Heel low:
Very good! You will enlarge your herd gene pool.
Not with
אלדד
He is related to my flock thru several ancestors--he is a backcross on similar relations. Not hugely related but related none the less.
I have him as a weaning companion for Èder AND as a linebreeding for Èden and Èvagelina when I decide to breed these two ewe lambs (maybe when 18 months of age or older-see how they turn out as ewes). Boss Man is still the main breed ram...he is very unrelated to all my females past his progeny.
This is a controlled back cross on to desirable genetics that I would like to see more of in the Dorpers here. Boss Man is a huge outcross and as a breeder, I will do a huge outcross for hybrid vigour but to rely on that with such a limited gene pool here is stupid planning. I will not rely solely on hybrid vigour for flock improvements as we continue to select for to Standard traits, by that fact alone, we cause inbreeding depression (genetics don't care if the trait we want is from an unrelated OR related sheep...the same trait to same trait hinders hybrid vigour's boost!).
So the best strategy is to choose animals that conform to the Standard (like to like) but outcross for the hybrid vigour and then choose well and careful to line breed back in again (a form of inbreeding).
Unfortunately us humans have chosen to produce registered purebreds that must conform to a Breed Standard to join that closed gene pool ... so we are limiting ourselves to a captive genetic base (that applies to most sheep breeds but Dorpers ARE an exception of five breeds here in Canada ...why I can breed Duro and grade her up to a full blood status of like 15/16's purebred) AND limiting ourselves to a set group of traits (as outlined by a breed standard). Double whammy.
And I can see from your pic background that it is autumn!
The migratory birds ( gees? Crain? ) Are flying south!
Not a photo from 2017...that was taken in 2013...not autumn here right now.
DD is correct, Canada Geese making the V pattern back in 2013, it was Autumn when we were moving these bales of feed.
It is not that autumn here just yet, but soon, leaves will be falling, blowing around making a big mess and then the White season will be upon us. Winter.
The fella we were suppose to get the bales from has decided once again to go holidaying instead of selling hay. We are now on the look out for someone more diligent and wanting to sell their hay. LOL Oh well. Not very serious about their professions I guess.
BTW, lamb, rack of lamb in the stores is selling for $69.99 per kilogram...
For you Yanks...that is
$154.30 per pound for a
rack of lamb! Sure glad Eldad is not being sold to me by the pound at that price...cripers, eh! I could not afford to own a sheep at $154.30 per pound...
What did I say Eden weighed the last time I reported here...?? <I go an find it...>
Last Monday...
Èden weighed 62 pounds - $9,504.60
Èvangelina weighs 51 pounds - $7,818.30
Èder weighs 51 pounds - $$7,818.30
The three lambs at that rack of lamb price per pound...mean I have as of last Monday, this much lamb value (ignoring the fact they are not just racks of lamb and there is like a 65 to 50% waste to saleable carcass meat) =
$25,141.20.
That is ludicrous!
My summer of lambs should be worth twenty five grand...
Those are Canadian Geese Benny. They are protected in USA as a migratory species, BUT, they decided they like USA and won't leave. They leave lots of poo poo behind them. Geese are such fiercely protective parents, they generally don't lose any goslings., and have large clutches. They are unwelcome in most of our country, I've read that they dump 4 lbs. of goose poo every day, per bird
DD, the Canadian Geese near the cities and golf courses don't fly South...so you have resident US geese where you are at, as do the Canadian cities have Canadian geese that never leave Canada. Thankfully for those of us out in the country side...the geese can't find as many of those manicured
green lawns to stay for. Bwa ha ha....
Doggone & Chicken UP!
Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada
I work for BIRD SEED!
