Pitchfork Ranch had champion ram.
Choosing champion ram from the top of the classes.
Margaret VanCamp with Pitchfork Ranch’s champion ewe
Top ewes judged for champion placement.
Tag: BFL rams
LAMBS LAMBS LAMBS!
Farms all over the US are reporting lambs on the ground. Lambing will continue through the spring months.
The Chapins of Smiling Sheep in New Hampshire welcome this brand new lamb from a Pitchfork ewe and a TerraMia ram. Look for this youngster in the showring, handled by Ellora this year!
Kathy Koning-Mcclure of Frivolous Ewe in Illinois has a proud new BFL mother.
A lovely set of triplets from Karen Szewc of Liongate Farm in Oregon,produced by her Winston and Paisley. The mild weather in that part of the country made for a pleasant lambing season.
Paul Genge, in Washington state, has lambs arriving from his successful AI effort. This super-blue little ram is the offspring of Beechtree’s Moonstone, AI’ed to Mossvale Masterplan.
Rhiannon Curley shares a set of twins with us, a ram and a ewe from Jehovah’s Cornerstone x Koenig Doheney. Doheney is seven this year. Rhiannon is from Oregon.
Another set of twins from Terra Mia Kat Bierkens in Oregon.
News from Pennsylvania
BLU member Kyle McCleary of Rock Jim Farm reports a win at the Mason Dixon Fair in Delta PA
Had a great weekend at the Mason Dixon Fair with my Bluefaced Leicester’s. We went home with a champion ram lamb as well as champion and reserve champion ewe lambs. (ram is still for sale;) ) I’m really proud of my lambs this year.
Fun fact: the newborn picture of the natural colored ram lamb posted on the BLU page a few months ago(March 3 entry) is the same natural colored ram in this picture.
Champion BFL ram
Champion and reserve champion ewes
My Day with the YCP
Maggie, donor Brenda Lelli of Beechtree Farm, and Greystone
By Maggie Hoffman
Hi, my name is Maggie Hoffman and this year I won a Bluefaced Leicester yearling ram through the Youth Conservation Program. The Youth Conservation Program’s mission is to encourage the youth to raise and show heritage breeds of sheep such as the Bluefaced Leicester. A heritage sheep is a breed of sheep that has low numbers in the United States and may even face extinction. Every year to encourage youth breeders to raise these heritage breeds of sheep the Youth Conservation Program gives away several sheep to inspiring shepherds. These sheep are donated by farms all across America that raise heritage breeds of sheep.
To win one of these sheep I had to enter and essay contest. I had to write a little bit about me and my experience with animals than I had to answer the question: ‘Why would I like to raise a heritage breed of sheep?’ You then can request what kind of sheep you would like to recieve and I choose Bluefaced Lecesters because that is the breed that I raise.
I was so excited when the Youth Conservation Program called me and told me I was in the top 15 contestants to recieve a sheep. I would be traveling to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festible to pick up my new sheep. Usually the Youth Conservation Program gives away yearling ewes, but because I only had ewes they talked to the breeder that was donating the ewe decided that it would best to donate a Bluefaced yearling ram this year. The ram, Beechtree’s Greystone, was donated by Brenda and Mark Lelli from Beechtree farm in Michigan.
The Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival was a lot of fun. I got to meet Greystone and Brenda and Mark from Beechtree Farms. After the presentation and I recieved my ram I got to participate in The Parade of Breeds. Greystone is such a beautiful ram and he behaved really well throughout the whole ordeal.
Now that I’ve recieved my ram I have to fill several obligations throughout the next year. Once I got home from the festival I sent Mark and Brenda Lelli a thankyou note and I will keep them updated on what Greystone is up to. For Christmas I will use Greystone’s wool to make a Christmas present for Greystone’s breeders. I will also be keeping two scrapbooks on all the fun things that Greystone and I are doing. One of the scrapbooks goes to the donater while I get to keep the other after it is shown at theMaryland Sheep and Wool Festival next year. This fall I will also be breeding him to three regitared Bluefaced ewes and hopefully be showing their lambs this coming year at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festible.
I had a lot of fun writing my essay and receiving my new ram. I encourage any young shepherd to give it a try.
Champions at Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival
An exciting weekend for BFL exhibitors at the MS&W festival! Shown are: Brenda Lelli with her champion white longwool BFL ewe; Hannah Vezzetti with reserve champion ewe; and Margaret Van Camp with champion white longwool BFL ram.
2012 National Show Sheep entry forms and rules
The sheep show rules and entry forms are now available. Please read over carefully, and if you have any questions, email or call the contact number. Sheep+Show+Entries+&+Rules[1]
Of interest from the British BFL association
We are holding a meeting for those interested in hearing about the Bluefaced Leicester Association Performance Recording Scheme and our new “Performance Mule” initiative for the promotion of Mules sired by high index Bluefaced Leicester sires.
The “Performance Mule” initiative will help us supply the ever growing market for commercial ewes sired by high index rams that we are losing out on at the present time to our competitors.
This meeting is taking place at The Auctioneer, Borderway Mart, Carlisle on Tuesday 14th February, 2012 at 7.00p.m.
The main focus of the meeting will be a power point presentation given by Sam Boon of Signet this will be to show and discuss the benefits of Performance Recording in Bluefaced Leicester’s. We anticipate an increased demand for performance recorded Bluefaced Leicester’s with the launch of a recorded mule certification scheme.
We would encourage as many members as possible to attend this meeting.
If you would like to discuss this further please contact Matt Drummond on his mobile 07771934071 or contact myself on 07887 891678.
Myrfyn Roberts
Breed Development Chairman
***A group of US breeders have imported semen from performance recorded rams from both Mr Roberts and Mr Drummond. The Bluefaced Leicester Union of North America encourages our members to use this data collected on UK rams as part of the criteria in selecting top sires for collection and import.
BLU board member makes national sheep news
BLU board member Jared Lloyd was recently interviewed for a Sheep Industry News article. The article focuses on his flock expansion using Shetland and BFL genetics in a large western commercial flock. http://sheepindustrynews.org/?page=site%2Ftext&nav_id=3b79b0fae814183646395f41f85dc25e&archive_id
Another well deserved show win
From Robina Koenig, Bend Oregon
Deschutes County Fair(Oregon), held Aug 2-7, 2011. There were 12 champion rams in the class from long, medium and fine fleeced with both natural colored and whites represented. Theo won the Supreme Ram under judge Pat Arias from Manteca, California.
Robina’s yearling BFL ewe also won reserve champion ewe overall.
Smile, Robina, you’ve done well!
Black Sheep Gathering news
Shown is Wes Limesand, judging for overall champion. In the foreground is Robina Koenig with the champion BFL ram, and her daughter, Callie, with the champion ewe.