A Shepherd's WINGS...

I have copied and pasted the first post from my new blog: "Bluff Country Back Yard Chickens" ~ A SHEPHERD'S WINGS ~
I know ~ I've done a lousey job of keeping up with THIS blog the past couple of days. And most of my posts have been about chickens lately. That's why I've decided to start a blog following my adventures with my chickens! I'll get back to posting SHEEP stories/photos on here...

Since 2001, I've raised Shetland sheep. They have been my passion. They brought more love and joy and friendship into my life than I could have possibly dreamed!

I fell in love with spotted lambs and decided that I wanted to breed for a predictable cluster of spots referred to as "HST" which stands for a solid colored sheep with white on the Head, Socks and Tail.

I was told it couldn't be done. Not predictably, anyway. Sheep with that kind of spotting turned up randomly but one couldn't get them on purpose!

So, I set out to breed myself a flock of HST spotted Shetlands. It took me six years to get to the point that I could predictably produce, excellent quality, HST spotted Shetlands.

But I did it.
Now, so can anybody else.
Time for a new challenge.
In July of 2009, I bought my first bantam cochin chickens. It was love at first "cluck". I was totally enthralled with these "fuzzy little bowling balls" that rolled around the paddock and 'cooed' when I picked them up and held them. I was warned that they are "addictive".
Boy! Are they addictive!!
I knew I wanted more so I started researching the different colors and patterns that bantam cochins come in. Guess what I discovered? A group of breeders is working on a project to develop a new color pattern in bantam Cochin chickens! It's call "Mille Fleur" and it's absolutely beautiful!

A new friend that I met in the "BackYardChicken Group" (who'd have ever thought I'd be joining chicken groups!??) describes the Mille Fleur Bantam Cochin like this:

"There is NOTHING more addicting than a flock of mini fluffy-butt chickens. And when those fluffy-butts are candy-colored mixes of marshmallow and caramel and butterscotch and deep cherry and dark chocolate it is soooooo yummy! They are the sweetest, gentlest birds, and when they waddle around you can't help but smile!"

I'm starting my own breeding flock of Mille Fleur Bantam Cochins. These are all babies and will change, dramatically as they grow. At this point in time, the MFC (Mille Fleur Cochin) is not a recognized color. But it WILL be, one day...

If you'd like to watch my progress as I breed for predictability in these wonderful, colorful birds, please follow along.

We'd love the company!


P.S. To all my dear, DEAR "A Shepherds Voice" followers, I have no intentions of discontinuing that blog! It has become a part of my life. It's readers ~ my family. I love "it" and I love all of you. This is just an expansion of my flock ~ by NO means the end of Bluff Country Shetlands OR A Shepherd's Voice!

DREAM says...

"I knew that."

;-)