Fw: [Jacob-list] Re: Fw: Color woes

[Mark and Cathie Williams]

-----Original Message-----
From: WenlochFrm at aol.com <WenlochFrm at aol.com>
To: creagchild at monad.net <creagchild at monad.net>; jacob-list at jacobsheep.com
<jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>
Date: Wednesday, April 12, 2000 6:52 PM
Subject: [Jacob-list] Re: Fw: Color woes


>Right on, Tom. I couldn't agree with you more. There are two things that
are
>worrisome to me, the first being overstandardization of the breed, and the
>second is the impact the show ring will have on the breed as showing
becomes
>more popular.
>
>Joan Franklin
>
>
>In a message dated 4/11/00 5:19:53 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
>creagchild at monad.net writes:
>
>>
>>  >
>>  >I think you raise a very important issue concerning registration, one
that
>>  >perhaps will never go away.
>>  >
>>  >The American Livestorck Breeds Conservatory has suggested that there
are
>>  >really four different categories into which breeds may fall:
>>  >
>>  >Standardized (a predictable set of features developed by human-directed
>>  >breeding programs)
>>  >Landrace (a variable set of features within parameters as a result of
both
>>  >human and natural selection)
>>  >Industrial ( standardized "to the max")
>>  >Feral  (one of the other three which has returned to the wild; often
>>  >cross-bred, except where geographically isolated).
>>  >
>>  >While the Jacob is considered "Standardized," I think it's important to
>>  >point out that many folks will point to the distinct difference between
>the
>>  >American Jacob (which the ALBC considers rare) and the English Jacob.
>>  >
>>  >The English Jacobs are clearly more standardized, being popular as
"park
>>  >animals" gracing the lawns of country estates.
>>  >
>>  >American Jacobs seem far more variable, leaning a little more towards
the
>>  >Landrace end of the spectrum.
>>  >
>>  >Which of the styles you prefer is, of course, completely up to your
tastes
>>  >as a breeder, but I do think we should recognize that English Jacobs
and
>>  >American Jacobs have departed on precisely this point of the degree of
>>  >standardization.
>>  >
>>  >My own, purely personal approach is to avoid a high degee of
>>  >standardization.  Jacobs existed as north african sheep long before
they
>>  >graced British estates, and my own personal preference is to permit the
>>  >variations that would evidence themselves in the less restricted
>>  >environment.
>>  >
>>  >Again, this is just my approach to life (sorry, I'm  a Celtic
mystic!) -
>>  >even my chickens are free-range, and I refuse to artificially light
their
>>  >quarters in the winter to force more egg-laying.
>>  >
>>  >In most animal shows, conformity to the Breed Standard is important.
As a
>>  >matter of personal taste, i think I would prefer the least restrictive
>>  >standards possible, within the parameters of what actually constitutes
the
>>  >breed - especially when the gene pool is limited and the breed is rare.
>>  >
>>  >But that's just me.
>>  >
>>  >thom
>>
>
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