[Jacob-list] Chocolate Lilacs--Purity?

[Neal and Louise Grose]

When we cross our lilac Jacob sheep to homozygous white longwool sheep, we
get piebald black and white lambs. I have done enough test crossing that I
am reasonably sure that the black is the dominant Jacob black.

I have never seen a crossbred lilac sheep. In my experience, the sheep has
to be at least 3/4 Jacob in order for lilac to be expressed at all.

This is going to be a little uncomfortable to say, but "lilac" expression is
"proof" that the animal is "purebred Jacob".

If the question is: "How does the gene cause the expression of  lilac?" Then
I haven't a clue. We're working on it.

Neal Grose
North Carolina
As seen on a bumper sticker: "A closed mouth gathers no feet"

----- Original Message -----
From: <ranchrat at telusplanet.net>
To: <jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2003 4:45 PM
Subject: [Jacob-list] Chocolate Lilacs--Purity?


> Heel low:
>
> Thoughts please on these chocolate lilacs...is this possible in purebred
Jacobs
> or is this an influence from the influx of other breeds (colored sheep as
in
> recessive black or brown versions maybe linking up with lilac??).  What
other
> breeds would do this to a Jacob line?  Personal experiences or theories
very
> welcome--posted privately or on the list!
>
> I am asking because there is a chocolate lilac I am looking at purchasing
who
> has very dark facial and extremity coloring and provides lots of milk to
her
> lambs.
>
> Doggone,
>
> Tara
> --
>      ____(\                Tara Lee Higgins                  /)____
>     (_____~>        Rat Ranch - An ACD is for LIFE          <~_____)
>    ( ``  ``          ranchrat at telusplanet.net                ``  `` )
>     \                       Alberta Canada                         /
>      )  http://www.telusplanet.net/public/ranchrat/index.html     (
>
>
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