2013 Soay Sheep Lambing at Woodland Creek Farm

Wow - what a successful lambing year!
Our breeding goals were to 1) produce more self-colored light-phase (SCLP, or "chocolate") lambs to add to the (only) 4 that existed in North America in 2012, and 2) to extend the white on our "black and white" (B&W) line, and 3) attempt to get extensive white spotting in RBST Soay. Let's take them in order.
Self-colored Light Phase:
Blue Mountain Express, the only mature SCLP Soay ram in NA, was the sire for all ewes in this group. 

Blue Mountain Express '08

 We had two SCLP ewes (Cocoa and her '12 daughter, Ozette). Both were certain to have SCLP lambs with Express, and did, and better yet, Cocoa had twins.

Blue Mountain Cocoa '08 and '13 twin SCLP lambs Carob-r and Candi-e.

 Ozette, gave us a nice little SCLP ewe lamb, Erin.

Ozette '12 and SCLP Erin-e '13.

I really like the color of the SCLP lambs. Now that I have seen a few, there is no doubt when they are born. 

Woodland Creek Zooey-e '13.

 Now for the "second-string". There are two genetic makeups that each have a 50% chance of producing SCLP lambs with an SCLP sire. We have both: one is a light phase wild pattern ewe with hidden self (A+/Aa, Bb/Bb); the other is self-colored dark phase, recessive for light phase (Aa/Aa, BB/Bb). Since both have 3 of 4 genes for SCLP, I call them "3/4 SCLPs". 
We have 3 of the first group - light wild phenotype. EVERY ONE OF THEM gave us an SCLP lamb! 

 

WC Zillah gave us SCLP Zooey-e '13.

WC Indigo and SCLP Iris-e, note white poll wisp!

WC Nazca and SCLP ewe lamb

The other 2 potential ewes for SCLP - the blacks with hidden light phase, both produced dark phase lambs (that is, black) so while genetically interesting they look exactly like any other solid black Soay.. except that one does have a white wisp at his poll. 

WC Mickey and WC Minnie (twins) and '13 ewe lambs. All are genetically the same: Aa/Aa, BB/Bb, so "3/4" SCLPs

So the total tally? Six more SCLP lambs added to our flock - 4 ewes and 2 rams. Two of the ewes have a few white hairs at their poll, and one ewe has a wisp, so white spotting is also definitely present in this group. Here is a group photo of all 5 dams and their 6 lambs.

Two SCLP Ewes with 3 SCLP lambs, and 3 light-wild hidden self ewes with 3 SCLP lambs.

   Enough for now - I'll cover our other breeding group results in a separate post.