Sheep
Our Sheep
We have a blend of sheep friends here on the farm. They provide hours of delight, as well as wool for textiles and crafts, milk for cheese, yogurt, and other goodies, and poo for crafts like paper and other fun art projects.
Our current breeds are:
Black Welsh Mountain Sheep (Defaid Mynydd Duon): Nan, Florence, Arwen, Seren, Angharad, Maeve, Beatrix.
Our Black Welshies are a nod to the heritage of the house and the farm (originally built by John Tudor, a Welshman). They are small to medium breed, that originates in Wales and is just gaining traction here in the U.S. These sheep are bred for finer body conformation and softer fleece. They are sweet and docile and very hardy in this Vermont environment.
Border Leicester: William
Border Leicester's are large sheep with prominent ears. They are bred as a dual purpose sheep, providing wool and meat. Our Border Leicester, William, is all about providing love and wool. He is the darling of the farm...check out his video and you will see why.
Dorset Tunis Cross: Amalthea
Amalthea is a cross between a Dorset and a Tunis. This cross is noted for its amazing mothering skills and beautiful wool. They also provide rich milk. Amalthea is William's bestie and it is not unusual to see them hanging out together in the pasture.
Icelandics: Carlos and Fernando
Icelandic Sheep are a direct descendant of the sheep brought to Iceland by the early Viking settlers, in the ninth and tenth century. They are medium build, with dual coat wool, long exterior with an undercoat. Carlos and Fernando are very docile and quite shy, so apparently we should remind them of their viking heritage.
All the breeds and each individual sheep have their own unique personalities and habits, which keeps us very busy and happy.