[Jacob-list] Lots of lambs/scrapie programs

[Jacobflock at aol.com]

In a message dated 3/12/02 8:40:14 AM Central Standard Time, 
wolfpen at rabun.net writes:

<< How many Jacob breeders are in the voluntary program?  How many breeders 
would not 
 buy from someone not enrolled?  Or would not buy from someone that had a 
newer entry 
 date into the program?
 
 To respond to Robin's original question - I think the voluntary program 
would 
 seriously limit my options when adding new stock.  Unless all the Jacobs 
breeders 
 are involved, it seems like we will have two separate strains - the 
voluntary 
 scrapie strains and the "others."  It will interesting to see what develops 
in a few 
 years when an already limited gene pool is further constrained.
  >>

Commitment and flock objective issues are important.  We raise Jacobs as a 
rare breed conservation effort.  Breed health for a rare breed is important.  
We are in both the OPP and scrapie programs, keep records, every sheep that 
dies is necropsied.  We try to keep on top of genetic defects and problems.  

There is a live scrapie test under development in Washington (third eyelid 
test) and some breeds are genetically more prone and resistant to scrapie (a 
genetic test is available for genetic susceptability .. RR at codon 171 et 
al.).  However, one must also keep genetic diversity in mind.  Closing a 
flock and breeding for a single trait (e.g., RR) can evaporate the gene 
puddle.  We isolate new stock, run a health check, test for OPP, and only 
after it suggests there is no apparent problem, introduce it to the "flock" 
group.  How does scrapie fit in?

We would prefer to buy a ram from an enrolled flock but would (as in the 
past) buy from an unenrolled flock.  However, I think we would put an OPP 
test at a higher priority because it presents the greater incidence risk to 
flock and breed health.

Over the past 18 days we had 16 days of lambing, 52 are on the ground as of 
today, we are down to the last three ewes which are from the tenth sire.  The 
52 lambs are from 33 ewes by nine sires.   (( The lambs are almost equally 
divided between rams and ewes ... we used Strongid C buckets for the ewes' 
water.))   To promote genetic diversity we use many rams including rams from 
non-enrolled flocks.  All the lambs will get tagged and listed for our 
scrapie program records.  The OPP testing continues (drew some blood 
yesterday) ...  we watch for anomalies in breed health ... the commitment to 
the breed and genetic diversity is stronger than "the inconvenience" ...  Put 
in perspective, the concern for the breed and inconveniences were always 
there, now there is a federal program for one of them but it should not 
curtail the conservation commitment to genetic diversity.   

Fred Horak