Dreaming of lambs

I've been writing, and then re-writing my breeding groups for this fall. There will be 5 groups. Four at my farm in Perham, MN (visitors welcome by appointments!), and one in Wisconsin where the sheep were at Summer Camp.

I said in a previous blog that overall, i'm really pleased with where my micron numbers are in my flock. Micron testing is inexpensive, and a huge asset when trying to decide between two ewes, who are conformationally sound, proven mothers and are of patterns/markings/colors that you desire. MOST of my ewes compliment the rams I am pairing them with this year, either by hoping to correct AFD, CV, CEM etc or in the sense that they should produce more of the same, but in a color/sex that I am currently after. As always, conformation, breed standard type, and good Shetland traits (mothering ability, hardiness, etc) are sought first before fleece fineness (but I do want correct Shetland typical fleece (dense, soft handle, fine, crimp, elasticity)

I hope to get individual photos of the rams and ewes, once everyone is home in their breeding groups.

My first group I'll talk about tonight is WhitePine Carver's group.

He is a mioget, smirslet, sokket. He has wide sweeping horns, and was born in 2012, so he is 2.5 years old. This is his first breeding. His microns are amazing and are located elsewhere on this blog.

his sire is WhitePine Barnabas AI, out of ShelterPines Cabotine (Fudge x Ceylon).

His girls this fall:
WhitePine New Glarus - white - she is a Roman AI x Nirvana daughter with scurs. I haven't bred her yet so curious to see what she produces.
WhitePine Riahanna - white - she is Willowcroft Jamie x FirthofFifth Rahu. She's most likely polled and everything about her I love. She carries moorit.
UnderTheSon Souchong - white horned ewe - she is UTS Broderick x UTS Hopi. She produced a nice ram bred to Jazz, so looking for ewes and white is fine with me!
WhitePine Lunna - white - She is by Robb x WinterSky Layla AI. modified lambs would be fun, or i'm excited about whites!
WhitePine Foley - moorit smirslet sokket - OK Acres Cadillac x WhitePine Faith (a Jazz daughter). Obviously i'll get spots! hoping for his fleece style, although she is quite fine.
WhitePine Bivina - musket - WhitePine Caiphas AI x OwlHill Butter. lots of neat older UK genetics here (Holly, Greyling, Orion) on a nice ewe.She also carries spots.
WhitePine Isbister - moorit light badgerface - Whistlestop 1123 x WhitePine UTS Cinnibarina. she exudes breed type, but would like a more preferred fleece type on her.
WhitePine Skellister - black light badger face - Whistlestop 1123 x WhitePine Salome (horned, Jazz daughter). 
WhitePine Eiffel 65 - gray katmoget smirslet sokket - a Jazz daughter out of Sommarang Emerald. I love so much about her. I'm excited for spots.
WhitePine Neriah - gray katmoget - Wintertime Blues Ai x Nirvana. Love this ewe.
WhitePine Nina Sky AI - gray katmoget smirslet sokket - Jericho x Nirvana. Can't fault her much either.
WhitePine Lydia - gray katmoget - She is Jazz x Wintersky Layla AI. She's still one of my favorites although her AFD is higher (28)
WhitePine Snow Patrol - gray katmoget horned - Jazz x Sheltering Pines SnowCloud. Another great ewe.
WhitePine Aithsetter - gray katmoget smirslet - WhitePine Flo Rida AI x FirthofFifth Ashanti. she's an up and coming ewe worth watching.
ShelteringPines Nirvana . gray katmoget horned ewe. I can't stop using her. I've offered for sale numberous times but no one sees her virutes, so I continue to use her. She's older stuff: UnderHill TS Eliot x ShelteringPines Modron. A lot of the sheep now have lost this 'look' and so I hope to continue with her look, which is what I think of, when I see Shetland in my head.
WhitePine Norby - black gulmoget/katmoget. She is out of ShelteringPines TelSay Camden x WhitePine Nivea. So she carries spots and i'm hoping for a gulmoget lol.

So that's 16 ewes. I would possibly offer a few of these for sale, bred, but I am not sure which, without a lot of persuading! I have a lot of ewes lambing, so some could be considered.