Concours National 2011 Moutons d'Ouessant

2011-08-05T13:15:00.000+02:00

Click to enlarge

BTV 2011 Whats Happening?

2011-08-03T13:36:00.001+02:00

click to enlarge

These are the latest available distribution maps for BTV 1 & 8 up until Feb Mar 2011 LINK It looks good, but certainly for France follows a compulsory campaign for vaccination of both types during 2009 and 2010.
I took the decision earlier in the year to vaccinate based on the fact that there had been no significant progress with this disease apart from vaccination and that to not vaccinate was in the longer term cheaper financially than to deal with an unexpected outbreak. Given that figures are readily available as well as distribution maps I will be making any future decisions based on what happens to these maps and figures over the next couple of years. If it is possible to see a natural immunity develop and the disease not radically break out again I may consider not vaccinating. The lambs are getting their doses now, quite late in the year but I vaccinate my ewes later prefering to do it after they have lambed. I also vaccinate all my rams. To date the only year I felt I had any problems was when the ewes were vaccinated in the heat of the day during a stressful round up ( several break outs) and the following day the sheep were noticeably off. Fertility wise considering my rams are done, all my ewes took this last breeding season bar one, this was over five different rams. For me the plus to vaccinating this year is a combined 1 & 8 vaccine and not two separate injections and being able to do it in my own time and not be reliant on a vet visit. I'll post the updated maps for this summer when they are available it will be interesting to see how things develop.

A Scrum Of Béliers

2011-08-01T11:38:00.003+02:00

Finally Faolan and César have joined the bachelor group of rams. This was them getting to know each other. Far from there being a great clashing of heads and lots of charging, there was a rugby scrum with lots of pushing and shoving but no one was in any danger. I put them in a couple of hours before it got dark and the following morning they were all calm and grazing. I love the almost primaeval sense of masculinity, this was definately all boys stuff and now as a group they exude that sense of brotherhood and competition. César has always been the top ram since he arrived but I have recently had to spare his pride a couple of times when he has been challenged for top position and rather than see him fight until he was thoroughly beaten I have changed the groups slightly to ensure he remained top dog of his little group. I was uncertain how things would go with this group given that it is well established and Louarnig is in charge. To my amusement all the rams followed César in that evening even though he wasn't quite sure of where he was going. I'm not sure it will remain that way but I sense that César has learned a little from his past challenges and I hope will be able to give the position up with some grace when the time comes. On the other hand he is a ram!

Heritage Flocks - Vaillant

2011-07-30T16:49:00.002+02:00

It is always a priviledge to visit with other breeders, and to see their flocks, a view which is not always possible, even when at a show you can only really get a glimpse of a breeders direction. To be able to see their flock at home gives so much more of an impression and today I got a real blast!:-) The Vaillant flock has been in the family since the very early days of the breed and can certainly be considered amongst one of the pioneers. These flocks are so vital to the breed as a reference for breed identity, heritage and diversity.

Photos do not do this flock justice!!


These photos were taken at higher resolution than usual so click to enlarge.

Inspite of the wire I think you can get an idea of the quality across these ewes.

The Vaillant bloodlines underpin a wide range of flocks notable ones in France and they feature abroad in particular in Germany and Holland having been snapped up by the cognoscenti. The flock which exclusively concentrates on its own well developed bloodlines provides genuine colour and breeding which can be hard to find outside of a few flocks. For this reason I have started a new label on the blog ( eyes to the right!) Heritage flocks. I hope to be able to add to the list of flocks that I believe offer the genuine article with 100% ouessant stamped on them and through them. Thank you the the flocks owner for an insightful view and for making me feel like I have such a long way to go:-)

Black Is Black ...............isn't it?

2011-07-27T21:14:00.001+02:00

The Ouessant sheep was selected over centuries specifically for its black colour. There is no doubt from the high number of black sheep still present in the region today and of the continual references in passages from journals throughout the period before the turn of the 20th century to black sheep.
My quest to get to grips with this colour is documented from some of the earliest entries of this blog.

The Black Sheep Theory. 2007

It was to take me until 2010 to finally find a plausible and ultimately very rational reason for the predominance of black sheep in the region.

Why Black? 2010
Later I explored some of the reasons for the variance in the tones and quality of the black fleeces.

Why Black 2 2010 understanding not just the colour but its variance and place within the cultural landscape has been a journey and it continues.

In June of this year the Dutch breed society (FOS) discussed colour, the published article in their quarterly bulletin sought to explain to its members the basic order of dominance of colour inheritance within the breed. A breed for which its colour and specifically the colour black has been a fundamental source of its identity. And there it was quietly sitting at the end of a paragraph LINK to bulletin. The section on colour starts on page 21.
The text is taken from page 23
"Extension gen
Mogelijk komt in de Nederlandse Ouessantschapen populatie het zo geheten extension - gen voor. Dit gen bedekt alle kleurpatronen zoals wit, schimmel en geeft uitsluitend dominant zwart. Echter twee zwarte dieren met het extension gen, die tevens en wit- of schimmel-dragers zijn kunnen wit en schimmel geven. Wit en schimmel zijn in dat geval recessief ten opzichte van het dominante extension zwart. Zo kan dit extension gen
bedekt blijven zolang er geen wit of schimmel in de fokkerij gebruikt wordt. Is dat wel het geval dan kunnen uit twee zwarte dieren dus plotseling witte of schimmel lammeren geboren worden."

Google which just about qualifies as a translation tool interprets it as follows.
Extension gene
Possibly in the Dutch Ouessant sheep population, is the so-called extension - gene. This gene covers all
color patterns such as white and schimmel ( agouti grey) and gives only dominant black. Two black animals also with the extension gene, may also be carriers of white or schimmel ( agouti grey), white and schimmel ( agouti grey) in this case would be recessive, in comparison to dominant black - extension gene. Thus, this extension gene can remain hidden until a white or schimmel ( agouti grey) is used in breeding. If this is the case then to two black or white animals unexpectedly a lamb is born that is schimmel ( agouti grey). The italics are mine.

I will not go into how accurate an interpretation of dominant black the statement is, not least because my interpretation of the translation is I'm sure open to debate. Take it just as a statement on the presence of dominant black in the dutch Ouessant sheep population.

The mention of dominant black or the extension gene is notable. To my knowledge this is the first documented recording of the possible presence of this gene in the Ouessant population. JJ Lauvergne is previously documented as commenting that he didn't think the Ouessant black was as a result of dominant black. Breeding results show it to be a recessive black The strong selection pressure for blacks in the face of the dominant white genotype was to produce a region of recessive black sheep and is keeping with the breeds primitive origins.

So what is dominant black?
You cannot tell by looking at a sheep if it is dominant black or recessive. Its genotype can only be determined by breeding results. This is why the admission in the FOS bulletin is quite a statement. So how is it possible to find or determine dominant black genetics in the dutch population? The easiest way is to examine the breeding records. Black sheep matings documented as producing a white or schimmel ( agouti grey) lamb are a definative indicator ( assuming that the mating and birth is sufficiently well documented ).

So one question would be how could dominant black show itself in the Ouessant population? One notable reason is the introduction of cross breeding with schimmel ( agouti grey) sheep. Not just the the connection of dominant black with the breeds used in the cross breeding but also due to the nature of schimmel ( agouti grey ) itself. Recent studies have shown that the genotype for schimmel ( agouti grey) is actually a dominant white genotype with a mutation allowing the production of melanin ( black or brown pigmentation) so basically a white sheep with a black hairy overcoat. This is the definition of dominant black, it covers up or hides the normally dominant white genotype.

In this case the mutation producing the schimmel (agouti grey) colouration is highly variable and many of the sheep are closer to white sheep than black but as breeders seek to breed darker schimmels ( agouti greys) in order to retain the pigmentation the lambs retain for longer and longer their black colouration appearing to be born black and not schimmel ( agouti grey). They may be so dark as to be considered black sheep. This is dominant black, whilst they appear to all intents and purposes to be black their genotype is dominant and white. An unseen intrduction of foreign genetics that once in a population cannot be selected out. There is no way to determine the spread of dominant black, the first you are likely to know of its presence is with an unusual birth of a white or agouti grey lamb from two black sheep by which time the gene is likely to have been in your flock and already passed on to other flocks for quite some time. It should also be mentioned that dominant black whilst being a general term can refer to either self coloured black or brown coloured sheep and isn't restricted to just black sheep.

A suggestion was put forward last year by a senior member of one of the breed societies that progeny of all schimmel ( agouti grey) sheep no matter their colouration should be registered with a registration prefix to indicate their descendence from schimmel ( agouti grey) sheep, at least this way those breeders who seek to avoid cross bred genetics and in particular dominant black have the opportunity to avoid the progeny of schimmel sheep ( agouti grey) now and in the future and retain the original genotype of the breed and maintain its heritage.

Getting to Grips With Horns

2011-07-23T13:31:00.002+02:00

I previously posted this LINK on horn evaluation in the NA Soay. The hunt to find a predictable and valid assessment of horn selection for breeding is not restricted to just the Ouessant and seeing as I'm on a bit of a quest on the horn front at the moment I thought I'd post on some interim conclusions I'm reaching. I have done some background reading and quite a bit of cogitating as have others, heres a few thoughts from Letty Klein on horns and selection in the karakul LINK

Firstly the tricky question of assessment bearing in mind that the inheritance of horned versus polled in both rams and ewes is relatively well understood, is there more that can be determined in general statements before its time to get to the nitty gritty?
For me the question of horn shape needs addressing and there are sites that already cover this very nicely.
LINK

In the ouessant there are three relevant horn shapes

Supracervical

Homonymous

webbed

I have not used examples of Ouessants but examples that clearly show the natural ( ie unselected) horn shape, there is a reason for this which I will get to later. The webbed I have included as an example of a horn type which I don't see in Ouessants very often but thought it necessary to include for completeness.

The horn types refer to horn positioning and whether they are spiraled or not but doesn't in general describe the cross-sectional shape of the horns, that is for another post.

The breed standard on the subject of horns states

"Sombre pour les noirs et les bruns, claire pour les blancs, section triangulaire, forte, enroulée d'une seule spirale de grande amplitude à bonne distance de la tête.

"Dark for the blacks and browns ans light for the whites, triangular in cross section strong and rolled into a single spiral of large amplitude a good distance from the head"

It is clear that a significant number of Ouessants have spiraled horns, they sit lower on the head and quickly twist to repeat a smaller tighter more lateralised spiral. The degree of that spiral can be very tight to quite open.


Spered Breizh Galifrey

The selection for opening out can be seen in quite a number of Ouessants where breeders begin to select for a larger amplitude of spiral to conform with the breed standard. By opening out the tight spiral the objective as described in the standard becomes more achievable, but for me there is a problem.

Spered Breizh Yann

It is true to say that, especially if its possible to slow down the rate of growth (polled gene) you end up with a single spiral of large amplitude and at a good distance from the head but I'm not sure it has the aesthetic I'm looking for.

A soay ram on the island of Hirta the closest example of european domesticated sheep there is to a mouflon.

Too many of the ouessants I see have horns that look like unravelled telephone cables, the twist and kinks are smoothed out in order to get to one single spiral but they don't have the natural innate sweep of the mouflon horns. The Ouessants natural tendancy to produce homonymous (spiraled) horns leads breeders to find ways to produce the "correct " horns but is this the right approach and is the end result truly a mouflon horn? Is it possible to find supracervical horns in a ouessant? And is there a way to predict those who are likely to produce supracervical horns?

Lots of questions that I'll be thinking on but in the meantime if I have to keep an idea in my head of an ideal.

This is the one image I always come back to.

Paris Salon de l'Agriculture - 2011

2011-07-21T17:55:00.003+02:00

You have to get past the Charmoise at the begining.......Every year the breed is represented at the Salon de l'Agriculture THE big agricultural show of the year. This years participants don't seem overly amused but proved a hit with the public.

Horn Genetics in Ewes

2011-07-18T20:54:00.005+02:00

What is sometimes not appreciated in Ouessants is that both rams and ewes have genetics for horns. The gene is linked to the sex of the sheep and is not expressed in ewes but it doesn't mean they don't have the gene for horns. If a ewe didn't have a gene for horns she would pass on a 'no horn' (polled) gene to her lamb, it would only be noticeable in the ram lambs by producing slow growing scurred horns or no horns. In a ewe lamb from the same mating you would see no difference, the ewe would not have horns but she would be a carrier for the polled gene. Sometimes this isn't understood, Ouessant ewes are in fact hornless and not polled, there is a difference. The polled gene produced no horns in both the male and the female.The sex linked hornless gene produces horns in the ram and no horns in the ewe.

The expression of the hornless gene in the ewe is variable. It can range from no more than two small depressions in the skull at the point that the horns would bud from as pictured in the first picture, to horn knobs these give a raised bump of horny material which produces a slightly raised but rounded area on the head. The hornless gene in the ewe can also produce very small horns which are not attached to the skull and quite mobile. I have had one ewe with these horns and unfortunately forgot to take a picture but all three are variations in expression of the same gene.The breed standard allows for the variable expression of this gene in Ouessant ewes by accepting very small horns not attached to the boney plate.

This photo of soay ewes shows the variation in type between horned, scurred and hornless or polled.

The horned gene is incompletely dominant to the polled gene which means that in a sheep that is heterozygous for horns and polled the eventual horn produced is scurred that means poorly grown, often malformed and prone to breaking off. The horn growth is influenced by the polled gene and produces a less vigorous horn growth than would usually be seen.

Ouessant ewes very ocasionally grow full horns, this is due to the presence of the horned gene that isn't sex linked. When you get a horned gene and a hornless gene together in a ewe you can get scurred horns being produced as in the middle photo. However these scurred horns are generally considerably more developed than those horny growths seen in the hornless Ouessant ewe.

It can be confusing to get to grips with but in general in the Ouessant ewe the appearance of small horny growths means nothing more than individual expression of the usual hornless gene found in the ewe.

Potted Cat

2011-07-17T17:44:00.000+02:00

Who needs pot plants when you have a cat!

Smile! You're on Candid Camera!

2011-07-16T19:13:00.001+02:00

Aine is a bit of a comedienne, she just can't resist pulling a funny face everytime she thinks shes on camera!

2010 Yearling Rams Horns Comparisons

2011-07-15T21:18:00.004+02:00

Previous 2010 Rams Horn Comparison.

The following two rams are of different breeding, one my own and one bought as a weaned ramling. I am fascinated by the variation in the horns.

Anakin (Royer)

Galifrey
The differences, discernable when they were younger are amplified with 10 months growth. The lack in height off the head and the tighter spiral of Galifreys horns in comparison to Anakins where that extra lift and sweep to the horns opens them out and gives them a much greater circumference to the spiral is now quite marked. Galifreys are more substantial in triangular cross section although I get the impresssion that Anakins are coming in now.There is still a further years growth to go for these guys.

It can be useful to have a series of photos to look back over not just for horn development but also for body structure.

Galifrey earlier in the year above

Galifrey was the only lamb I kept back from Faolan last year, there is room for improvement but there is also something there that demands a closer look........ he gives me plenty to think about.

Moving In

2011-07-13T20:40:00.001+02:00

Anakin makes the first tentative moves into the new pasture.

and then disappears ( literally). Both Louarnig and Koudou looked on as Anakin braved the big open space. It will take them some time to venture right in and also to get to work on reducing some of the overgrown pasture. For now they are restricted in the amount of time they can spend on it. Tomorrow Galifrey will join them and soon Faolan and César. Gary maybe seconded in to make a dent in it all. There is no doubt with the dry season the addition of some virgin grazing and in such a lush state is very welcome. I will not be increasing my numbers of sheep despite the increase in grazing but using the extra pasture to be able to rest some of the current grazing that really needs it. There is still some fencing to tweak and plenty of jobs to do not least finish shearing the sheep but the end is in sight even if the sheep aren't!

The FOS Quiz on Colour

2011-07-08T19:19:00.086+02:00


What do you mean this quiz isn't for sheep? The March Edition of the Dutch Breed Society Bulletin comes with a nifty little quiz for their later meeting on colour. OK its not so much a quiz as a list of questions that will be addressed at the meeting but I thought it might be fun to have a little go at it anyway. LINK to bulletin, the bulletin is naturally in dutch and the translation is my own assisted by google so its certain my interpretation of the questions may not be the exact one but I think the basic gist of the questions comes through. If you want to read the March bulletin the introduction makes an interesting opening, again you can use google to translate. 1.What colours are recognised by the breed standard? French All uniform colours Black, black brown, white a red base for the whites of which there is a light rusting above all on the head legs and tail. Dutch All colours should be uniform( no colour differences in the coat) black gray ( schimmel), white and brown. In white animals the skin is red creating a slightly reddish glow, especially on the head, feet and tail. 2. How many of each colour in the Netherlands and abroad? Figures provided by GEMO Members. It would be interesting to have a similar analysis published by the dutch breed society. 3. What role does the information on identity cards play? It can be very valuable as an analysis of the ratio of colours and the segregation of the various colours gives statistical information which is very useful in understanding the genetics of colour. However it is only of value if the information and observations are correct in the first place and the interpretation of those figures is correct. 4. What are the possible explanations for the shades in black and brown. Now I like this question and it is not one that I would want to give a simple answer to but I suspect its more than several posts so for now I'll stick with variances can be atributed to variations in fleece type and texture as well as fleece modifiers some of which are identifiable and others remain still a mystery. 5. Can I breed the lovely reddish brown colour? First define the genetics of the colour you have just described? Is this the red browns of phaeomelanin in a white sheep or the red moorit in a shetland or the noire brunissante of the Ouessant? 6. At what point is a white animal pure bred? An interesting question ( although I'm certain that google translate hasn't really go tthe gist of it) A pure bred white animal is one that is limited to white ( absence of colour) and expression of phaeomelanin only. I have no issues with the degree of phaeomelanic expression. 7. What type of grays do breeders get? Depends on where you are don't see any agouti greys (schimmel) in this part of the world unless they are on a day trip out..... Plenty of dilute greys though. 8. Fungi (you mean schimmels surely) are popular can you explain? Fancy rats are very popular but no one is trying to say they are a primitive early breed of sheep. 9. Are Schimmels homozygous Odd question Agouti grey is a single gene ( allele) like all agouti alleles. 10. Can you get a good amount of inheritance in schimmel? As an agouti allele its inheritance is well understood however its expression is also highly variable. The identification of the agouti grey allele as a mutation affecting the dominant white genotype ( effectively its a white sheep with black hairs) means that getting it to retain pigmentation unless you go as far as dominant black is difficult. 11. What is the difference between schimmel and the recessive colour grey? Genetically they are at completely different loci. Oh did you mean phenotypically? Well apart from recessive greys recessive mode of inheritance as a dilution gene it can only ever be a reduction in the expression of melanin (producing grey in black sheep) where as Agouti grey (schimmel) is a white sheep with black hair. 12. What are the reasons that GEMO don't recognise a sheep with dominant agouti grey ( schimmel) as a pure bred ouessant? Its a dominant colour not found in the native ouessant and its presence as an introduction represents a loss of original genetics of the breed and in relation to the Ouessants recessive black quite possibly the introduction of agouti grey goes hand in hand with the appearance of extension dominant sheep in Holland. So what answers did you get?

The Terrible Two's

2011-07-05T18:57:00.000+02:00

As the lambs grow and reach the two month stage you can start to see a little of their future shape developing. Hopefully they don't have the same temper tantrums as two year old children but having reached the terrrible twos it is nice to start to get some photos as a record of how they are growing. Above Aine the little grey ewe lamb.

Kerwen, a better photo than the other evening. I have yet to use a home bred ram on my flock but each year keep one or two rams to bring on to see where my breeding is going. I am statisfied at this stage that there is improvement.

Elwen a lighter frame but I'm happy with all of them and their progress at this stage. It will be another year and not until after their first shear before I begin to really see where things are at.

Plucked!

2011-07-03T21:08:00.004+02:00

I am still trying to shear all my sheep but getting there slowly. Tonight I decided to try rooing. Liza (Kerdaniel) was the ~~lucky victim~~ demonstrator. First I started with the belly wool. This often comes off in one large lump so removing that was very straightforward. A couple of gentle tugs, taking care not to grab too much in one handful and away it all came.

This is all the cruddy wool removed that I wouldn't be keeping any way.

To remove the fleece itself I initially tried as in the video I posted earlier to remove from the neck backwards I quickly found that the neck wool was quite knitted together and wasn't going to roo. So I tried turning Liza back on her bottom and unzipping her from the belly.

Much easier! I was surprised at how easily it began to come away. Having seen sheep rooed by plucking little tufts of fleece and then seeing Tori's video I found removing the fleece in one go quite easy and it smoothly came away as long as I didn't grab a handful in one go but gently pressed it away with the flat of my hand. Eventually I needed to shave the back of the neck and down the spine. I'm not sure if there is a way I could have got more of the fleece to come away without shearing, I will have to think on it but for a starter I was impressed. I have to evaluate the rooed fleece in comparison to the shorn fleece but it is clear to see on the sheep how much more fuzz from the primary fibres has been left behind.

This is the camera view looking down her back ( top of the hock just in the picture) Hmm definately more to think about and a few more sheep to ~~practice~~ improve my technique on! This should remove alot of the scratchy feel to the fleece and has interesting potential.

In The Flesh or In The Fleece?

2011-07-01T18:43:00.000+02:00

César in winter fleece

I was asked today about the best way to show Ouessants. Meaning should they be shown in the fleece so that the fleece can be assessed or shorn so that the conformation can be assessed. Traditionally meat breeds are shown shorn or with a limited covering of fleece so that the conformation is clear. Wool breeds are shown in the fleece so as to judge the quality of the fleece the conformation being slightly less important. It is a question I have pondered from time to time.


Anakin freshly shorn

I admit to being quite undecided, I do like to be able to see a sheeps conformation but equally the fleece is an aspect to which I pay attention from a selection point of view so I do want to be able to consider the fleece as well.
For the last couple of years the GEMO show has been held in September. This generally gives enough time to have a reasonable regrowth of fleece following shearing but it can still be a bit short if you really want to assess fleece. The German breed society IGOU hold their shows later in the year. This year Oct the 8th and 9th. One reason given being that it is possible to assess the fleece better but for me this may be at the expense of conformation in some, depending on the length of fleece and when they were shorn. The dutch breed society FOS have their annual show in September and certainly many of the sheep there are quite short in staple still, but they also hold a ram day earlier in the year.
LINK to the slide show of the ram day in June 2010. Certainly one attraction of the breed is the presence of a ram, his carriage and stature garnished by a full set of horns and a fleece which clothes him like a mantle giving him authority and dignity. There is no greater reminder of this breeds "primitive" status than to see a ram in all his finery. As for an answer of the best way to show Ouessants, I'll stick with a gallic shrug.

2011 Rams Horns Comparisons

2011-06-26T20:40:00.002+02:00

Bad Photo Alert!
Trying to get some decent photos of the ram lambs is not proving easy but here goes.

This year I am running on two ram lambs Kerwen and Elwen, both sired by Faolan (Billès) with one out of Lodicia and the other Hasnie both ewes came from Patrice Royer, however their breeding is a little different. With his head away from the camera is Kerwen and his head towards it is Elwen they are 11 days apart in age Kerwen slightly older.

Elwen pictured here above at 2 months

And Kerwen at just over two months. How do they look? No idea...... time will tell. I will post some follow up pics of Galifrey and Anakin when they get back together for a comparison between last years ram lambs. Undoubtedly Anakins are better.

I took some a while back of Louarnigs as he matures. His horns fascinate me, I will eventually work out why they are so triangular in cross section in comparison to others. I am working on an idea of a couple of genes determining horn shape with the heterozygote having a different cross section shape again.

Looking For A Home or Homes

2011-06-26T12:37:00.001+02:00

Click on the image to enlarge and get a really good look at these black Ouessants. This small flock find themselves in need of a home quite urgently. They are in Holland and there is a selection of lambs and adults and rams and ewes. For further details contact me.

Gluttony

2011-06-25T13:19:00.004+02:00

A sheep lives by its stomach, a delicately balanced finely tuned system that can so often go wrong. The Ouessant perhaps more than any breed runs the risk of coming into contact with ornamental plants, some of which may be toxic. The Ouessants size means that often people want to keep them in their gardens. The amount of grazing they require makes them perfect orchard sheep.

This area is planted with some wonderful varieties of eating apples and a couple of very nice plums, there are grapevines on the fence and the morello cherry pictured above is actually self seeded. The hedge is mainly lonicera but there is a substantial laurel hedge, eldeflower overhangs the fenceline and an old barn is completely overgrown with ivy. To the sheep this represents a veritable feast. At this time of year they are eating their fill. The trouble is that in amongst those shrubs and plants which provide a tasty nutritious meal are some that are not so beneficial.

It is easy to assume that the sheep would avoid those plants that won't do them any good. Many plants produce leaves that are bitter or poor tasting in order to prevent them from being eaten. One of natures adaptations to ensure plants survive in the face of grazing animals. However it can be the fruit of the tree that maybe toxic. I suspect in the case of Ivy so often said to be toxic and so often eaten by sheep without any ill effect it is the berries that represent the more significant danger.

Some times toxic effects can be dramatic no doubt Koudou who was very ill earlier in the year had eaten something which upset his digestion and caused him significant pain, what I have no idea. To watch an animal writhe in pain is a sharp reminder to take care no matter how safe you think the pastures are. Sometimes dramatic,sometimes however poisoning can be more insidious. One of these slower workers is laurel which sheep seem to enjoy, the young leaves in particular. Laurel, cherry and plums are all from the same family. The Laurel is considered toxic, cherries I am unsure but have heard varying reports. If sheep appear unaffected it doesn't necessarily mean the plants aren't doing them harm. Some toxins can accumulate in the liver of an animal and only affect their health when it reaches a certain level of poisoning after eating a plant for some period of time.

This Laurel hedge forms a windbreak from the raw winds that come off the brow of the hill. I leave it to grow and only cut it back every couple of years. However I make sure it is kept back from the fence to prevent the sheep from taking their fill.

It is cut back to a height above which the sheep can reach if they stand on their toes on the fence. The cuttings are all removed for recycling. Whilst they may manage to snatch the odd leaf to nibble through the fence, allowing them free access just because it didn't kill them in one meal doesn't mean it wouldn't slowly do them harm. I prefer to err on the side of caution. For now the sheep are enjoying a smorgasbord of summer plants and hopefully not anything likely to do them any harm.
The sharp eyed amongst you may also notice I haven't shorn all my sheep yet! They are so overdue for a shear!

A History of Colour?

2011-06-23T20:36:00.004+02:00

Photo from Les Races Ovines Françaises Portal & Quittet 1950

GEMO Bulletin 07.06.11

"Dans l'état actuel, il n'est pas question d'accepter une couleur de robe qui ne serait pas unicolore. Les couleurs noires, blanches et brunes sont définies dans notre standard, le cas des couleurs grises devant être regardé au cas par cas car elles peuvent être une représentation ou 'extension de signification' de la couleur noire"

I am not going to translate it as it doesn't make any more sense in English than it does in French. I for one am struggling to understand how a breeder would interpret this for planning their breeding but lets first look at how things were before we consider how things are going to be implemented by looking at what precedence there is for colour variants within the breeds history.

The blog on the Landes de Bretagne LINK a cousin of the Ouessant sheep albeit a more developed breed hosts a plethora of quotes from history describing the various colours found in the native regional sheep. Many if not most refer to the colour black for which the region is so well known. It is hard to know how to interpret any variation from black or brown or to attribute any genetics. Leaving the breed with a dilemma in how to view any colour variants.

Probably the document that has the best appraisal of some variations seen in the Ouessant sheep was written by JJ Lauvergne in 1976 his note to INRA detailed the possibility for some colour variants outside of the standard.

A notable phrase from this document is "Il n'est pas impossible que d'autres variants colorés existent mais échappent aux éleveurs, car ils sont trop complexes pour être nommés simplement et sont aussi assez rares. Une visite systématique dans les élevages de France continentale s'imposerait donc."
It is not impossible that other coloured variants exist but escape breeders attention because they are too complex to be identified simply and are also quite rare. A systematic visit of the breeding establishments of mainland France is a must.

Sadly as far as I'm aware no follow up was ever undertaken.

It can be seen that when it comes to colour in the Ouessant sheep and history there is reliable documentation to support colour variation. Is it possible to go back further than 1976?

I would like to say thank you to Jürgen Schneider for his insightful identification and sourcing of some texts that certainly took me by surprise. Who knows what more there is for him to unearth.

The book "Les Race Ovines Françaises" first edition dated 1950 but put together is 1947 lists a breed standard for the mouton d'Ouessant. Amazingly the colours are listed as Uniforme Brun fauve, blanc, quelques spécimens gris bleu. Who knew that greys were documented previously in this way!

Furthermore in the "Profiles génétiques visibles du mouton d'Ouessant" by Abbé & Benadjaoud 1986 a study that was to form the a part of the basis of a paper into the relationships between morphology and age of development in breeds of french sheep recorded 18 Ouessant sheep with a eumélanic gris - grey eumelanic.There is no further description of this "grey" which could easily be age greying but it does make an intriguing reference. In total 92 sheep were examined.

It seems GEMO has finally decided to conduct a more in depth study into colour in the Ouessant sheep one can only say it is about time and I look forward to the results.

Ouessants Abroad - Czech Republic and More

2011-06-19T12:39:00.004+02:00

Ouessant Ewe in the Czech Republic

Periodically I update the blog with websites I find around the world on the Ouessant sheep. It is always very interesting to compare the owning and breeding of Ouessants in other countries and also to see what these little sheep mean to their owners. The Czech republic seems to have a very active and knowledgeable number of breeders. In addition to the two sites I have already listed here are a couple more.

LINK 1 I have no pretentions of any understanding of Czech but translation tools help to get the basic gist of things. Lots of great photos

LINK 2 I'm not sure if this is an upgraded site or totally new. Either way its informative but most of the information is gleaned from other sites. Leaning heavily on the dutch interpretation of Ouessant sheep.

I did a little search on some other countries too.

Heres a blog from Italy.

LINK 3 Lots of chickens and rabbits too, some great photos.

Germany, heres one I haven't listed before. LINK 4

and another LINK 5

Welcome to the world of Ouessants!

A little video of the lambs chez nous

Ouessants In Print

2011-06-17T20:32:00.005+02:00

A while ago I was contacted for photos of Ouessants for a new book. In particular a photo showing them in relation to a person to give an indication of their size. After some months finally the book has been published and it is a hefty resource. I have yet to do more than scratch the surface and in truth I went straight to the page on Ouessants.

Storey Publishing Facebook Reviews Amazon

It is interesting that the write up is by people who have in most cases never seen a Ouessant in the flesh and they appear to have a little difficulty with converting inches and centimetres but a book that is endlessly fascinating for its shear breadth of coverage. The fibre assessment is fair but I could have found them some much nicer samples to assess. Ouessant fleece is very variable and fibre enthusiasts would do well to source from owners who can differentiate the variation well.

Oh Yeah, heres the pic! A huge thank you to both models nicely done:-)

You Scratch My Back.....................

2011-06-15T21:40:00.002+02:00

Left A Bit

Right A Bit

Ooooh Yes

Just let me slip into something more comfortable......please

Its All So Terribly British!

2011-06-13T20:25:00.004+02:00

Koudou adjusting to his new look, one reason for him hiding is that typically it has been on and off rain since I started to shear . It is going very slowly and those that are done are not thanking me, it reminds me of picnics in the rain. Soggy sandwiches and damp backsides and everyone with that slight air of stoicism determined to see it through. The weather is never guaranteed and even though we all should be grateful for some rain finally, I can't help feeling Koudou would really appreciate a pac a mac.

Of course the rain does have its own beauty and is welcomed by some.

These Great Mullein are a Verbascum and a native wild flower, they self seed every year, moving around the garden at will, like stately summer visitors, their textural leaves hold the rain long after it has stopped. Still,.... we needed the rain............I'll put the kettle on then.

Dates For The Diary

2011-06-12T10:48:00.004+02:00

04.09.11 - 4th September 2011

This week the GEMO Bulletin arrived. GOOD News, the National Competition is scheduled both for this year and for next year.

For 2011 the date to put in the diary is the 4th of September. It will be held at the Maison Cornec at St Rivoal.

Click on the Banner for a link to the website for Maison Cornec.

Having been to the national competition held here a couple of years ago I am very much looking forward to a good day. Last time it was hosted by the Bro an Are - Terres d'Arrée. There was a busy and very varied large number of craft stalls, representation of the three breton breeds of sheep including the Landes de Bretagne as the Belle île. My absolute favourite and I definately struggled not to take home were the Chèvres des Fossés

Click on the banner for the link to the website

Aren't they Fabulous!

This year the show is being hosted by the Parc Régional Naturel d'Armorique and staff are generously giving their holiday time.

For 2012 A GEMO member is hosting the national competition and the venue is the Château de Beaumesnil.

Click on the photo for a link through to the website

Date to be advised but it should be an interesting event.

The dates for the FOS ( dutch breed society) Judging days are the 03.09.11 at Didam for flocks that are not tested free of Maedi - visna. This is generally the day when most sheep are presented and the 24.09.11 at Angeren for flocks with maedi - visna free status.

Nothing as yet for the German breed society but I'll post when I have details.

One for the Future is the World Congress on Coloured sheep which is held generally every four years last time in Brazil. This time 2014 it will be held in France. As soon as more definate details are announced I will post them.

FOS On Colour 2

2011-06-08T19:18:00.004+02:00

Recently the FOS ( Dutch Ouessant Sheep Breed Society ) met for a general meeting on the agenda was a discussion on colour in the Ouessant sheep.

A representation of the various colour types was present and some colours were available both in full fleece and shorn allowing people to really appreciate the variance in colour. Henk Slaghuis had prepared a paper outlining the various colour types and their general inheritance. He sent me a copy which with the benefit of Google translate I have managed to get to grips with a little. It covers the basic colour types and their relative inheritance to each other. I am impressed with the way the FOS have tackled the sometimes thorny issue of colour within the breed and Henks paper must have helped to clarify some of the differences particularly between the greys. Being able to compare easily side by side the various colours must have made it easier to visualise those differences as well as fostering a broader discussion on the subject.

Nice one!I am looking forward to discussing some of the exciting colour variants which do occur naturally within the breed. One point raised by Henk and which I do think is worthy of a further post is the tricky subject of extension, but that is for another day.
Photos of the FOS day can be found HERE

Mending Fences

2011-06-05T14:08:00.000+02:00

The boys have done an excellent job of keeping the grass down. On the right of the picture their current pasture, on the left my neighbours paddock. I have been slowly getting to grips with getting it fenced. I am a bit behind! The boys have been a little bored with the meagre amount of grazing on offer and have exploited every weakness in the fencing to their advantage.

Spot the problem here......fortunately this is an internal division between two paddocks so the worst they can do is have access to grass that was meant to be resting. There was an original small hole in the fence, not so small now! Anakin has no shame and was quite happy to come over and show me how he elegantly nips between the two paddocks. However in spite of my lack of diligence in fence repair, I would like to point out that the boys have a little bit of fence mending to do themselves.......

Isn't this a lovely tree? Magnolia Star Wars yes even the plants have a si fi theme here, however this is Star Wars today....

Gone, disappeared into another dimension no doubt, either that or the sheeps stomachs. Hmm I wonder which is the more plausible? There is nothng for it but to send out a probe to find a replacement Star Wars. Oh, and mend a few more fences, damm.

Summers Here

2011-05-30T12:59:00.000+02:00

I can see this field from my house, I have my hay on order from my farmer neighbour I am so hoping this is the field of hay with my name on it! This year it seems everyone is making hay, getting a second cut may not be quite so easy.

Its All In The Wether

2011-05-29T12:22:00.000+02:00

Quiberon the other evening. He is almost six weeks old now and I caught him up today to check how his banding is going. Don't worry no pictures but its all looking very nice. Quiberon is a castrate or a wether. I looked up "wether" to see if it was possible to find the origins of this word. LINK Interesting but frustrating as it doesn't really get to grips with the root of it, what is the indo european root of wether........!

Quiberon's horn growth in comparison to my entire males is quite different. I think there is about a weeks difference in age between the two with Kerwen pictured above. Horn growth can be quite variable even between the rams but by castrating early, in Quiberons case at 19 days his horn growth is dramatically altered. It is possible that he may produce small scurs but that these will most likely be quite fragile and get knocked off readily leaving him hornless. For lots of reasons if I am going to castrate getting it done at an early age has advantages.

The UK welfare guidelines on age for castration using a band recommend this is done at no later than 7 days. LINK They also recommend this method over some other practices. The reason cited for the seven day limit is due to the size of the lambs testicles. Having attempted castration at 7 days I have found it technically not possible in a Ouessant lamb at this age, many primitive breeds and breeders have a similar problem the soay, boreray and shetland to name a few. Having trialled castration I have managed it successfully at 10 days no earlier but in many cases even at 14 days the testicles are so small they slip back through the ring once it is in situ. This year I trialled it at between 14 and 20 days. I found closer to 20 days the most sucessful, not only in terms of feasibility for me but also the lambs at around 20 days were sufficiently developed to allow the testicles to come down comfortably and as a consequence the whole procedure was a lot more comfortable for the lamb. The "art" is in keeping the lambs relaxed it was often possible to pick a lamb out of the field and return it before its dam had even noticed it was missing, this kept stress levels for everyone at a minimum.

Jobs To Do.....shearing

2011-05-25T21:48:00.002+02:00

I hope to get the majority of the sheep shorn in the next few days. Now is definately the time, the ewes are begining to drop their fleece all over the place providing much amusement for the lambs. I may take some video of shearing but I thought this video of a shetland ewe being rooed was pretty fantastic.

This LINK shows the ewe after she has been completed. I rather like the idea of rooing I may have a go.

Kids!

2011-05-21T21:47:00.000+02:00

Wazat?

Love U

I'm bored

I Know

I'll invite some friends over.....

Ambush!

Not Quite!

2011-05-20T21:49:00.000+02:00

So many but if onlys! Nimue is an attractive lamb, I'm not sure who she's next to but if only the focus had been a little sharper and the moment when both the lambs looked into the camera had been caught. Evening sunlight as a backdrop is just stunning but getting that picture ........... tough!

Lamb Fest

2011-05-18T18:46:00.000+02:00

Gary with Kerwen "Stick with me kid, I'll see you right"

Elwen

Fée

Kerwen one month and two days.

Ganieda

Fionne

I'll see if I can get some of the others.

148 = Nixie

2011-05-16T21:44:00.000+02:00

148 days after I broke up the breeding groups César was leaving things til the last minute! Here's Nixie born this evening, still one more to go but I don't think it will be long now. Phew what a marathon.

Legs Eleven Plus One....... Bingo!

2011-05-15T00:23:00.001+02:00

Nimue, my! those legs. I'm not sure who they belong to, lets hope she evens out!

Ganieda, born overnight, still finding her legs...........

Shepherds Delight

2011-05-14T10:06:00.002+02:00

My last check on the sheep last night and I thought Deanna was looking pensive. The old saying "Red sky at night, shepherds delight" had a particular resonance and I couldn't resist taking a pic of the night sky ..........you never know it might prove to be prophetic. Et Voila, this morning my first check revealed a new life, already up and suckling. A little ewe lamb and the last of Faolans. He has really made his stamp on this years lambs, I couldn't be happier. That leaves just two ewes that haven't lambed both were with César and the only two with him, hmm has he missed? I don't think so but his soft mumurings I heard him make to the ewes just before I broke up the breeding groups seem not to have been my imagination but clearly at that point they were still cycling. I hope I didn't break up the groups before he did his job. Patience and watch the skies................

Lambs and Computer Glitches

2011-05-13T19:07:00.000+02:00

Gary is somewhat miffed that his previous post to Blogger has gone missing! Apparently blogger have had some technical issues and some posts have been removed but hopefully will be restored. Who knows!

Getting photos of the lambs is almost too easy. They can be found sprawled out in the grass snoozing ready for lamb races in the cooler evenings.

So I thought I would take a look at those that are potentially modified.

Aine, a known grey, both her parents were grey. Her light muzzle and tinge of phaeomelanin are clear to see even though her black birth coat is still very black at this stage.

Elwen definately a light muzzle although not always evident in every photo.

His genotype from his parentage is not immediately obvious, so it is a case of wait and see with him.

Nuadu love love love this lamb, although I am still undecided about his final colouration. He shows alot of phaeomelanin but this is something which can be seen in some lambs that aren't modified and his muzzle appears light - er but not light. He's not yet been castrated but its likely that he will be and that I will be keeping him for a while to see how his colour develops he's a full brother to Galifrey.

One last look at that brooding face.

Double Time!

2011-05-12T09:34:00.000+02:00

Not only is Gary Head of Security but his duties also include Site Foreman, he is a very busy sheep! Recently during a spot of site works it was necessary to keep a V E R Y close eye on the work being done, no shoddy DIY if you please. He has noticed that his doubling of duties has not been reflected in his pay packet.................... hmmm something amiss there. Shortly after this photo was taken Keira decided, finally, after many days of mooching around looking glum that she would give birth, Gary's midwifery skills were fortunately not needed.

Keira produced a little white ewe lamb. One that I am happy to have her genetics are well understood and she will become part of the same project as Keira and her full sister Fionne. Next is to shear Keira and see what if anything is going on at the base of the fleece. Gary is just worried that his growing family duties and project managing duties may stretch him just a little too far. A sheeps work is never done!

Scary!

2011-05-09T08:00:00.001+02:00

This is Aine at six days old. Her mum is ever present keeping an eye on her but like all lambs they start to gain a little independance and wander further and further away growing in confidence and curiosity.

This is Fée at 18 days old, it will be some time yet before her head grows too large to stop her putting it through the wire.

No! This is Aine mountaineering Ouessant style. Aine has taken quite a fancy to climbing through the fence. Twice yesterday I watched her go through to have to retrieve her from the other side. The "mountain" belongs to my farmer neighbour who keeps a spoil heap next to the fence. I can't even see what she find attractive about it.

Ouessant lambs are small and apart from chicken wiring the whole perimeter fence I'm not sure what I can do stop them.

Bigoudène has her work cut out keeping an eye on this little one!

Colour Conundrums Soay Style

2011-05-08T11:34:00.003+02:00

Photos reproduced with kind permission Saltmarsh Ranch Soay Sheep

The soay is considered to be the only surviving example of a European bronze age sheep. Studies have placed its ancestry as closest to the European Mouflon previous post here . The breeds classic "mouflon" pattern is distinctive but they also come in self coloured versions. This group photo shows the colour and pattern variation which can be achieved in the Soay in a flock that is UK RBST registered even though the flock is in the US.
Tucked away within the breed are the occasional instances of colour variation that don't fit with the documented inheritance for the breed and yet some studies allude to possible genetics that may eventually shed a little light on what might be happening in this breed.

These sheep and photos are part of a three part post on these colour variations to be found HERE
It can take a little time to determine the relationships with the breedings and offspring to start to see some patterns come through so I have picked out one in particular. Part Three
Dean described as a light phase ram is proven to produce light phase offspring, mated to Ellerbeck described as a brown ewe carrying lightphase produced twin lambs

a light phase lamb and.............. charcoal..............shouldn't the lamb be either dark phase or light phase?
A more pictorial explanation can be found HERE it seems that colour variation in the soay is far from straight forward but the genotyping of soay in one study seemed to confirm that there is something happening that is outside the standard acceptance for Black and Brown inheritance at the B locus. This study from 2006 LINK identifies four sheep where their genotype was mismatched according to the phenotype. Examination of previous records and data showed it was possible that there was a colour modifying gene/s at work.

A little digging on my part particularly to try to get to grips with the dark brown phenotype provided some possible additional information which may prove to be useful in determining the origins of the colour modifying gene.

This study LINK completed in 1978 documents a colour variant in the Corsican ( European) mouflon. At the time some thirty years ago it was attributed to the B locus but its description would fit with the appearance of dark brown in some sheep carrying the colour modifying gene.

This years with my Ouessants I used Faolan a homozygous ( colour modified) grey ram with genotype BB/BB I have possibly three lambs who are showing signs of colour modification I will be documenting their progress and following developments in the soay world with interest.

A Little Ray of Sunshine

2011-05-07T08:36:00.002+02:00

Aine out in the field last night. Bigoudène had very little milk and it took a good few days to eventually come in. Aine has been getting the odd bottle to top her up. Yesterday was the first day I put them out, the sunshine and grass will do them both good.

Liza and Fionne catching the last rays of the day.

Taking Stock

2011-05-06T18:20:00.001+02:00

Its still a little early to start shearing but for various reasons I have shorn one or two of the sheep. I like this time of year as it is the first time I really get a good look at last years lambs. No matter what I think of them as lambs it is only once they are shorn that I have an idea of how they have grown. A full fleece can hide a multitude of sins but I have to say I am not disappointed in this guy. Anakin or to give him his official name Hastipa ( Royer).

He is the sire of Solaias lamb Fée and it seems he passes on some very nice attributes as well. Hmm I can't wait to see how he matures:-)

Early Mornings

2011-05-05T08:36:00.001+02:00

The hedge I planted last year is begining to show some signs of life. I have resisted advice to suppress the "weeds" allowing the grasses and plants to grow and provide a natural barrier. The biggest problem in this field is exposure, the sun and the wind take their toll and provide little respite. The hedge will eventually offer a windbreak, trap moisture and offer shade as well as some habitat in an otherwise quite barren hilltop.

I keep a large nettle bank around one paddock whilst it may not be considered attractive in aesthetic terms it has huge wildlife attraction, I find it also has some visual plus points.

This bank was regularly strimmed and tidied each spring, the wiegelia was there when we moved in and as far as possible I have kept all the original plants, the ox-eye daisies are just begining to show their heads, I have planted or transplanted a number of native flowers primroses and cowslips are establishing themselves and I hope eventually foxgloves and some more diverse meadow flowers.

In contrast this lane was strimmed by the commune just yesterday, gone are all the later flowering species the foxgloves that used to grow here fail to thrive. A little later in the year the flail will cut back even further the sides right up to the monocultures in the fields.

The Queen of The Fairies

2011-05-03T19:13:00.000+02:00

Here she is, born last night in a raging thunderstorm. Aine is a grey ( recessive colour modified) once again Faolan has worked his magic this time with Bigoudène( les Lutins du Montana). Like all little lambs shes filling out from that slightly crumpled just born look and I am thrilled.

The "Primitive" Factor

2011-04-30T18:16:00.003+02:00

Quote "The domestication of livestock represented a crucial step in human history. By using endogenous retroviruses as genetic markers, we found that sheep differentiated on the basis of their “retrotype” and morphological traits dispersed across Eurasia and Africa via separate migratory episodes. Relicts of the first migrations include the Mouflon, as well as breeds previously recognized as “primitive” on the basis of their morphology, such as the Orkney, Soay, and the Nordic short-tailed sheep now confined to the periphery of northwest Europe. A later migratory episode, involving sheep with improved production traits, shaped the great majority of present-day breeds. The ability to differentiate genetically primitive sheep from more modern breeds provides valuable insights into the history of sheep domestication."

I recently came across this study LINK Don't be put off by the language you can follow the gist of things quite simply. It really is a beautiful study and it brings together several earlier studies very nicely to provide in almost pictorial form a progression of the migratory development of the domestication of sheep across Europe and through time.

Click on the image to enlarge. This multidimensional scaling plot represents genetic distances between the breeds sampled those in red are considered to have the primitive factor. This is demonstrated by the retroviral markers and their proportions present in the breeds tested. The variance and frequency of the various markers provides a chronology as well as an indication of ancestral relationships as demonstrated by the coloured pies.

Click on the image to enlarge. In order to make sense of the pies you need to reference the breeds, each number represents a different breed or mouflon tested. It is worth taking a little time to study the various breeds and patterns that appear. The study identifies a "nordic" component which ties in with earlier studies indicating that as well as a mediteranean migratory route there was a nordic route of migration of sheep moving across Russia and into the northern baltic states. There is one early primitive breed that stands alone in the south west and that is the Xalda, clearly identified as a primitive, its retroviral markers align it with the mediterranean Mouflon but it doesn't share to any degree the nordic component. It seems geographical location as well as primitive traits are important in determining ancestry. Sadly Professor Palmarini informs me that this study is now closed as I would have dearly loved to have had the native Ouessant sheep tested.

I am sure that for many breeds this study offers an insight into origins, why for example is the UK leicester sheep stuck out on a limb in terms of its relatedness to other UK breeds........................??? It seems the origins of the Jacob sheep as being non native to the UK would appear to have been confirmed with its markers being very definately allied with more asian / african gene markers. A fascinating and illuminating study.

I have looked at a few studies for determining ancestry and origins and I'll post on a few others in time.

Have a Great Day!

2011-04-29T07:54:00.003+02:00

Night Lights

2011-04-28T21:43:00.000+02:00

Like all good fairies Fée (Billès x Royer) comes into her own at night.

Fée and Kerwen, growing and filling out nicely.

The latest arrival just last night ( yawn) Elwen ( which means elf friend) born to Hasnie ( Royer) and Faolan does it again!

Happy Snaps

2011-04-25T10:57:00.000+02:00

New Project

2011-04-24T12:52:00.000+02:00

I admit to being a little bit daunted by this one. Next to my house is a parcel of land that has been on set aside. Its too wet and has poor drainage so the farmer has written it off in terms of crop production but under the european subsidy scheme he can get a return by including it as set a side. This comes with several conditions one of which is that he can't take anything off it but he must maintain it as meadow. It costs him every year to cut and leave the cut hay on the field, you can imagine how it galls him. I have been enviously eyeing this piece of land for some time. A conversation the other day and he said he would check the terms of set a side.................. the good news is he can put grazing animals on it. My little group of rams is going to be seriously hard pushed to keep on top of this but they'll have a go all I have to do is fence it....................oh boy!!

In The Pink

2011-04-23T07:28:00.000+02:00

Fionne, less than 24 hours old, this was a repeat mating and I'm pleased to say another ewe lamb. Fionne and her full sister Keira are part of a little project I am undertaking, more of which another time. For now I'm just enjoying the variety in colour.

Spered Breizh Quiberon

2011-04-22T16:01:00.001+02:00

This ones for Quiberons new owner.

A Little Bit of Magic

2011-04-21T14:30:00.000+02:00

Born last night just after dusk Spered Breizh Fée appeared as if by magic. Delicate and petit I have kept her and her dam Solaia ( Billès) in as I wanted to make sure mum and lamb were doing well. Solaia took to motherhood only after a little persuasion last year with the birth of her first lamb Deanna. Tomorrow they will all go out to meet the now growing family of lambs.

Gary keeping an eye on little Kerwen last night.

Uncle Gary

2011-04-20T21:36:00.002+02:00

Gary is an over standard former charger. Being raised on the bottle as a single lamb he was pretty much doomed for disaster and it was at about a year old that the constant charging and ramming got too much for his adoptive family. Having taken him on afterwards nothing I did stopped the charging. The appointment was with the butcher or the vet, as charging is a behavioural problem I made the decision to try the vets first. I am so very pleased I did, every flock needs a Gary. He lives with the ewes 24/7 and his duties are taken very seriously he loves a head scratch and is safe to be in the field with, I spent a couple of hours sat in there this evening. However he comes into his own with the care of the lambs, he is tempered and tolerant allowing them to do things he would never tolerate from an adult ewe. If I try to handle any of his babies he is right there puffed up and ready to defend them. I have no fear for me as he has learnt to display and yet he doesn't go the final step, I think I would have to seriously distress a lamb for that but woe betide any stray predator that might venture near his field. I prefer not to have my rams in with my ewes not because I fear for the ewes or the lambs but because I want to control breeding and birth dates but a horned wether is just the job. He is soooo paternal we are all very proud of Gary and his babies.

The Lamb with No Name

2011-04-18T19:45:00.001+02:00

This is the lamb Gwen gave birth to earlier in the week. I like everything about him, once again Faolan has come up trumps! I haven't named him - well unofficially he's called Rocky, he is as solid as a rock! I will let his new owner pick his name, as much as I like him it is exceptionally rare for me to keep a white ram and I already have two! Last year Gwen gave me a black ewe so I know she carries for colour. The odds of producing a white lamb when put to a black ram are fifty fifty this time the coin flipped for white.Will let you know when his name has been chosen.

More New Births!

2011-04-17T12:11:00.002+02:00

After some time in the planning and a couple of years in the execution last year I finished the wildlife pond. The specific aim was to encourage dragonflies and to provide a suitable habitat including the right plants for them to emerge from the pond and lay their eggs on. Imagine my delight when today I spotted not one but three newly emerged dragonflies! I am also super impressed with the panasonics macro not a professional shot by any means but its nice to be able to get some clear shots for a change. Just FAB!
Well on trying to identify it, it seems its a damsel fly not a dragonfly. No problem will still keep an eye out for a dragonfly but it looks as if the habitat is suitable for both.

Morning Sleepyhead!

2011-04-17T09:33:00.000+02:00

Thats better, he's looking lamb like now and very nice. I was hoping for a good looking lamb, Faolan (Billes) is his sire, and this fella hasn't disappointed. No lambs overnight but the day is still young.