The mostly Dorset breeding (short and chunky) on the Est a Laine (long and lanky) produced the most stocky, solid and mellow lambs we have ever had here. We're tickled to have them in our pastures and we think you would be too!

       Merino sheep originated in North Africa descended from a strain of sheep developed during the reign of Claudius, from 14 to 37 A.D. They spread via the Spanish and French royal families to northern Europe. The original Merinos were a wool sheep, who sheared a very heavy, fine fleece. They were also quite small in size.

       About 200 years ago, distinct, large, "meat" type Merinos were kept in the adjoining regions of France and Germany. The Est A Laine Merinos are descended from these animals.

       At the end of the 18th century Merino blood from Spain and France was introduced into German flocks, resulting in an improved strain of sheep known as the "Wurtemburg". Large numbers of this strain were brought into Alsace Lorraine and were gradually improved on farms in Eastern France. The French Wurtemberg Flock Book was created in 1947, became known in 1950 as the Est a Laine Merinos Flock Book. Est a Laine Merino ewes are popular for commercial crossbreeding due to their special qualities. In France, there are 65,000 sheep with Merino blood, more than half of which are purebred, found principally in Lorraine, Alsace, and the south-east.

       The Est A Laine Merino is an attractive, strong, large framed sheep with very fine white wool. The head is long, white in color, with long, drooping ears. The sheep is naturally polled (no horns), unlike the original Merinos. The neck of the Est A Laine Merino has no folds or dewlap. This makes shearing them easy.

1 month old lamb from 1999 photo by Tim Slattery

• WOOL CHARACTERISTICS
  The wool is fine, ranging from 18 to 23 microns, with a Bradford count of 80's to 64's. The crimp is good, and the fleece is tight, and uniform throughout the animal. There are no kemp (hair) or black fibers.
  Fleece weights average 14.5 pounds for rams and 10.5 pounds for ewes.
• GROWTH RATE
  Rams born in Canada that we have here gained .90 pounds per day.
• AVERAGE ADULT WEIGHT
  Rams 310 to 390 pounds
  Ewes 200 to 240 pounds
  This is a slower maturing breed; by the time they reach 2 years old, the mature weight will be realized. Rams born in February 1996 weighed 215 pounds in September, 1997. Ewe lambs mature early, and will take the ram from 7 months of age.
• AVERAGE PROLIFICACY
  Ewe lambs 130%
  Adult ewes 170% (as an average over all seasons)
  These sheep will breed out of season (aseasonal breeders). When they lamb in the "off season" their prolificacy is lower than during a more normal lambing time. For example, a ewe who has twins in March, may only bear one lamb if she has it in the Fall.
• CARCASS QUALITY/EVALUATION
  A carcass evaluation was performed on a 50% Est A Laine Merino X Canadian Arcott cross lamb weighing 105 pounds live weight, in Canada. The Canadian market wants lambs between 100 and 115 pounds.
  The carcass was rated Above Average for Shoulder, Hind Leg and Back.
  Backfat was 9 millimeters (5mm to 15mm is considered acceptable)
  Overall Rating was 3 (on a scale of 1 to 5)
  

1. OUT OF SEASON BREEDER
2. HARDINESS IN SEVERE CONDITIONS
3. ADAPTABILITY TO POOR QUALITY FORAGE
4. GOOD FLOCKING INSTINCT
5. WELL ADAPTED TO GRAZING OVER EXTENSIVE AREAS
6. GOOD CARCASS QUALITY - ABOVE AVERAGE
7. ADAPTED TO BOTH RANGE AND FARM FLOCK SITUATIONS
8. EASY TO SHEAR - FINE WOOL

       Realizing that all America isn't enrolled in the Scrapie Program, we have set aside some of our most gorgeous commercial ewes to breed to the Est A Laine studs to produce a cross-bred terminal sire or commercial ewe. The offspring of these sheep will be able to move into any flock, regardless of Scrapie Program enrollment.

Blanche

        One of these fresh-faced American beauties is our Blanche, a gorgeous gal if you ever saw one. She has wool, bone, leg and stretch, to complement the Est A Laines. We had used Columbian rams on our lamb and wool Polypay girls and bred them back to our largest Polypay ram (¼ Columbian - ¾ Polypay). I've been watching them...they are READY for this Est A Laine Merino cross, and as breeders, so are Rusty and I.

       We've had the Est A Laines here since August, 1996. They have been living with our East Friesland rams (who are pussycats), and by golly, so are the Est A Laines. They aren't *quite* as friendly and approachable as the East Frieslands, but they also don't go off like rockets if you touch them. Yippeeee, I LIKE these sheep! While the East Frieslands will come over to you for ear rubs, the Est A Laines are standing quite close behind them. This is a quality to be fostered in a sheep breed which reaches such high mature weights. You really want them to be easily manageable.

       We know that there has been a plethora of new terminal sire breeds to hit the shores of the USA in the last few years. Some of you are saying, "What's wrong with what we WERE using", and some are disappointed in the new breeds being offered.

       Those who are familiar with us know that we don't jump on the bandwagon of "The Breed Of The Week". When we selected the Columbians, we did so based on wool and maintaining a white-faced commercial flock. That flock sheared an average of a 10 pound fleece, and the lambs grew out to be good sized critters.

       Now we've added the Est A Laine Merinos, we expect this breed to further improve the commercial aspect of our flock. We'll be updating these pages with information about ewes bred to the Est A Laines, and lambs born.

       The purebred Est a Laine Merino rams were shorn in late March. The fleeces are stunningly soft. A buyer of one of these fleeces described it as soft enough to be worn very close to the body. We took a fleece to the Wisconsin sheep conference where we washed a small section for display. It was so soft and light, and for want of a better description.... "creamy soft" ... I am looking forward to working with this wool.

       LAMBS!!!!! The first ½ Est A Laine x Polypay lambs are here. What CHUNKS! But they aren't "blocky", they have a nice long loin. With WOOL! We're *really* excited about them. Our Canadian partner's Est a Laine crosses are as exciting as ours. They're almost coming out running, up and sucking right away, and they are solid little critters, you can just tell that they are going to be quick growing and have a nice carcass quality. The wool difference between them and the East Friesland is visually measurable, they are carrying the fine merino qualities. The East Frieslands have big ears that stand sort of straight out to the sides, the Est A Laine's have a rather droopy ear. The lambs are inheriting this droop, which makes them intensely appealing as youngsters! I can hardly wait to breed daughters back Est A Laine!!!! This is *way fun*!!!!!

       We like the Est A Laine crosses so well that for 1998 lambs we will be breeding most of our Polypay foundation ewes to them, as well as the 97-born ½ Est a Laine ewe lambs. The Est a Laine cross I am most excited about, though, is the ½ East Friesland x ½ Polypay ewe lambs born in 97. We will breed them Est a Laine too, resulting in ½ Est a Laine x ¼ Polypay x ¼ East Friesland lambs. This just might be pretty darn close to a *perfect* ewe. We already have ewe lambs ordered from this mating.

       We sell our wethers as feeder lambs in early Fall. The buyers *really* liked the Est a Laine cross lambs. They said, "This is what we're looking for. Bring us more of these." So next year's lamb crop should be pretty exciting for both the lamb feeders and for our commercial ewe flock expansion.

       Rusty and I want to say a huge THANK YOU and congratulations to Carolyn and Walter Craft of Wisconsin who have purchased one of the Canadian purebred Est a Laine Merino rams. In this guy's future is siring 4-H lambs and more! Congratulations and thanks also to Kris Hopkins of Wisconsin who sweet-talked me out of a 50% Est a Laine ewe lamb last Spring.

Blanche is ready to start the new flock.	Young Est A Laine ram eager to help Blanche.

Groveland Farm Mare & Rusty Jarvis 2862 South Peterson Road Poplar, WI     54864 Email grovelandfarm@supwi.com www.all-animals.com/groveland/sheeph.html