News from A Wrinkle in Thyme Farm

 News from A Wrinkle in Thyme Farm

Common Ground Fair: September 21,22,23, 2012:

We are nearly ready to load the new trailer to take our Thyme Tile Needle felting kits from A to Z including some brand new ones including 5x5 inch Lighthouse, Cardinal and Bubba, our Draft Horse.  Also some samples items like balsam bag and lavender sachet and baby blocks to give you ideas of things to do with them.   And NEW larger  (kits 8x8 inches) for Maine Moose, Horse and Barn, and Green Pastures.Check out some of our new needle felting designs.

 We have some new fall colors in yarn, including some yummy variegated    angora yarn for that special project.

 We will take our natural dyed yarn using plants including jewel weed, indigo, madder root, b lack eyed susans, and queen anne's lace to name a few. Check out the kits for a Colorful Baby Sweater designed by CSA member Leslie, the ever popular Hands Free Shrug. and Cheryl’s Comfy Felted Slipper kits.

Mary Ann admiring Lester, our Border Leicester Ram

Breeding Thyme

 “When a ewe ovulates she stands still for a breeding ram and stays with him. He follows her step for step, going wherever she goes. It's a square dance, she leads and he follows; and when the fiddle playing gets celestial he   circles round for a do-se-do. A ram knows when he's good—he's calm, he's proud and he makes you feel that he's wonderful and that he'll breed well and carry his genetic heritage forward. “  adapted from  Montana Farm Flock Sheep Production Handbook

Our ewes are looking good, they are healthy and rotating through summer pastures. They will be good mothers.  We will flush the ewes by giving them extra grain 2 weeks before until 4 weeks after the rams go in. We also give a supplement called crystalyx and the best pasture available.  This will result in healthy lambs of good size.  Last year our lambs averaged 10-12 pounds, with our largest one weighing in at 17 pounds. 

Breeding will began October 8th, and the rams will be in for 40 days until November 17th. This will give us a March lambing time, being done by the middle of April. We plan to have Lester, the Border Leicester with the older girls and Bilbo Baggins, our new Finn cross ram lamb in with the younger girls, which includes several Finn crosses. 

When choosing a ram we look for quality fleeces, a gentle friendly temperament, and body size. We have in the past used Romney, Corriedale, and Finn rams. Lester is a Border Leicester long wool with very curly fleece.

We are currently looking for an exceptional  Romney or Corriedale Ram to take Lesters place. 

We have had very good luck with Romneys wonderful soft fleeces. We also love the softness of the Finnsheep,  Ruthie and Timmy (Corriedales) and a favorite yarn of many, and Border Leicester (high luster & curly locks).  We will be taking some of our best fleeces to Common Ground to sell in the Fiber Tent.

Mary Ann and I in the field with the Ewes that we will be bred soon.

Our "People sized" tractor, the pole barn, and the big barn (with the green roof).

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Focus on Fiber: Sheep, Goat, & Camelid Seminar

October 13: Farm tours at A Wrinkle in Thyme Farm

October 27, 2012   8:30 am to 4pm

Kennebec Valley Community College, Fairfield, Maine

FMI and to register go to umaine.edu/livestock/fiber or call 207-781-6099

The purpose of the seminar is increase the skills and knowledge for            improved production, handling, & marketing of high quality fiber & fiber products.  Topics will include:

· Fiber basics – sheep, goat, and camelid

· Management and Genetics to improve fleece quality and quantity

· Preparing fleeces for sale, shows, and processing

· Primary fleece markets, marketing and value added processes