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

[Dr. David R. Lincicome]

1153 hrs/Thursday 13 April 2000

It would seem wise to me that both Jacob organizations adopt a policy of
no-showing.  Most Judges are commercially oriented and are not trained to judge
Jacobs.  Showing tends to reinforce breeding to please judges and win ribbons,
and that is certainly not what we want with our Jacobs.

I am concerned how many breeders worry about slipped eye patches, whether there
is enough spotting on the legs or body.  If we give in to personal preferences
or personal aesthetics to guide our breeding programs to preserve and conserve
the primitive Jacob, then we are lost.  All of us must strive to know the whole
of the genomic expressions of this primitive sheep in order to preserve it.

David Richard Lincicome, Ph.D.,PAS, DACAP
Guest Scientist, USDA

Mark and Cathie Williams wrote:

> -----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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> >
>
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