[Jacob-list] breeding lines

[Chovhani]

I'm a middle-of-the-road breeder, not in it for big bucks or showing, but we
don't "play" at Jacobs either, if you know what I mean, anything too far
from "correct" is dinner. We got into this breed because of our interest in
ancient breeds and also for fleeces. We've found we love them so much we now
breed them just because. These lambs are exquisite. When I put the photos up
Monday you'll see what I mean. On a scale of 1 to 10 (my scale) they are
both 12's. Your point about "an old saying that if it turns out bad, it's
inbreeding, but if it turns out good, it's line-breeding" is well-taken.
We've done it deliberately with small critters (rabbits and chickens) to
create specific lines and found it very useful. So you see I'm very
undecided, hence my asking everyone.



Melanie
http://www.geocities.com/onionperogie
http://earthhome.tripod.com

For the believer no evidence is necessary for the nonbeliever none is
possible







----- Original Message -----
From: Thomas Simmons <creagchild at monad.net>
To: jacob-list <jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>
Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2001 2:22 PM
Subject: [Jacob-list] breeding lines


Melanie-

Much depends on your plans for the progeny, as well as the importance to you
of preserving a particular "line."

It is *not* bad in and of itself to breed a ram to a relative; there is an
old saying that if it turns out bad, it's inbreeding, but if it turns out
good, it's line-breeding!

I would breed a ram to a female relative in order to preserve the traits
within that particular ram's line, with an eye towards replacing the
original ram with his line-bred progeny.  However, I would then use that
male progeny to cross-line breed to ewes of another "line."

So, since Arthur's son is still young, you may not need a "replacement" for
him soon; you can use his to breed unrelated ewes. But, if you like what
Arthur produces, you might want to breed him, later on, to a mom, sister, or
daughter to "replace" him as he gets on in years.

 Personally, I have a few ewes out of Dan Kennedy's old "Killorglin"  flock,
all of which are very primitive looking, very dark, and have blue eyes.  I
am really HOPING for a ram out one of them, so that I can breed him back to
a Killorglin ewe and create sort of a "Genetic Killorglin Package" in a
future ram.  I hope to do the same with my two Northcote sheep, and with my
(for-lack-of-a-better name), Waldo line (a number of unregistered and FF
sheep in midcoast Maine).

thom