Jersey West

Wool Sales

2012-01-29T16:00:00.000-05:00

You may have noticed my Etsy widget, which shows off the four featured items and the last four listed items in my shop, has a bunch of sheep on it. This is because I've begun offering "CSA Wool Packages" of some of my pregnant ewes.

The packages allow you to choose a sheep you like, in fleece (the photos are current - taken yesterday, as a matter of fact.) Purchasing the package gets you 2 pounds of that ewe's wool from her spring shearing; a professionally printed 8x10 of her and her lambs this spring; locks of the lambs' wool; first option on purchasing some of the lambs wool from their first shearing this fall; information on the sheep, the breed's history, and more; and discounts on all wool purchases for the rest of the year. You can even name the ewe's lambs.

I also have a few listings for the raw wool I currently have available. Listings will update as more sheep get sheared and more colors become available.

Later this year I plan to offer roving and yarn as well. I will most likely have a booth at Garden State Sheep Breeders Festival again this September, but you can also keep up to date on what I have for sale and purchase it any time through my Etsy shop - RebeccaReuseRecycle.

Supply to Restaurants and Meat Customers in 2012

2011-12-16T15:22:00.000-05:00

Interested restaurants may contact Jersey West at their earliest convenience to discuss seasonal and consistent supply of Navajo Churro lamb for their guests in 2012.

Individual customers are also encouraged to put their name on the waiting list to guarantee there will be a lamb available for them.

Jersey West also raises grass fed beef which is not given hormones or antibiotics. The 2011 calf crop is non-certified organic.

Jersey West strives to use medication only when necessary and to use organic alternatives whenever possible.

2012 Lamb Crop "under construction"; Waiting List taking names

2011-10-27T13:41:00.001-04:00

Usually I begin lambing in December or January, but the local weather has been ranging through every extreme for the past three years - rainforest, drought, flood, blizzard, bitter cold and all-time-record heat.* So this year the breeding schedule is getting back to nature. Lambs will start arriving in mid-March just as things begin to green up around here.

If you like, you can be put on the lamb waiting list. This allows you to look over the lamb crop and chose some for yourself before they're offered publicly. Right now there are about 8 people on the list for 2012.

*October 30th - did I mention record pre-December snowfall?

Sheep for Sale

2011-09-22T13:07:00.000-04:00

Jersey West is settling in for the fall, finishing up the fall shearing, setting up breeding groups and looking at repairs and renovations now that things have dried out some and the weather is changing. I have a few rams still available for rent or sale. The ewe flock has been brought down to just under 100 girls that I'll be keeping through the winter. The last addition to this group is JM Kaleidoscope, A5677-09, dob March 2008. I don't like dealing with full tails on my ewes, but this girl was too pretty to pass up. Some of her flock mates were also very tempting - if you're looking for ewes, check out the J&M sale page. I'm really looking forward to Kaleidoscope's lambs next spring.

GSSB Festival this weekend

2011-09-06T14:04:00.000-04:00

Article

Garden State Sheep Breeders

Warning: Beware Shipping Refrigerated Meds

2011-08-31T16:18:00.000-04:00

Like many of us do, I ordered some medications for my flock, some of which needed to be kept chilled. When they arrived a few days later, they were room temperature. The ice packs were melted and only one was cool to the touch, and their condensation was leaking out of the cooler I'd paid extra for. When I told the company I was worried about drugs having been effected, I was told they were only in transit two days so they were fine. Several days later I received the rest of my order, and one of the refrigerated drugs had been packed with that part of the shipment instead of in the cooler with the ice. When I again asked the company about this, they told me the drug was fine on the shelf until it was opened. Since the label only says "store between 36 and 46 degrees F", I got in touch with my vet.

Thank goodness I did!

All these medications are suspect. Though the company tells me they ship the same way the drugs are shipped to them, drug companies are actually much more meticulous in shipping so that medications arrive chilled. My drugs all arrived between 70 and 85 degrees, though they are labeled for storage no higher than 45 or 46 degrees, depending on the drug. And though I was told the one drug was fine on the shelf until opened, further research led me to data that the maximum it is usable out of refrigeration is 7 days. How long has it been sitting on their shelf?

My problems were with an order from Jeffers. Since the order I've learned I'm definitely not the first to have trouble with them regarding medication. I'd like to have known sooner so I could have avoided all this. They are having me return the medication for a refund, but refuse to return the cost of the shipping. So, I'm out some money, and they're restocking this questionable medicine.

Jeffers isn't the only problem company, but neither is every company a problem. Watch out for anyone that tells you "don't worry if the ice is melted; it's done its job." If you know it's too warm when it arrives, don't let customer service convince you otherwise.

4-H Fair Display and Article

2011-08-18T23:55:00.000-04:00

Our local fair asked to host a few churros in their Prep tent. I took three ewe lambs, a white and a black and tan out of Mordechai, and a spotted blue (?) girl I got from MMM, half sister to Titus. The Prep Tent provided a display board, which I filled with the written descriptions on the N-CSA website, photos of my sheep, a few photos of Navajo weavers and shepherds, some blanket designs, and a map I made, depicting the locations of N-CSA members, the Navajo Reservation, and "the Royal Road." Below is a scan of the article.

Another new addition to the ram pen

2011-07-26T00:56:00.003-04:00

baw Teodoro is still chilling on the west coast, but I'm looking forward to him arriving this fall and being introduced to some of the girls. He seems to be a 4 horn so perfectly fused that it's only evidenced by the seam running down each side. baw Arsenio headed off to GA back in February, and I'm glad to have lined up Teodoro to come replace him. Shown here in June.

July 25, 2011

MMM Titus has arrived

2011-07-25T00:47:00.001-04:00

Since the festival last September, I've taken a good look at my ram pen and put a lot of thought into how to improve that "half" of my flock. So when I caught a glimpse of this fellow this spring, I knew I needed to take a closer look at him.

Titus is from the home of Homegrown on a Hobby Farm, Matthias Matz Mill, where the Toths raise a gorgeous bunch of churros all decended from their original matriarch and, genetically, a satellite flock of Shepherd's Loft. This boy is a baw Blue son. (I find it ironic I didn't buy Blue when I had the chance, considering all his daughters I have from NFF, SL, and now MMM!) I look forward to seeing what this young man does in my flock - watch for his first babies in 2012.

SL Avalon

2011-07-23T21:48:00.000-04:00

July 2011, 2 years old

One of my Shepherd's Loft girls, Avalon is from the 2009 crop. I'm not sure what to call her color - she's a very interesting girl. Registration pending.

SL Comanche - RESERVED

2011-05-01T19:25:00.001-04:00

Born 4/1/10, Comanche doesn't seem to like his picture being taken. However, he's a very mild-mannered and easy-going boy. He's shown here at one year old, and below at the GSSB festival in September, 2010. Four horned ram, black and white spotted.

0236 ram lamb - sire Mr. Majestic

2011-04-17T19:32:00.000-04:00

0234 ewe lamb - RESERVED

2011-04-17T19:31:00.001-04:00

0241 ram lamb

2011-04-17T19:29:00.005-04:00

0240 ewe lamb - sire Mr. Majestic

2011-04-17T19:28:00.000-04:00

0239 ewe lamb - sire Mr. Majestic

2011-04-17T19:27:00.000-04:00

0245 ram lamb - SOLD

2011-04-17T19:24:00.005-04:00

Sire is MTF Mr. Majestic. Dam is WFA Tiger Lily. Fawn tgh single, two horn.

0243 ram lamb - sire Mr. Majestic

2011-04-17T19:24:00.000-04:00

0252 ewe lamb - RESERVED

2011-04-17T19:17:00.006-04:00

0248 ram lamb - sire Mr. Majestic

2011-04-17T19:12:00.000-04:00

0247 ewe lamb - sire Mr. Majestic

2011-04-17T19:11:00.000-04:00

0222 ram lamb - sire Mordechai

2011-04-17T19:06:00.002-04:00

0227 ewe lamb - sire Mordechai

2011-04-17T19:03:00.002-04:00

0231 ewe lamb - sire Mordechai

2011-04-17T19:01:00.000-04:00

0226 ram lamb - sire Mordechai

2011-04-17T19:00:00.000-04:00

0211 ram lamb - sire Mordechai

2011-04-17T18:56:00.000-04:00

0221 ram lamb - sire Mordechai

2011-04-17T18:49:00.002-04:00

0215 ewe lamb - sire Mordechai

2011-04-17T18:48:00.002-04:00

0209 ewe lamb - sire Mordechai

2011-04-17T18:44:00.000-04:00

The last four lambs

2011-04-10T01:51:00.000-04:00

Spring lambing is over. The last 6 sheep to lamb were some of my new PDF ewes. Pictured are the last four lambs born. These ewes gave me 5 girls and 4 boys. I don't think any of the ewe lambs or their mommas will be offered for sale this year, but of the boys I will keep one. I suspect it will be the large brown and tan in the picture. The black one pictured is also a ram. The other pen of PDF lambs has four dark browns and a brown and tan. Some of the dark browns are possibly english blue pattern. Two of those dark browns are the other two boys.

I know I'm working backwards on the lambs photos, but I just nabbed this one this afternoon. Getting lamb photos up on this site is a priority, but at the moment so are taxes, shearing, fall crop breeding, and my working border collie having a long weekend with her new boyfriend. I have a crop heavy with ewe lambs this year, but there are many fine ram lamb prospects as well. If you're thinking of purchasing JW lambs this year, please email - jersey [dot] west [at] gmail [dot] com. I've already heard from several people wanting lambs, and I will be selling some for the easter market in a few weeks, so the sooner I know you're looking for lambs, the better.

Lambs from other farms

2011-03-28T01:19:00.000-04:00

Here are the first lambs of the year at Shepherd's Loft, sired by JW Mick!

And this is Galetta with her ram lamb, delivered a few weeks after she made the trek from Jersey West to Georgia as part of the new flock at Cotton Deer Farm.

Update - Mr. Majestic's lambs hitting the ground

2011-02-28T01:54:00.000-05:00

Kim sent me these shots of her farm's first churro lamb - it's a flashy ewe lamb that was born at late in the day on the 26th. I have a few ewe lambs out of Mr. Majestic from the past week as well. Many more girls to lamb - fingers crossed for some ram lambs! Mr. Majestic likes to throw the spotting gene, and this little lady is no exception.

Also, Arsenio seems to be enjoying his new home.

New Flock in Georgia

2011-02-21T23:37:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of sending a starter flock to GA on Friday. The farmers are new to sheep, but they seem to know what to ask and have been diligently preparing for the sheep weeks before their arrival. I'm going to especially miss LLCI Bandit, but I think she's gone to a wonderful home, along with NFF Wren and her new daughter, baw Arsenio, LLCI Galetta, and FCF Zoe.

They picked the best day for traveling in Jersey since November - it was glorious out, and I was able to shear all the sheep before they left. I've been trying to help start some new flocks for over six months now, and I'm very glad to have contributed to this one; hopefully there will be more in the coming months. Good luck at your new home!

When it rains, it pours

2011-01-30T12:34:00.000-05:00

Lambing started 2 weeks ago today with JW James, followed six days later by SL Mary. Since Monday, however, 23 lambs have arrived. All from BT Mordechai.

I'm blaming the drought for the strangeness. Lots of singles - expected that, considering I don't think there was a day in 2010 that I didn't have to feed hay, and that the hay was not as good as my sheep are used to, and that they preferred cropping sun-crisped stubble in the record heat rather than eat heartily at the hay feeder. Slow start - Mordechai was trying, but I think most of the flock just wasn't cycling until his presence triggered them. The unexpected - out of 25 lambs born, only 7 are rams lambs.

Mordechai has another week for babies, then a break, and then Mr. Majestic's will start to arrive. Towards the end of March, I will hopefully also see lambs from MTF Brown Bear, a brown and tan english blue that covered some of my PDF ewes just before they headed east.

Sheep! magazine article on East Coast N-C meeting

2010-12-29T01:42:00.000-05:00

My latest issue arrived today, along with a note that told me to check out page 50. There it was, Holly's and my article, with way fewer pictures and a much heavier editing that I'd expected. While the refinished piece is arguably a better-flowing read than our final submission, I feel I should make a few clarifications:

- the N-C events were not hastily added to the GSSB festival; the GSSB volunteers were wonderfully enthusiastic and helpful, and they worked with me for over a month as we figured out where the churros fit into the festival.

- the editor writes "Now that an East Coast presence has been established for the breed, everyone is invited and strongly encouraged to attend the next Navajo-Churro event at Garden State Sheep Breeders Festival." If "presence" is interpreted as "an organized public event", then I don't take issue with this statement. However, I would like to state that I credit those that made the effort to bring churros to the east coast before I came along, with allowing me to start my flock, and I know there have been many people making the effort to get churros some face time at local festivals (my co-author being one of them!) My first four churro ewes - the first churros I'd seen in person - came to me from the Northeast, and I picked them up at a festival! So I hope no one was offended.

I think my time and effort was very well spent in arranging our show and meeting, and I'm grateful to everyone that came out. I'll gladly do it again, and I hope to see many more breeders come out. Finally, I offer up Holly's and my final draft, as submitted to the magazine.
~~~~~~~~~

Navajo-Churro Show and Meeting held in NJ
By Holly Sell and Rebecca Gunther

The 16th Annual Garden State Sheep Breeders (GSSB) Festival was once again held at the Hunterdon County Fairgrounds in Ringoes, NJ. With two barns full of sheep and two barns full of alpacas, llamas, bunnies, crafts, wool, yarn, and roving, plus outdoor booths, the festival had plenty to offer. In addition, there were the usual attractions - shearing demos, a spinning circle, herding dog demos, and a strolling minstrel.
The festival is regularly host to many breeds of sheep, most of them classic breeds. This year the festival was host to the Jacob Sheep Breeder's Association (JSBA) 2010 annual general meeting. The festival also hosted a much smaller group of enthusiastic sheep breeders for their first ever meeting and show - east coast Navajo Churro breeders.
For over a decade, Navajo-Churro breeders located in the northeast and along the east coast have talked about getting together and having a chance to discuss different experiences and techniques they've used in raising this rare breed of sheep. Many breeders have only ever met the breeder from which they purchased their original Navajo-Churros. But the JSBA brought in two Jacob breeders that are also high profile Navajo-Churro breeders from Oregon - a woman that, together with her husband and a neighboring farm, has arranged to ship sheep all around the country each year to diversify the bloodlines available, and a woman that registered sheep #0001 with the N-CSA over twenty years ago and sheep #5000 just a few years ago. When a young churro breeder learned of these women coming to the GSSB festival, emails and postcards went flying, and soon the east coast Navajo-Churro meeting became a reality.
The morning of September 12th brought rain to the parched Central Jersey dirt, but the Navajo-Churro breeders were undaunted. Twenty-three sheep were exhibited by two farms, Jersey West, owned by Rebecca Gunther of Hillsborough, New Jersey, and Walks Far Acres, owned by Suzanne Sell of Georgetown, Pennsylvania. J&M Farm of White River Junction, Vermont, and Matthias Matz Mill of Boyertown, Pennsylvania, also attended the meeting.
The first thing to note when observing and working with Navajo-Churro sheep is that they are not particularly “people oriented”. Most individuals can get used to being handled, but they will always have their wits about them and be on guard. Navajo-Churros can be fiercely independent of people.
With this knowledge firmly in hand, the showmen at the festival (which included many volunteers who apparently wanted a good workout) coerced, carried, and wrestled the stubborn, independent, and agile Navajo-Churros into the ring to be critiqued and judged by the talented breeder, judge, and breed inspector, Ms. Ingrid Painter of Puddleduck Farm of Brownsville, Oregon.
For east coast breeders who often do not have the opportunity, time, and resources to travel to the Navajo-Churro Sheep Association annual general meetings and shows which are typically held in the southwest, Ms. Painter’s observations and feedback were invaluable. The show itself became a “clinic-with-ribbons” rather than a competitive show. Ms. Painter examined each animal, then discussed the good and bad points of each individual in great depth and detail with the exhibitors in the ring.
For spectators looking for entertainment on a rainy Sunday afternoon, there were plenty of moments when more than one previously-untrained Churro dumped its handler into the sawdust of the ring. Showman and spectators alike learned that the skills of being able to handle uncooperative sheep can be quite useful in the show ring.
Following the show, the breeders, showmen, and judge retired to the Navajo-Churro Sheep Association’s booth in an adjacent barn. It seemed that everyone was on double-duty - most present became students, while the judge and one showman became the teachers. We enjoyed presentations by Ms. Painter on lamb and flock development, as well as two power-point presentations by Karen Lobb of Bide-a-wee Farm of Newberg, Oregon. These informative power-point presentations discussed research done by Ms. Lobb on fleece development in Churro lambs and horn development in Churro rams.
There is great hope and enthusiasm among the east coast Navajo-Churro breeders to see Navajo-Churros continue to grow and spread. They are currently hoping to return to the GSSB festival next year for another show and meeting. Anyone who wishes to learn more about this versatile and hardy breed of sheep is more than welcome to attend.
The Navajo-Churro's resourceful, intelligent, and independent nature serves this breed well in their traditional high-desert, open range habitat. These sheep are built for survival. This hardiness makes them ideal on smaller homesteads during these tough economic times as they require little supplementation with expensive commercial grains. They also do well on diets that would not be substantial enough for a typical commercial flock. They are naturally lean, storing their fat primarily around their organs. Thanks to their naturally-sloping hip, they need little (if any) assistance in lambing. The ewes are heavy milkers and very protective, and the lambs are up and moving so quickly, the ewes of this breed have learned over the centuries to move their lambs away from the afterbirth rather than try to clean it up. This vigor is also regularly seen in Navajo-Churro crossbred lambs.
For more information on Navajo-Churros, please visit www. navajo-churrosheep.com. To learn more about the Garden State Sheep Breeders, please visit them at www.njsheep.org. If you’d like to contact the contributors to this article, they can be reached at the following:

Suzanne Sell, of Walks Far Acres currently runs a small fiber-oriented flock of 30 sheep, most of which are purebred Navajo-Churros and Navajo-Churro crosses. Walks Far Acres has breeding stock available for sale, as well as rovings, yarn, and raw fleeces and they will ship wool anyway in the U.S. Contact them at: walksfaracres@verizon.net and check out the farm’s site at: www.walksfaracres.com Come visit Walks Far Acres’ booth at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival in the main exhibition barn.

Jersey West is the first farm in NJ to raise N-C sheep and currently has 150 sheep, 90% of which are purebred Navajo-Churro. Please contact Rebecca Gunther at jersey.west@gmail.com or visit jerseywest.blogspot.com ; she has starter flocks, rams, lambs in a wide variety of colors, bred ewes and freezer lambs available, as well as wool and pelts.

Tracy Toth of Matthias Matz Mill, one of our brave volunteer showmen, hosts Homegrown on a Hobby Farm. You can find her webisodes and blog posts at www.homegrownonahobbyfarm.com.

Photos by Holly Sell, Rebecca Gunther, and Tracy and David Toth.

They're getting their waddle on

2010-12-13T01:25:00.000-05:00

I've finally spotted an udder! Some of the girls are also rounding out noticeably as their lambs grow so much in the last few weeks.

Mordechai's babies should arrive starting right about the first of the year, and continuing for 3.5 weeks.

Mr. Majestic's babies are due mid February into March.

Brown Bear, the ram put with my Oregon girls before they shipped, will hopefully have some babies show up on this coast later in March.

The final breeding groups are getting set up now. The rams will be Shane, Arsenio, and Van. Mr. Majestic will go in with the Oregon girls. The new boys Ochoco and Granite will also be out with a few ewes' Comanche will possibly get a few ewes too, depending on how space, weather, and barn cleaning all come into play. The ewes with the ram lambs will later go out with mature rams just in case. The last group is 3-4 weeks later than I wanted, but hopefully weather and pasture will make it a wonderful pasture lambing.

They're west coast girls now

2010-11-12T00:53:00.000-05:00

We pulled out Friday morning, made a nest of hale bales for them Friday night when we found ourselves in some nasty lake effect snow in Indiana, transferred them to their new trailer in Nebraska Saturday morning, and waved good-bye. I hadn't known that they'd take a detour through Montana!

Shaun the Sheep

Their shipper stopped at a dollar store and outfitted the girls in some snazzy sweaters. Snapdragon, the white ewe, seems to have Strawberry Shortcake on hers. I think Sunny's woven sweater is the cutest of all. Reminds me of Shaun. Ladies, enjoy your new home at Bide-a-wee Farm.

Newly arrived Puddleduck ewes

2010-11-12T00:22:00.000-05:00

For once the sheep are GOING to OREGON :)

2010-10-14T13:34:00.000-04:00

How many of us have utilized the hard work of our Pacific Northwest breeders to bring new bloodlines into our flock, often delivered right to our doorstep? In the past four years, I've done it twice so far. And now I can return the favor! JW Sunny caught the eye of a certain breeder while she was at the GSSB Festival, and now she, her twin sister, and 3 half-sisters are packing their bags. I know they'll have a wonderful home at Bide-a-wee Farm!

JW Stevie

JW Snapdragon

JW Skylark

JW Sofia

JW Sunny

Jersey West Webisodes

2010-10-13T15:54:00.000-04:00

The webisodes filmed here have been posted on Homegrown on a Hobby Farm. I especially enjoyed this post about the irony and poor Oneida. You can view the webisodes while they're on the home page, or by clicking on the listing of October 2010 posts.

Update - Breeding continues

2010-09-27T00:19:00.000-04:00

The show sheep and new sheep have been integrated back into the flock after their quarantine. I have 106 adult and yearling ewes out in the main flock (that's all of them except for a mommy with a 6 wk old at her side.)

This afternoon Mr. Majestic was turned out with those 106 girls. Some were bred to Mordechai during his 3 wk run with them in August, but I'm sure there's plenty left for our handsome grey/tan. He'll be out for two or three weeks. Later, I'll make smaller groups of any ewes that are still open, and turn one of the other rams with each small group. This last breeding will probably be for April/early May lambs.

I sheared 50 of the ewes in June and July, but it's time to shear everyone again. Hopefully this way they'll be on the right schedule so that we'll have nice fleeces on our show sheep next year. The big rams were sheared in August, so I'll shear them again in the spring.

Just before the GSSB festival, I had Tracy Toth out to shoot a webisode for Homegrown on a Hobby Farm. The two part webisode will be up soon.

We're working on a load of Puddleduck sheep for multiple breeders. The shipping will be the second half of October, with a few sheep heading west, and more sheep coming east. We're still looking for people to help fill out the load if you're thinking about picking up some Oregon sheep. PDF has some beautiful lambs still available. Think fast though - we have to get health papers and any tests your state requires taken care of before the sheep can ship.

Garden State Sheep Breeders Festival

2010-09-14T19:45:00.011-04:00

What a weekend! I had a blast. I learned a ton. And I got to show some of my beautiful churros for the first time.

This was my neighbor, Light Brown Hare. I resisted adding more yarn to my collection, but it seriously was not easy. Light Brown Hare has beautiful, soft yarn in amazing colors.

GSSB was host the the Jacob Sheep Breeders AGM this year.

A festival for all sheep and fiber enthusiasts, there were many alpacas and llamas in attendance.

Here's Gene Sheninger doing one of his herding dog demos.

Walks Far Acres shared my booth Sunday, displaying their wonderful products, and we had a segment from Homegrown on a Hobby Farm playing both days of the festival.

Here's a look at my show flock.

This is the Get of Sire class. My 4 lambs from Shepherd's Loft are on the right, and Walks Far Acres' offering is on the left. Ingrid Painter of Puddleduck Farm in Oregon was our judge.

August update - sheep for sale; East Coast N-C Meeting

2010-08-12T19:57:00.003-04:00

I have the posts up for the various starter flocks I am offering.

You can now find adult ewes for sale on the for sale page.

Some of the reserved ewe lambs have become available - "reserved" has been removed from their titles.

---------

We are having an East Coast N-C Meeting on Sunday, September 12th at the Garden State Sheep Breeders Festival, held at the Hunterdon County fairgrounds in Ringoes, NJ. The festival takes place that Saturday and Sunday, and this year the Jacob association is having their annual general meeting in conjunction with the festival. Their show will be Friday night, and they have presentations and demonstrations scheduled all day Saturday; this is why we are concentrating on Sunday. We will be having a N-C sheep show on Sunday, and Ingrid Painter has agreed to be our judge. We hope to also have a presentation on N-C selection, possibly with some on-site registrations. If you are interested in being a vendor at the festival or in showing your sheep, please head over to the Garden State Sheep Breeders website. Vendor applications are due quite soon. Sheep entries are due September 1st. Please contact me or the GSSB for more info.

JW Simon - single ram, english blue

2010-08-12T19:36:00.005-04:00

Here's Simon in September. You can since the lateral line and hip spot; they are mirrored on his other side. He still has a lot of growing to do, but I suspect he'll be tall like his mom. He's only 3 1/2 months old here.

One of the last to be born, this fellow was born in May to baw Perpetua. He was sired by JW Beetle, a JW Van son that exhibited his grandsire NFF Shane's pattern. That pattern has been passed on to this boy.

JW Salamander - JW109 - twin ram

2010-07-29T18:40:00.006-04:00

Shown here in September.

Dam is BTF Mullein Sire is JW Van. Born in early April, he's one of my later born lambs. Very clean fellow, just like his sister. My best white ram lamb this year.

JW Sabina - JW 110 - twin ewe

2010-07-29T18:38:00.005-04:00

Most current photo - early September.

Dam is BTF Mullein Sire is JW Van

JW October, single ewe, brown spotted - reserved

2010-07-29T18:36:00.006-04:00

Dam is LLCI Velvet Sire is MTF Mr. Majestic. One of my interns fell in love with this girl's picture, and resolved to take on the task of training this lamb for a bible school event being held just three days later. Her first experience with the hard work of halter training and the stubbornness inherent in most sheep didn't dampen her affection for the lamb she named October (who was born in March.)

JW Sagebrush - JW107 - single ewe - grey/tan

2010-07-27T23:12:00.004-04:00

Shown in early September. Face is nearly clean, legs look like they will shed out at least partially. Also, her tongue seems to be sticking out, which fits perfectly with the attitude she had as I took many, many blurry photos of her.

Dam is Brennevin

JW Mick - Sold

2010-07-27T22:43:00.000-04:00

Registration pending.

Dam: Isabella
Sire: BTF Mordechai

Interesting Links

2010-07-20T22:02:00.001-04:00

I've received a few good links today you should check out:

an article on Navajo Churros

a video blog great for the whole family

JW Samuel - JW112 twin ram - Reserved

2010-07-05T20:15:00.006-04:00

One of the late-born lambs, this kid looks great. Dam is BTF Mocha, sire is JW Van

JW Stevie - JW67 - 0147 - twin ewe

2010-07-05T20:04:00.002-04:00

Dam:Moonbeam; sire is BTF Mordechai. I accidently deleted her side view because it looked just like JW 95 Twin sister of JW Sunny, half of my nicest set of ewe lambs this year.

JW Samson - JW 111 - 0182 twin ram - Reserved

2010-07-05T19:26:00.007-04:00

Black badger X english blue with spotting. Full body front shot is from May. Sire and dam are both clean-faced, fairly clean legs, so hopefully he'll stop looking like a pomeranian soon. Sire is NFF Shane; dam is DLF Yazhi

JW Snapdragon - JW091 - 0154 - single ewe Reserved

2010-07-05T18:55:00.003-04:00

Dam: SL Martha

Sire: BTF Mordechai

JW 90 - 0165 - twin ram

2010-07-05T18:51:00.000-04:00

Dam: SL Jessica

Sire: BTF Mordechai

JW Sputnik - JW098 - 0179 single ram $225

2010-07-05T18:12:00.007-04:00

Full-body front view is from earlier in the year. Dam is Sassafras; sire is BTF Mordechai.

JW Scout - JW103 - 0177 - single ewe

2010-07-05T16:30:00.004-04:00

Dam is NFF Amanda; sire is BTF Mordechai

JW Snowdrop - JW102 - 0184 single ewe $175

2010-07-05T15:01:00.008-04:00

This girl avoided the camera as a baby - the best I got of her was the tail shot - so this is her first time being listed. Dam is JW Wynn, sire is BTF Mordechai.

As of late August, her face has no more fuzzy mask.

JW Skylark - JW95 - 0173 single ewe $225

2010-07-05T01:09:00.005-04:00

This shy girl didn't care to be seen when younger. She has a super long fleece that has nice luster.

Dam: NFF Guinea

Sire: BTF Mordechai

JW Songbird - JW 88 - 0152 - twin ewe

2010-07-04T20:41:00.003-04:00

Dam:NFF Wren

Sire: BTF Mordechai

As of mid August, this ewe is cleaning up nicely.

JW Swallowtail - JW66 - 0170 - twin ewe

2010-07-04T20:34:00.002-04:00

Dam: baw Melia

Sire: BTF Mordechai

JW Spot - JW69 - 0148 - twin ewe $175

2010-07-04T20:21:00.003-04:00

Her tan spot is a lot lighter at the skin; it may shear off and not return.
Dam:Violet

Sire: Mordechai

JW 80 - 0163 - single ram

2010-07-04T20:17:00.001-04:00

This is a nice ram lamb with scurs; I know people tend to avoid rams with scurs, but if you do your own shearing, you may appreciate a lack of horns as much as I do these days. This rams scurs are short and button-like, not scraggly or flimsy like some can be.
Dam: NFF Luna

Sire: BTF Mordechai

JW Sofia - JW093 - 0144 - single ewe

2010-07-04T20:00:00.002-04:00

Dam: Norman; sire : BTF Mordechai

What a difference 4 months makes!

2010-07-03T02:11:00.006-04:00

Being relatively new to churros, and (probably more importantly) having a flock built from a large number of other flocks and very few JW sheep so far, it's been difficult to predict how lambs will develop. Gladly, they seem to be shaping up very well, even if some like to scare me with fuzz. Check out October-born JW Minaal :

In February

This week

October-born JW Octavia in February

This week

JW 65 -"Octavia"

2010-06-30T22:44:00.003-04:00

Registration pending. What was a fuzzy lamb has become a very pretty ewe. Dam is Black Cherry. Sire is BTF Mordechai

Mariah - 3/4 churro twin ewe $125

2010-06-30T21:55:00.004-04:00

Dam: Princess

Sire: Mordechai

Wild looking girl! Her grandfather was blue-faced leicester X border leicester.

JW Somerset - JW87 - 0142 single ram $200

2010-06-30T21:17:00.007-04:00

Dam: NFF Hadley, black and white 2 horn, super flashy
Sire: Mordechai, dark brown and tan 2 horn

This has always been a very nice ram lamb. He wasn't previously listed because when the lambs were penned up for baby photos way back in February, this boy managed to snag his eyelid on something in the commotion (I think he caught the edge of a sheet of plywood). He has healed extremely well as seen in the before and after photos of his eye. I've never seen true split eyelids in my flock.

JW Siskin - JW74 0171 - single ewe

2010-06-30T20:21:00.003-04:00

Dam:Amethyst

Sire: Mordechai

JW Sunny - JW71 - 0146 - twin ewe - Reserved

2010-06-30T19:53:00.003-04:00

Dam: Moonbeam

JW Solomon - JW 105 - 0183 twin ram $200

2010-06-30T01:03:00.004-04:00

I think this guy is black badger X english blue in pattern. He's clean faced, legs nearly fuzz-free. His horns are swept back some; fleece is super long and soft. Sire is NFF Shane, dam is Yazhi.

Think Summer?

2010-05-02T23:04:00.002-04:00

This is a very dark and STEAMY night. The storms are thinking about breaking this humidity, but they're really taking their time about it.

I haven't seen my old 4-Her again, which means that any lamb that wasn't here in mid February needs to have its picture taken, and I'll be posting new shots of all the others too. Lots of horns growing in, lots of fleeces growing long! Some lamb fuzziness abounds, but my two main rams this year have clean faces and legs, and if my ewes have fuzz, it tends to be on the back legs only.

I've got lots of ram lambs available for sale, lots of colors, and several that appear to be mixed patterns. I'll also be offering some ewe lambs and even a couple adult ewes. Anything offered as breeding stock will be of quality of stock I would keep, and I probably will keep all the unsold ewes and ewe lambs unless locker lamb sales pick up. I had thought of keeping some wethers or poor mothers (as in, say, a ewe that's too klutzy and tends to injure her lambs) to offer for spinners, but I've given that up. I'm just not comfortable selling a ewe I've decided shouldn't be breeding. So, if you're a spinner or you'd like a pet, you're welcome to look at the ewes available or request a wether.

I have one bottle baby running around - little Sebastian. Mommy only liked her first born, and since one is brown and one is white, it's been very easy for her to tell which one she doesn't like. I'm hoping she'll do better in the future - I've had a few other ewes reject and then go on to accept twins in later years.

Time to shear!! This heat will break tomorrow, so it looks like I'll be busting my back starting Tuesday. I have a new 100 ft extension cord and a pair of protective headphones, and my blades have returned from sharpening. So I guess I'm out of excuses! I have some clear bags for the good fleeces (and I finally have some good fleeces - well, we'll see about the vegetable matter from the round bales...) and two gardens to mulch with the junk fleeces.

When I take more photos and handle the lambs, I'll get a sense of their potential, and as I update the site in the next few weeks, prices - YES, Prices - will appear, along with information on making deposits and requesting more information and photos via email or snail mail.

I did finally send in a dozen registrations last month. I only screwed it up slightly - I thought I'd save paper by printing the photos on the back of the reg. forms. Turns out the N-CSA keeps excellent records regarding the phenotype of the sheep, and so I had to mail out some photos printed on photo paper.

Anything else? Oh yeah... I was nominated for the N-CSA board! Wow. Wow! I'm very honored and a little nervous.

Think Spring

2010-03-11T21:34:00.002-05:00

Early February swamped me with lambs. This coming week may do the same. Last time it was because Mordechai was turned out with 40-some ewes. This time it's because Mr. Majestic jumped out the cow pen I was keeping him in and proceeded to claim the entire ewe flock as his own. So the rest of the rams got thrown in the livestock trailer, and Majestic got to know all the girls - I'd call it his own personal heaven, but there was a double Nor'easter hitting us at the time (I don't think he noticed.)

I've been updating the site with lamb photos as I can - lots of babies! Lots of black - a bunch of them will probably turn blue since I have very few true black ewes and I've never run a black ram. Most of my adult rams are for sale, and I will be getting rid of a handful of ewes that who I've taken issue with due to their maternal behavior - these ewes will be available to spinners since they're nice healthy churro girls, but they won't be around for long. I encourage inquiries via email: jersey.west@gmail.com .

One of the 4-Hers I mentored came out a few weekends ago, and she's the reason I have all these lovely lamb shots, as well as fifteen registrations ready to mail. She's a blast to work with - now a senior in high school, she wrangles the sheep with a lot of confidence and competence. I'm thrilled she still likes lurking in my barn!

Our ground was snow-covered for pretty much all of February thanks to record snowfalls. There's still some drifts in the shadows, but the weather's been a lot warmer and I don't think there's anyone around that isn't thinking about spring. Who knows? I might actually manage to fence the cows out of my garden this year! I think I'll try sprouting some seeds this weekend - hope springs as eternal as the grass (or the cows when hopping the fence...)

0153 - twin ram

2010-03-09T18:43:00.001-05:00

Dam : Wren

Sire: Mordechai

This looks it may be like brown badger X something & tan.

Update - Lambing gets going; website is coming along

2010-02-01T20:40:00.002-05:00

The title says it all. The website is coming under control just as lambing gets a little crazy. Posts, photo uploads, and creating html fit well into those late hours when I'm staying up to check the barn one last time.

I've backdated all the individual sheep pages, so this is working more like a website than a blog. I've also created a 'flock at a glance' post that should pop up at the top of each section, complete with links for all the sheep therein. I've uploaded a bunch of photos, and more will be coming. Thanks for reading!

Update - Flock of 137, roughly 85% purebred Navajo-Churro

2010-01-17T23:41:00.002-05:00

I haven't updated this site in three months! My apologies. The sheep paperwork and the website definitely got away from me, but I'm getting them more under control.

The flock currently stands at 137. A few lambs hit the ground in December, only one of which was a purebred churro. However, I expect at least 40 of the churro girls to lamb in the next month, most of them bred to BTF Mordechai.

Speaking of Black Twig Farm, JW Van has come home from their farm. He was there about fifteen months, siring two lamb crops. I was delighted to bring him back to Jersey West along with two BTF ewes bred to him and three BTF ewe lambs that he sired.

I pulled the last rams out on January 12th. I'd seen a little interest from the ram in early December towards some May born ewes, but other than that and Van chasing a few one year olds for the two days he was out with them, it's been very quiet. I hope the brunt of the lambing will be over by mid March. My August moms' bad attitudes told me they would have bred again for March or April lambs, but I held them out. I now have about a dozen ewes that should currently be open; I'm hoping they will breed in April for early fall lambs. Since by the end of this year, by the current numbers, there will be 114 ewes to be bred, it's time to get them in more staggered groups. And since I hope to supply restaurants, lambing five times a year is advised to provide a fairly uniform supply of lamb.

As I mentioned, the paper work has been out of control. I'm pretty good with transfers, but have only managed to send in four registrations since I began with Navajo-Churros back in fall 2006, leaving me with sheep up to four years old (nearly) that still need to be registered. And they need to be done now so I can register their babies soon. Oi. I hope to have samples and the rest of the photos I need on the first dozen papers as soon as the sheep dry out... Self-goal - send out those registrations Friday. (We'll see how I do.)

My pictures are out of date, and represent only a fraction of the beautiful flock I've acquired in the past few years, so I have plans for updating everything here. I also have plans for hay feeders, and a shed roof to finish, and those will come first.

I could go on, but this is turning into a to-do list.

Thanks for reading!

Newly Arrived and Expected

2009-10-13T20:02:00.003-04:00

Last week NFF Isabella produced a boy/girl set of twins. Both are brown & tan pattern with grey chins. Twelve hour later NFF Black Cherry produced a set of black twin girls, one with a few white hairs on her head, the other with a white spot on her poll.

Today five ewe lambs arrived from bideawee Farm along with that farms previous flock sire, MTF Mr. Majestic. Everyone looks great and arrived in good health. They'd been on the road since Friday.

Soon a group of five ewes and a wether will be coming in from Maine, and then four more ewe lambs from Shepherd's Loft.

Right now my flock has 109 members, more than 80% of them being purebred Navajo Churros.

I'd say pictures soon to be posted, but that usually means a million other things will come up and I'll forget about them completely.

Some of the 2009 crop

2009-01-22T19:06:00.001-05:00

Violet's ewe, spotted.

Group shot.

SL Lovely's ewe, black badger

LLC Velvet's ewe - brown and white

LLC Bandit's twin ewes - 0139 black with a few white hairs on poll, 0140 black tgh with anklets and white under chin.

Brown and tan? Out of NFF Starshine - brown badger

Jersey West lamb to be part of ALBC tasting event

2008-08-01T19:12:00.003-04:00

September 15th, 2008, by invitation only (if you are an interested chef, foodie, or member of the press, contact me.)

The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy in conjunction with Slow Foods USA, Certified Humane, and Ayrshire Farms is conducting a tasting event of lamb. There will be 9 heritage breeds featured along with a grocery store-purchased leg of lamb for comparison. Jersey West will provide the Navajo Churro meat.

Located at Ayrshire Farm in Upperville, Va.

200 Ewes by 2012

2008-08-01T19:01:00.004-04:00

Last fall I developed a five year plan that would bring my flock up to 200 purebred N-C breeding ewes. I chose 200 thinking that when lambing 200 ewes I should be able to guarantee a supply of at least 200 lambs per year for customers looking for the eating experience N-C can provide.

In the future I would like to develop relationships with restaurants who would like to feature Navajo Churro on their menu, either seasonally or year-round. This breed is typically a seasonal breeder, but out of season breeding is not unheard of and I am currently pursuing this avenue. If the sheep are willing, when I reach my goal flock size, I hope to also be utilizing a five-times-per-year breeding system designed to supply restaurants with a consistently-sized supply of lamb.

As of January 23, 2010, my flock consists of 140 sheep, roughly 85% of them purebred Navajo Churros. That number may double in the next two months - lambing is just getting started.

The North Face Flock

2008-07-28T19:20:00.003-04:00

Today I brought home Maria Amodei's flock of 12 N-C ewes along with her last 4 ewe lambs and 7 breeding ewes from the neighboring farm of the Sullivans. They're a beautiful bunch. I could go on and on. I'll post pictures soon, I hope.

I'm sad Maria's no longer a N-C breeder. I've bought churros three years now, and every year some of hers ended up on my truck (or trailer in the case of this last bunch) wending their way to New Jersey. But I understand why she's moved on from the breed, and I'm grateful I've been given the opportunity to takeover these genetics. I'd wish her a lot of luck with her dogs, but I sincerely doubt she needs it. Maria and her one dog put these sheep in my trailer with more grace and finesse than I've ever accomplished with a handful of human farm hands and a bucketful of grain for bribery.

JW Cali

2008-01-29T22:42:00.002-05:00

JW Barracuda

2008-01-28T19:41:00.000-05:00

Registration pending.

Amelia Bedelia

2008-01-28T19:32:00.003-05:00

The lone hampshire - purebred.

She's good like that.

July 2011

JW Hyacinth

2008-01-23T22:48:00.001-05:00

Show at a few months old, twin. Dam - NFF Moonbeam
Sire - NFF Guy

NFF Isabella - B-4954-07

2008-01-22T18:57:00.002-05:00

Registered under her tag number.

Pictured with her son, JW Henry
, spring 2008.

JW Henry - $250

2008-01-22T18:56:00.006-05:00

Henry will be registered this fall once the new growth is in.

Pictured here with his mother, NFF Isabella , spring 2008. Sire is NFF Shane.

Freshly shorn, August 2010.

Some of the 2008 crop

2008-01-21T21:54:00.003-05:00

Enya's brown ram. He has nice horns. His fleece is lighter underneath, a brown/grey color. His full brother (not pictured) has a silver fleece.

next picture:
far right - Enya's brown ram lamb.
right - a 3/4 churro, the youngest in the group.
left - Black Cherry's ewe lamb
Far left - NFF Enespie's brown ewe.

NFF Starshine's brown ram lamb.

FCF Chloe with her daughter.

NFF Moonbeam's brown ewe lamb.

One of NFF Starshine's twin boys (the other is solid brown). Brown Badgerface.

This boy was born black with pink skin. All the fleece growth since birth is silver and his horns are white. His tips have sun bleached. He's twin to Enya's brown ram.

Gabby's daughter Freckles, sire is NFF Shane. Lamb is 1/2 churro, 1/4 hamp, plus some suffolk and dorset.

Pokey's a sweet little churro whose daughter's already at least half her size. Black badgerface daughter. Sire is baw Arsenio.

Glossy with her red and white ram lamb. Sired by baw Arsenio. Lamb has black spot under his left eye.

This last boy seems to be a black badger and english blue. His inner coat may be a charcoal color.

JW James

2008-01-21T19:23:00.003-05:00

Registration pending.

BTF Ash

2008-01-21T19:20:00.008-05:00

Registration pending.

August 2010

BTF Deadora

2008-01-21T19:20:00.004-05:00

Registration pending.

BTF Mocha

2008-01-21T19:19:00.002-05:00

Here she is early spring 2010, days from lambing. Dark brown and tan.

BTF Mullein

2008-01-20T21:55:00.001-05:00

Shown with her twins, early spring 2010.

JR Mia

2008-01-20T21:52:00.001-05:00

Came to JW as part of Janell Sewell's flock.

NFF Nina - B4271-05

2008-01-20T21:51:00.001-05:00

Came to me through Janel Sewell (and a few others). Born March 2004. Dam is Rosa.

SL Camaro

2008-01-20T21:50:00.001-05:00

Registration pending.

SL Cooper

2008-01-20T21:50:00.000-05:00

Registration pending.

baw Vina

2008-01-20T21:48:00.000-05:00

Registration pending.

baw Tavita

2008-01-20T21:47:00.003-05:00

Registration pending.

baw Ziva

2008-01-20T21:46:00.004-05:00

I'd like to have a hundred sheep just like this girl. Clean face and legs. Deep color with loads of luster. Her fleece took the top prize at the Oregon Flock and Fiber Fest, and now she's got a big ram lamb at her side; she's accomplished all that, and she's only a few months past one year old here.

August 2010