[Jacob-list] breeding

[SJohn21855 at aol.com]

Hi all,
 In horses if you breed a smaller bred mare to a larger bred stallion most of 
the time the foal will be small (they say that the baby grows according to 
the size of the mares uterus) is this the case in sheep? I would like to 
cross my Icelandic ewe to my Black Cotswold ram to see what kind of fleece we 
would get. Has anyone tried this cross? Am I asking for lambing problems? I 
would welcome any comments.
 My Jacobs are all through with lambing and getting close to weaning time. I 
think they are getting ready to be done with babies hanging on them. I've 
noticed that they aren't letting the lambs nurse as much now as they used to. 
Of course with them all having teeth I would be ready to "just say No" also.
 I have been turning my ewe's and lambs out to eat our yard for about thirty 
minutes each day. As soon as I head towards them telling them it's time to go 
back in they all head back over and into the fence. It has worked so well 
that I thought I'd try it with the rams yesterday. What a joke!!!!!!! I ended 
up catching one by the horns and dragging him in. My Black Cotswold came up 
to eat grain out of the bucket and I got a rope around his neck to catch him. 
The Jacob ram got so excited that he was the only one left out that he went 
back in by himself (maybe he is the smartest?!?). Anyway I won't do that 
again.
 I went to the Shepherds Harvest this past weekend in Lake Elmo, MN. It was a 
very fun time. I learned a lot! I also got the spinning bug while taking a 
beginning spinning class. I have now ordered a spinning wheel! The fun 
begins! I tried hand spindling - I'm not too sure that I like that. It may 
grow on me, but at this time that is questionable. Brandon really enjoyed 
seeing all of the different breeds of sheep. There were people there with 
llamas, alpacas, cashmere goats, angora rabbits, and on and on. If it grows 
anything that can be spun, it was there. We came home with two English Angora 
rabbits which have beautiful fleece. I can't wait to get the spinning wheel 
set up and going.
 Well, this has turned into a book, so I'd better go. Thanks in advance for 
any info any of you can give me.
God Bless,
Shelly
Wooly Acres - Herbster, WI
Jacobs, Icelandics, Black Cotswolds, English Angora rabbits, One wild bottle 
baby bunny (Pekachu), Austrialian Shepherd, Bull Mastiff, English Setter, 
hampster, & chickens