Thursday, October 7, 2010

Newest addition(s) to the funny farm....

Okay, so the main reason for going to the exotic animal auction in Perham, MN, is to visit my bestie Garrett Ramsay and catch up. Even though I've been ill as of late, I figured most of what I'll be doing is sitting anyway, so what harm could be done? All I do at home is sit also. lol. So we're looking through the barns...the Adam's are oohing and ahhing at all the nifty critters. Garrett and I are doing our usual "Oh you need that!" "Oh, I think that needs to go home with you..." and we walk over to the goat pen, and low and behold, there's a goat out! With very little effort, my Adam nabs the little bugger and opens up a pen and tosses him in. No biggy. I notice he was kinda cute, but a HE, so not really a second thought about that. So we finish in the barn, and head out back to see what kind of cattle are out there. Check out the horses, make sure Ricky isn't tearing the place down (We brought one of our mini studs), and head over to the highlander cattle. We're hmming and hawing over them (Garretts always wanted some, and I think they're darned cute), and I turn around and...What?! There's that darn goat again, standing behind Adam and I! Okay, this is fate. I figure he's gotta be someones pet. This goat likes us! He found us through TWO doors and around a few corners....and I'm still heart broke over loosing our bottle baby, and I can tell Adam is already attached to him. This little guy is some kind of crossbreed I figure, but he's really soft, maybe I can use his fiber? Okay, put him back and go find our seats...

Fast forward a little bit, I come to find out he is a bottle baby from a friend of mine! And she had him at the chicken swap I missed! Crazy small world, huh? He's a "Nygora", Nigerian X Angora cross. Shirley had had his mother for 7 years and she'd never bred. Last year she was around 14 or 15 years old, jumped the fence and finally decided to settle with the Nigerian buck. Then this spring, she dropped poor Buddy goat in a snowbank as Shirley was on her way to a funeral, so she dried him off, tubed him some cholostrum, set him on a heating pad and left for the day. Came home to find him doing just fine. And now he's a fine addition to the Frigon Funny Farm...lol. He is the biggest baby, has an awful scream when you leave him alone. He loves to follow us around the yard, and the little turd has figured out how to get out of his pen multiple times. He fits in great!


Nummy soft fleece :)




And for those who now my mothers boyfriend Garys odd sense of things, he also purchased two highlander heifers and a pot bellied pig. I guess at the auction the pig was biting everyone, attacking peoples boots and everything. I think she may have been smacked around a lot, but she's coming along great. She'll take food out of my hand nicely, and tolerate some scratching. She's not tiny, but she'll do a good job rooting up the pens that need cleaning :)

AND, like my mom doesn't have enough dogs, also brought home this Chinese crested hairless male! Rufus dufus just got neutered today, so it's not SUCH a big deal, and he's kinda cool...lol
And we have a rouge goat...She escaped when they brought her and a couple other does home, and has been living with the cattle ever since. They push her around, but she's safe as long as she stays by them, as the coyotes have been TERRIBLE lately. Adam tried catching her the other day, but shes' REALLY fast. Plus ya gotta watch out for the bull in the pasture right now, but he's a pretty calm bull, didn't bother Adam at all. Please "biggify" to see her....lol


Next: evaluations! Only two ewe lambs for sale, so far 2 rams have made the cut. All the lambs this year were at least 31% UK, so it really improved my fleeces. I also have quite a few adult ewes and rams for sale, so if you're looking and someone catches your eye, don't be afraid to ask! :)

Sunday, September 19, 2010

For Sale (its that time of year!)

I'll be keeping a few ewe lambs, but no ram lambs this year, so most of the lamb photos I have posted are of lambs for sale. I will also be selling a few adult ewes, and about a half a dozen mature rams. For those interested in polled, I have 2 moget (ag Katmoget) faced ram lambs who have teeny tiny little scurs, and their Uncle, North Star Woody (think Toy Story..) who has a few inch long scurs, available. I have a few nicely horned adult rams available, mostly intermediate, some more towards double coated, but still with a nice handle. Lots of spots in the adult rams.

I have been ill all week, and so haven't separated and evaluated the lambs, but I know there will be some breeding quality ram lambs, and some VERY nice fleece animals. All lambs minus the polled boys are out of White Pine Philemon AI, an F1 Orion ram, hence all lambs no matter their mothers side are over 30% UK.

Just wanted to put it out there. I am sure most people already have their rams purchased for this year, but I'm hoping I don't have to whether all of these gorgeous boys! Some of the adult rams for sale will likely be searchable in my blog. Sheltering Pines Arturo is available after breeding. Minwawe Bayeau, Mangrove & Combonation are all available now, as is North Star Woody. I have an unregisterable black smirslet gulmoget ram who is also looking for a breeding home.

Please contact me with any questions. northstarshetlands at gmail dot com

*EDIT*
I just found my last springs micron tests on 2 of these rams for sale, and one of their brothers.

Name - Micron SD CV

Bayou - 22.7 7.8 34.1
(He and his brother are for sale, I suspect the micron has risen though, judging by the CV & his fleece. Still potential though.)

Forsetti - 20.3 5.6 27.8
(black smirslet gulmoget unregisterable ram)

Padlock - 17.6 3.8 21.5
(this is Combonations twin brother that we're keeping for now)

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Dear polled breeders... :)



Yup, we're lookin' at you! Tuff & Pumice (going along with the rocks & minerals theme!) will be looking for a nice home with some nice polled/poll carrier girls :) These are older photos, hoping to update photos sometime this week. They are Glenmore March Madness X North Star Lightning McQueen (Winter Sky Blues AI X Sheltering Pines Grand Cornet) Both boys were spotted when they were young, very pretty boys. They are both moorit based Moget Faced (Ag Katmoget)




Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Great book series!

If you haven't read this series yet, pick it up :) Rachel Vincent is an excellent author, and I'm really excited for this next book!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjRJKmo61CA

Here's the trailer. Enjoy! :)

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

More photos from Mid-July

More photos from Mid July of lambs. Above are Olgas twins


One of Marchs twin 1/2 poll boys. Both have very small scurs that keep breaking off.

One of the moget face boys rear ends. These boys are both for sale to someone who wants to expand their polled genetics. These boys are (if I did this right) F3 Jamie, Jericho; F4 Drum Ram, Dillon; F5 Drum Jings; F6 Holly, Timothy. Lots of nice genetics back there.

Babydoll X Shetland
Babydoll X shetland
Another photo of Basalt
The two moget face (Ag Katmoget) boys.

March boy & both Babydoll X
They're just so darn cute!
The difference in Tigereye's fleece compared to another moorit


One of Charms boys
Charms twins are so different...this is what happens when they're 1/4 Coopworth, 1/4 Border Leiscter, 1/8 Shetland, 1/8 Karakul, 1/8 Lincoln, 1/8 Corridale.... *whew* lol
But so cute!
and adorable...

and want cookies :D

Another shot of one of the moget face boys






This little guy is a looker...
This little tiny tyke is out of Minwawe Mopsy II.
Boys hoping for new homes! The Ag boy in the middle looks to be a poll carrier maybe?
Moget faced boy
Boy on the right looks to be destined for slaughter or a fiber home...Boy on the left is a hopeful to a breeding home :)


North Star Mary Poppins & Minwawe Lyra