~ Meet the Woolhalla family ~
TUNIS
Our new ram
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2019 will give us Odie's first lambs. He came to us as a lamb himself from Rancho del Aguilas here in Queen Creek - a real bonus to find such a good ram so close to us. Odie is compact, short-legged guy with great color and conformation. We look forward to him being with us a few years. He has a wether buddy, Captain (right), a Tunis-California red cross. |
Sheep are flock animals and do much better if not kept singly. A wether can be everyone's friend.
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At 8 years old, Hera is the matriarch of the Woolhalla Tunis flock. She's a daughter from our original ram, Thor, and her 10 lambs are in 10 different Tunis flocks in the Phoenix area and western U.S. Every year, her fleece has been a joy to hand spinners - long and thick with just the proper amount of crimp. The fiber is lovely in its natural color, but also gorgeous dyed with either natural or chemical dyes, producing clear but muted colors. |
A flock dispersal sale brought Cupcake to us. Every sheep in the flock has a job, and Cupcake's is to provide heritage-style, also called old-style, genetics. These qualities include a compact body and short legs which make her especially feed-efficient. The deep red color and shaggy fleece are also heritage-style markers. Cupcake will lamb for the first time in 2018. |
Sophie is the "memory lamb" that every flock's got, even though the shepherd might not admit to!
Her mom, Sam, unexpectedly passed away last year (Shhh! she was The Favorite), and so we kept one of her lambs in tribute. We have our fingers crossed that Sophie inherited her mom's docility, calm demeanor, love of people, lovely oatmeal-colored wool, and spectacular mothering ability. Sophie was named in honor of a young, inquisitive, Australian woman who has "honorary shepherd" status on our farm for her determination to learn about Tunis sheep, and to be the first to import the breed into Australia. Go Sophie! |
Princess Buttercup is a daughter of Hera we chose to keep in the flock, and have not been disappointed! Like her mom, she has produced solid breed-standard perfect twins each year, and her deep creamy-colored fleece has been lovely, as well. She's a keeper! |
As we rebuilt the farm a couple of years ago, patience was the most necessary requirement, and so in 2016 we named the first lamb born on the new farm for that virtue, Patience. She's always in the middle of things, but careful to never take the lead. She's a real sheep-in-the-headlights kinda gal, but with good fleece, good conformation, and good color in her favor,we overlook her skittishness. |
Sally arrived from Schafwolle Ranch in Waddell, Arizona, which keeps a superior fleece flock. She also brings new out-of-state genetics with her. Sally's lining herself up to take over leadership when Hera is done, and like Hera, she has an imposing appearance - long bodied, long legged, regal head and neck, great color, and Oh! That fleece!!. 
One of our favorite musicals is the 1950 Broadway show Guys and Dolls. When one of the granddaughters and fellow shepherd had a role in the performance at her high school, we simply had to name this sassy, showy, over-the-top gal in honor of our favorite character, Miss Adelaide. Who knows, if she has a ram lamb this year, he may become Nathan Detroit! |
After a couple of trips to local growers to evaluate and contemplate, we chose Minerva, born at Cinnamon Roost Farm in Glendale, Arizona. A truly lovely yearling, she has the deep red coloring we were looking for, the finer fleece we wanted, the friendly demeanor we coveted, and the new blood lines we required. With all these qualities, she will be an integral part of our breeding program for a number of years. |
Because our ram, Ragnar, was going somewhere else to live after the 2018 breeding season, we were able to keep several of his ewe lambs, and so Robin, Ramona, Beezus, and Artemis joined the flock.
Robin is a daughter of Princess Buttercup, and named for the actress who played that role so perfectly. Our Robin has a role as well, and it is to contribute her robin-red coloring to future flock lambs. |
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Ramona was a bottle-fed lamb, and so became ever so friendly and approachable. She is growing into her role as farm ambassador and loves to be the first to greet anyone coming to check out the sheep. |
Beezus is the twin sister of Ramona, but her job is a different one. Beezus is the largest of the yearlings and has the makings of an excellent brood ewe. Her red coloring is going to be a deep orange, just like her mother, Sally. |
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Artemis is the newest member of our oldest sheep line! During Woolhalla Tunis's first ten years, her mother, Hera, and her grandfather, Thor, have led the flock in fleece quality. At age 8 Hera is slowing down and her fleece changing, so we are doubly grateful to have Artemis around as Woolhalla's second decade begins. |
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OTHER BREEDS
In addition to Tunis, Woohalla keeps a few other sheep especially for their fleece qualities. Esperanza, a cross between Tunis and California Red breeds was born on the farm several years ago when we were experimenting with adding that breed to our flock. Esperanza is nicknamed "Puffball," and her fleece shows why - in addition to being long, thick, and blocky, its color taupe, oatmeal, reddish, or tan, depending on the light and your own perspective. |
The fine print -
1) The next shearing day will be March 2, 2019.
2) If you are interested in reserving a whole or half fleece, contact us for further details, or contact Tempe Yarn and Fiber
where your $30 deposit will be due.
3) Tunis fleeces generally weigh about 9 lbs unskirted, and other breeds a little more or less.
4) Fleeces generally cost $$10/lb. Contact us for details.
5) Because Arizona's summer temperatures can exceed 115 degrees, we do not coat our sheep. Would you like to wear an extra layer in those conditions?! Thus our fleeces may have more veg or VM than fleeces from a more moderate climate. Queen Creek is famous for dust storms, which can mean more silty dirt in the fleece. That said, we are proud of our fleeces and have worked hard to keep them as clean as possible. Shearers have remarked on their clean condition.
1) The next shearing day will be March 2, 2019.
2) If you are interested in reserving a whole or half fleece, contact us for further details, or contact Tempe Yarn and Fiber
where your $30 deposit will be due.
3) Tunis fleeces generally weigh about 9 lbs unskirted, and other breeds a little more or less.
4) Fleeces generally cost $$10/lb. Contact us for details.
5) Because Arizona's summer temperatures can exceed 115 degrees, we do not coat our sheep. Would you like to wear an extra layer in those conditions?! Thus our fleeces may have more veg or VM than fleeces from a more moderate climate. Queen Creek is famous for dust storms, which can mean more silty dirt in the fleece. That said, we are proud of our fleeces and have worked hard to keep them as clean as possible. Shearers have remarked on their clean condition.
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IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SCHEDULE A FARM TOUR to see the sheep in person, contact us to arrange a convenient time.
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