Breeding Groups for Fall 2011

In 2006, four of us here in Canada imported semen from two rams in Scotland.  I AIed 24 ewes in the Fall of 2006, but still have 19 straws left.  I have been searching for a fine ram to use for breeding next Fall and have decided that these guys are about as fine as I'll find anywhere.

So ... here are my main breeding rams for Fall, 2011 ...

Todhill Hornblower appears to be black, but he carried Extension dominance and is really a white ram (Awt/Aa).  Extension Dominance is a gene that hides pattern.  He will be bred to double patterned ewes, so that I will KNOW that any ewe NOT displaying a pattern, is Extension Dominant (ED).

I like a lot of things about this ram.  His group will include some Glayva daughters.  I have 8 straws of his semen left to use.

If you click on the histogram below, it should become big enough to read.

The other ram ram that we collected was Todhill Glayva.  Glayva appears to be moorit, but is actually homozygous katmoget with Extension Dominance.  We know that he carries spots as he threw some flashy lambs when I used him.  His group will be quality ewes that have NO pattern.  Any lamb that is NOT Katmoget, will be Extension Dominance.

Again, click on the histogram to make it big enough to read.

I will likely end up with about 50% of the lambs being ED (extension dominant) ... but these will be very useful in my Shetland / Cormo / Coloured Merino experiments.

Weird ... but I am really looking forward to lambing in 2012 ... and 2011 lambing has not even started yet.  Don't get me wrong, I am REALLY excited about lambing this year.  I have worked hard to get my flock as soft as they are ... but it is also nice to have the vision continue on a year ahead ... :-)

Life is good!