#the lab coast needs to come in more colors. yellow lab coat PLEASE-

[bumpscosity]

here's my first pass on a smiler fandragon scry. now if only moderns had carnivore....

[vendygrant]

Labrador Retriever

The Labrador retriever or more commonly known as Labrador or lab, is one of the most popular dog breeds in the world, especially in western countries. These dogs can be friendly companions as well as working dogs.

Origins

These dogs hail from the island of Newfoundland, off the northeastern Atlantic coast of Canada. They were originally known as St. John’s dogs, so named after the capital city of Newfoundland.

In the beginning of the 1700s, Labradors worked as companions as well as helpers of local fisherman. They retrieved fish that had escaped hooks and towed in lines during the day, while spending the evening with the fishermen’s family.

English sportsmen who saw their usefulness imported a few to England to serve as retrievers for hunting. The third Earl of Malmesbury was the first to call them as Labradors.

Appearance

·       These are sporting dogs with a muscular appearance and are a medium to large breed.

·       Labradors have a short, dense, weather resistant double coat and a broad and strong tail.

·       They come in three main colors as black, chocolate and yellow.

·       Males can weigh between 29-36 kg, while females can weigh around 25-32 kg.

·       Labrador males can reach heights of 56-57 cm, while females can reach heights of 55-56 cm.

·       They have webbed toes making them excellent swimmers.

·       These dogs also have a broad head with slightly pronounced eyebrows.

·       They also have strong and powerful jaws.

·       Labradors have a lifespan of 10-12 years, though some can live longer with proper care.

Personality

·       Labradors are reputed to be one of the most sweet- natured breeds.

·       They are outgoing, eager to please and friendly with both people and other animals.

·       Thus they make good therapy dogs as well as assistant dogs for those with disabilities.

·       These dogs are easy to train due to their high intelligence and also their eagerness to please.

·       Labs are active dogs needing both physical and mental activity to keep them happy.

·       They need at least 30-60 minutes of exercise a day, else they’ll vent out their pent up energy in destructive ways such as barking and chewing.

·       These dogs also love to eat and so can become obese very quickly.

·       Labradors also excel as search and rescue dogs and also certain dog sports such as agility and obedience competitions.

·       These dogs are however hopeless as watch dogs!

Diseases

·       Labradors are generally healthy but can be prone to certain health conditions.

·       Hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, osteochondrosis dissecans, cataracts, progressive retinal atrophy, epilepsy, tricuspid valve dysplasia, myopathy, gastric dilation-volvulus, acute moist dermatitis, cold tail and ear infections are some of them.

·       Not all Labradors will get these diseases, but it is safe to be on the lookout.

Care

·       These dogs love to be with the family and do not like to be left alone.

·       They need exercise and should be taken on a 30 minute daily walk.

·       Labradors should be trained when they are puppies.

·       These are mouthy dogs and need something to carry in their mouth.

That’s it for Labradors. Hope you’ll enjoy the company of these sweet dogs!

[dyeingtodye-blog]

Pygora

Pygora Goat “Peanut” of Harmony Homestead (Breed Association Link)

The pygora goat is a fiber goat that originated from crossing the pygmy goat and the white angora goat. 

Pygora goats will produce cashmere-like fleece (Classified as Type-C), a mohair-like fleece (Type-A), or a combination of the two fleeces (Type-B). Type-A fleece is composed of fibers averaging 6 or more inches in length that drape in ringlets. It may occur as a single coat, but a silky guard hair is usually present. The fibers are typically less than 28 micrometers in diameter. Type-B fleece fibers average between 3 to 6 inches (150 mm) in length with one, possibly two, guard hairs. The fibers are usually less than 24 µm in diameter. Type-C fleece is very fine, typically 1 to 3 inches (76 mm) in length and less than 18.5 µm in diameter. Pygoras come in a handful of colors: White, red, brown, black, gray or a mix of the colors.   Pygora wethers generally have higher quality fiber than the does and bucks because they do not spend all their energy producing young.

Four Pygora Clouds

Pygora guard hairs removed by the dehairing process.

Sage Pygora Yarn

Off white fiber dyed at a .5% Depth of Shade; 60% Amazon Green, 20% Sunshine Yellow, 15% Ruby Red, and 5% Amethyst Purple.

Berry Pygora Yarn

On off white fiber, dyed at a .5% Depth of Shade; 75% Ruby Red, 25% Amethyst Purple.

Orange Pygora Yarn

Dyed white and gray fiber at a 1% Depth of Shade; 95% Sunset Orange, 5% River Blue.

A note from a friend.

Hello Sarah!

Well Pygoras are the BEST fiber friends  The fleece on the animal is just wonderful to the touch. Since I was a child, I was intrigued with the spinning wheel. As an adult, I was excited  with the idea of making a product from start to finish. I found pygoras to be friendly, amusing, portable (to festivals,community events) and enjoy watching herd behavior! They were not overly expensive, and small enough for me to handle all of their routine care and sheering. The Pygora  Breeder Association was very helpful in sharing information with me, as was the breeder from whom I  bought my goats . If you have not visited  www.pba.com. you will find lots of information there about the breed. I still have my pygoras because I love them, they give me ample ooprtunities to spend time outdoors and find a peaceful place to hang out  I would tell others thinking about getting pygoras that I have two for sale now  And I would be sure that they had an understanding of what pygoras need every day of the year.

My most humorous goat episode involved driving in NYC through downtown Manhatten. I took a wrong turn, and somehow was driving through town with my mortified teenage daughter. The traffic was stopped,and my new Buck was rather vocal. It was fun to pretend we did not know we had a goat in the car. I hope that helps, Oh, and as far as using photos; as long as you reference Harmony Homestead Pygoras, I would be delighted to share. Please share your blog with me so I may subscribe:)

Elaine of Harmony Homestead

Dear Elaine,

I hope you see this post. I no longer have acess to your contact information.  Your story about your goat reminds me of my move to NY.  We had three young Gulf Coast Native Ewes in the back of our small 4 door.  We saw a young child parked in the car next to us at a gas station exclaim “Mommy!  There’s a sheep in that car!!!” The mothers responce was “No dear, sheep don’t travel in cars...” She trailed off as all three bleated in her ear in unison...

Sarah

Pygora Breeders Association:

The Pygora is a fiber goat bred purposely to produce a wonderful, lofty, soft, fiber that does not coarsen as the goat ages! Pygoras have an affectionate, engaging personality, a manageable size, good health and fleeces in a range of colors. Pygoras were developed by Katharine Jorgensen in Oregon. The Pygora Breeders Association (PBA) was formed in 1987 and maintains the registry herd book. All Pygoras come from registered parents and can trace their lineage back to two specific parent breeds: American Angora Goat Breeders Association (AAGBA)-registered goats and National Pygmy Goat Association (NPGA)- registered goats.

A Pygora goat can have one of three fleece types:

•       Type A—averages 6 inches in length, is long, lustrous, has ringlets and should have very few guard hairs. The fiber is very fine and feels silky, smooth and cool to the touch. The fibers typically are less than 28 micrometers in diameter.

•      Type B—a strong, lustrous fiber that is curly and very soft. A type-B fleece averages 3-6 inches long, and may have two types of guard hairs: an obvious, stiff guard hair and a silky guard hair. It is the uniquely Pygora fleece - very versatile, warm to the touch and soft. The fibers typically are less than 24 micrometers in diameter.

•      Type C—a matte fiber with crimp and a very short staple length (usually 1-3 inches). It has a very obvious coarse guard hair and is warm to the touch. Type C has the finest diameter of the three fleece types and can be as soft as fine cashmere. The fibers typically are less than 18 micrometers in diameter. Q: Why did you start raising pygoras? A: I started our Pygora herd out of the desire spin and weave my own fiber, teach animal husbandry to our children and enhance our country life with some unique, fun loving animals. When researching different animals and breeds, I was drawn to the Pygoras, for not only their fiber, but for their size and potential for being a multipurpose goat.

Q: Why do you still have pygoras?

A: Why, simply, because I love them and the fiber they produce. I enjoy the process of raising them. They provide a continual learning experience, from breeding and raising the kids, to shearing, processing and working with their fiber, the learning never ends. There really is never a dull moment on the farm or in the fiber studio. I continually have new ideas that I want to explore, research and create. Right now, I am pouring over the micron test that just came back from the lab and learning more about each of my goats fiber. In conjunction to the facts & numbers on paper, I have taken one ounce of dehaired cloud from each animal and am working on spinning and crocheting a block for comparison samples. All this will help in selecting breeding pairs to improve the future generations of Pygoras that we produce, and providing the best fiber possible to fiber artist.

Pygora Breeder:

Q: What would you tell others thinking about getting into pygoras? A: Three things....First, Make sure that they are truly Pygoras. Meaning that they are registered with the PBA. I learned this the hard way. The first goats that we purchased were not registered, they were great fiber goats, but not Pygoras as I was told that they were, they were simply a cross. As Pygoras were what I wanted to raise, this was quite the disappointment and it set us back a couple years before we could establish a true Pygora herd. Starting out with quality stock that you can trace bloodlines and lineage is very important when you are wanting to raise and improve any breed. Second, It will take time, love and dedication. Yarn farming isn't always as romantic as it sounds, the vet may need to be called or a fleece may be too far matted to be saved, and it seems the barn more often than not needs to be mucked out. In the long run, it is all worth it. Third, find your support network. Join the PBA and get to know others with Pygoras, they can be an amazing help!

Q: What is the most mind blowing experience you've had with your pygoras? A: This is a hard question to answer. There really isn't one experience that comes to mind. Maybe it is because for me it has been the whole experience, a daily experience. Right now, it is the twins that greet me every morning out in the barn. They are only a week old and take a little bit of my heart every time I see them. We have had 10 kids born this season, they have all been special, but these two are by far the sweetest. They come out from behind their mother or from their hiding place just to say "hello" and nibble on my fingers or pant leg. Okay, so I think that covers your questions. If you have more, please let me know, I would be happy to answer them with long run on sentences. =) A friend of mine recently asked me if I think about goats all the time, and I had to honestly answer her, "Yes, pretty much."  She recently purchase Pygoras from me, and is finding them in her thoughts often, too. You can find more photos and recent updates on my FaceBook Farm page, too. https://www.facebook.com/LittleHawkFarmPygoras Please, send me a link to your blog post about Pygoras, I don't want to miss it! Ruth Hawkins Little Hawk Farm Pygoras 

Thank you:

Ruth Hawkins of Little Hawk Farm Pygoras

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygora_goat

http://www.pygoragoats.org/index.html

http://www.harmonyhomesteadpygoras.com/our_pygoras.htm