[Jacob-list] Tales of Tails

[Grose]

This is the first that I have heard of there Jacobs having a jointed tail. Hmm. What I do see is that Jacob sheep have a proper sloping rump which implies a flexible broad ligament [that's it's name, it overlies the pelvis] which in wild cattle allows them to pee without repositioning there feet. It is also critical to ease of lambing. My brother has some 'dog trained' sheep that have a lot of Barbados in them...even they have much more level rumps than do the Jacobs.

I go back and forth on docking. Down here, it is not the babies that have problems with hygiene, but the teenagers that go out and catch a wad of worms [or after a rain, load up on that patch of green stuff that they probably shouldn't eat]. It may not be enough to give them a case of parasitosis, but it can make a mess. We have higher worm loads in pastures in NC than just about anywhere. I tend to dock most of the ewe lambs and not the rams. My Muslim friends prefer an 'unblemished' male. This also means that I don't castrate. It is not like these guys are going on the graded lamb sale anyway.

Neal Grose
North Carolina
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Wayne VanValkenburg 
  To: jacob-list 
  Sent: Thursday, September 12, 2002 8:59 AM
  Subject: [Jacob-list] Tales of Tails


  Hi Betty, 
  Another great article of information.  In our case it was not so much about showing as we only show our Jacob in a Jacob show, but "in the beginning"  when the breed was virtually unknown here, we were taking them all over not in shows but as a breed pen to educate the public. Fieldwood Farm and ourselves were the only ones doing that at one time.  It is so rewarding now to have a pen of Jacob at a festival and people come along and say "oh look, there are the Jacob sheep."  
  One thing about the Jacob breed, their tail is jointed like a cow and thus they can lift their tail.  Most other breeds do not.  Thus the hygiene situation is more evident.  
  I believe that management and weather conditions have  a great deal to do with the diarrhea problem.
  Thanks for another view.
  Edie Van Valkenburg  Joy Farm
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