Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Lilly - Rich






Whispering Pines Lilly (S18755) is one of the few linkages to our 2001 starter flock, along with Myrtle, Buttercup, and Queen Anne's Lace. This year we bred Lilly to Sheltering Pines Cihat (S17465)






We have shown Lilly at our 4H fair a few times because she is very quiet and gentle.








When she was born, she had a 3" diameter brown spot on her neck that still shows
when she is sheared. I never could understand that whole thing. Her
mother wasn't spotted, nor was her father, and one wouldn't expect a
spotted sheep to be all white except for one small brown spot like that,
but it has stayed with her and goes right down to the skin. She's had
two lambs now, both solid white, and both out of spotted rams. Of
course, that's not all that surprising because she is white which would
explain the two white lambs. I think the real test will be when she
finally has a colored lamb. I expect that to be this year. If that lamb
is solid, I'll have no choice but to conclude that she isn't spotted. My
feeling is that she isn't, but that spot is a bit of an enigma. After
all, spots are white.

Lily is also an exceptional mother, which is something we didn't realize until we installed a camera in the barn last spring and discovered how she cuddled with her lamb. None of the other
ewes did that. She's only three years old, which is another nice thing.

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