[Jacob-list] Registration Requirements

[Thomas Simmons]

Mary - 

You commented, "I hope that you will continue to be interested in your Jacob sheep."

You can rest assured that I will!  In fact, I just "divested" myself of my Shetlands and Blackface specifically so I could concentrate my efforts on one breed - my Jacobs. And I should add that Esau is NOT my only ram, I have other rams, even one who is JSBA-registered with perfectly balanced and separated 4-horns :-) !   This is NOT a case of "losing" my only ram.

I think your last email does a very good job at explaining your philosophy and breeding approach in order to produce good solid good horns.  I am sure you can be proud of what you've been able to accomplish.

My personal approach is different.  I assume that if allowed to develop naturally, Jacobs would produce all sorts of interesting variations and combinations of traits.  I am sure in the wild, they did.  As a shepherd of a rare breed, I see my role as protecting them, meeting their needs, preventing loss due to predation, and preventing destruction of the gene pool through cross-breeding.  To me, breeding is NOT a program of "creating" or "improving" a trait; it is a Program of "full gene diversification" within the breed.  This year I bred Esau to Ewe #1, and Levi to Ewe #2; next year I will reverse it.  Again - the goal is not to create what I want to create, but to preserve what is already in the gene pool, whether it is pleasing, ugly, beautiful, or otherwise.  This is particularly the case with Esau, since his sire and brother appear to have wonderful, healthy horns, and the lamb he sired this year - though two-horned - already looks like he will have impressive horns.  Time will tell. 

I know that the breed standard permits diversity; I guess my position is that the breed standard should be as diverse as the breed  itself, not more restrictive than the breed's true diversity.

thom
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