[Jacob-list] Freckling

[Wayne & Edie Van Valkenburg]

We had no evidence of freckling in our Tramatola lines or the Hescock.
We used Fieldwood Isaac the first year. then Fieldwood Frosty.  Then a
Hescock ram, Marcus which we purchased for several years.  After that we
line bred with a ram out of Frosty and Marcus.
The only hint of freckling was gray spots on one of our girls, Joyful
after she was 5.  This appeared on her back and only affected her fleece
as she aged. We did us a ram from Indiana, Sunnycrest Cephas and he put
spots in our flock,  but I do not believe he did for the successive
owners.,
But we did see, as more and more of the western sheep were bred to the
eastern Jacob that spots began to show up.
We saw them in the Heiman line. Also Royal Unzicker has one that we
bought from Crafts and she was spotted.
Where possible we have selected it out of the flock.
Because I like to separate the fleece into 3 colors for our roving, I
prefer not to have the spots.  It makes it a whole lot easier to
separate.
I had a handspinner buy one of our fleeces that was spotted.  She spun
and knitted it into a beautiful geometric patterned sweater of white,
red and black.  Unfortunately, the white was not clear because of the
freckling and it blurred the pattern somewhat.
Usually, we have found if a lamb is going to spot you can pick up some
on the belly line and the rear.  They seem to multiply and it gets to
one or two years of age.
At least, this has been our experience.
Edie