[Jacob-list] Gray areas.

[MView16 at aol.com]

It is interesting to note that the people who purchased Jacob and Shetland 
fleeces from me in upstate New York were very attracted to the greyed Jacob 
fleeces.  They saw them as a way to produce naturally mottled yarn without 
all the machinations necessary with distinctinctly white and grey fleeces.  I 
sold about 30 fleeces in all a year and could have sold twice the number of 
greyed Jacob fleeces that I had.  I think that the greyed animals have a very 
productive place in the flock even though you probably would not want the 
majority to grey early.  You frequently make more money with beautiful Jacob 
breeding stock--often the distinctly spotted animals.  The greying animals 
gave me $30 a year for their fleeces and some sales to spinners flocks for a 
lower price...but they paid their way and offered another dimension to 
present to buyers.  I was trying to make the animals pay as well as 
conserving the breed, so I thought a lot about productivity.  

As far as genetics were concerned...it often seemed that if I had twins, one 
was usually an early greyer and the other one had distinct spotting.  I 
always felt that greying was linked to freckling.  

Jeanne Massey
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