[Jacob-list] Introduction and questions

[B&B Peters]

Hi,
I joined this list to learn more about the Jacob breed of sheep.  I find
them intriguing from a hand spinners point of view, and so have done some
reading and searched as many websites as I could find related to the breed.
I have even been given a small sample of Jacob fleece, that I spun up.  It
was very easy to spin, and very soft and fine, but from what I have been
reading it sounds like not all the wool is like that.

I have been spinning since 1975, and always had a small flock of mixed
breeds for my handspinning needs.  Never had a Jacob, and have never even
seen one in the flesh up close enough to feel. At this point in our lives we
are scaling down in size in our little flock, I mean down in the size of the
animal.  Currently we have a few Shetland crosses, and a purebred Shetland,
and a larger ram that is half Icelandic, but still small by commercial
standards.  I was wondering how a Jacob would fit into the small flock of
ours; I was thinking of a ewe.  All my sheep are polled and when I had
horned sheep in the past they caused problems.  The horned sheep were
dominant over the polled ones; they had horns and knew how to use them.
They also managed to get caught in fences, and feeders, etc. much more than
the polled ones.  Do the ewes ever come polled in the Jacob breed?  I
presume that the bucks are always horned?  I maybe stirring up a hornets
nest by saying that I do not like the looks of the four horned sheep, and
would prefer two horns if they don't come polled.  I was also wondering how
hard it is to get a soft fine fleece say about 25-28 microns, or at least
under 30.

We live in Montana by the way, so if any of you are from here I'd like to
know that.

I appreciate all the discussion and knowledge anyone cares to share.
Thanks,
Barbara Peters