[Jacob-list] Shedding

[Anderson, Gary B.]

Joan Horak in her recent message on shedding listed several possible causes;
I'd like to add one to her list.  Years ago among the first Jacob sheep that
I purchased was a flock experiencing serious shedding problems.  Many of the
ewes looked as if they were wearing skirts; the ewes were bald on top but
fully wooled along the lower halves of their bodies.  The owner was keeping
the ewes for wool, and damage to their fleeces was a major concern.
Veterinary diagnosis was a genetic defect that caused the shedding; the
recommended treatment was slaughter.  At the time my interest in Jacob
conservation was stronger than my knowledge of the breed, and I regretted
seeing this flock destroyed.  Moreover, I had not known this genetic
condition to exist in sheep.

As I stood at the fence, I watched the companion donkey walk from ewe to
ewe, grazing along the backs of the affected animals as he went.  I didn't
know the owner well enough to suggest that the veterinary diagnosis might be
bogus.  Subsequently, I bought the ewes, which did not suffer a recurrence
of the shedding problem as long as I had them.  I got rid of the last of
them 2 or 3 years ago at the age of 8 to 10 years.

I'd like to add to Joan's list another possible cause of shedding in
sheep...grazing donkeys.  All this is to say that, like Joan's example of
wool biting, the owner's watchful eye often can pick up clues to solve the
problem.