2010 Goals

Its that time of year to see if I managed to meet my goals for 2009. For a recap here is what I had posted for my 2009 goals:

1. Find a softer moorit ram (hopefully from my AI lambs!)
2. Have a gulmoget ram born that is ultra fine (or find one!)
3. Push for importing of new Shetland ram semen to use in 2010 in my next AI
4. Continue to keep only my softest ewes that also have correct conformation and colors.
5. Move many of my "B" class ewes to the crossbreeding program and use the Bluefaced Leicester ram on them to get Mules in spring 2010.

1. I have a mioget ram lamb that IS softer. I still hope to find a moorit ram out of my AI lambs next year

2. I was gifted Angus, the Shaela gulmoget from Cynthia. While he isn't ultra fine (and I didn't raise a single gullie this year) I'm still hoping to get a soft gulmoget LAMB next year from Angus and my softest ewes.

4. There is word of importing some rams from the UK, although it wasn't in time for my AI this fall. I have a lead on a nice ram that is moorit so fingers crossed that we might move forward with that one!.

5. My 'B' ewes were in fact put with the BFL this year (or sold) and I have only put my very best Shetland ewes to Shetland rams.


So what are my goals for 2010?

hmmmmm.

1. My flock is seemingly quite katmoget heavy (gray katmogets that is) and I'm praying for solid (AaAa) ewes and rams from my lamb crop in 2010, hopefully some nice moorits and blacks.

2. Retain all promising lambs and sell their mothers if feasible (or put them to the BFL next year for mules)

3. get a moorit gulmoget lamb born on my farm!

4. continue working on importing a fine ram from the UK.

5. fence in and use the additional 20 acres of pasture for rotational grazing. If that was the case, I will keep all of my mule ewes and breed them to Champ the Texel next fall for a large flock of cross bred market lambs.

6. Find a collection site for a few prime rams for future use (like in a decade or so)

No huge changes really in my goals, and they all seem quite attainable. If you know of a place that collects rams in the midwest, do let me know!