[Jacob-list] Re: Sheep shearing question......

[Betty Berlenbach]

Seems to me the breed standard says that if the sheep sheds, it is not
registerable.  Am I imagining that?  I am crazy busy and don't have time to
look right now, but Jacobs are not supposed to shed as a matter of course.
Undue stress is something else again! Betty!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Linda" <patchworkfibers at alltel.net>
To: <gordon at westergladstone.fsnet.co.uk>; <jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 08, 2004 2:40 PM
Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] Re: Sheep shearing question......


> Thank you, it's very clear.
> I have seen the weak layer a couple of times in ewes that underwent a
serious stress event during pregnancy and had the
> one ewe with mastitis that actually lost most of her fleece.  But, I don't
think it's a standard occurrence around
> here, judging from my own wool and fleeces I've bought from neighbors.  I
wonder if it might be because we have such
> mild winters?  I'm in NE Georgia, in the mountains, where it is unusual
for temps to go much below 20 or so in the
> winter.  Does that make any sense?
>
> Linda
>
> On Sat, 7 Aug 2004 23:44:40 +0100, gordon johnston wrote:
> >Lots of people don't know about the rise, so don't worry. Just think tree
> >rings. When it's summer and the feeding is good, the wool grows long and
> >thick. In winter when it's cold and the feeding's poorer, the wool growth
> >slows and thins. This thinner, weaker wool is the rise - the layer of
weak
> >wool between last year's strong summer growth and this year's strong
summer
> >growth. The rise is most marked in ewes as in the winter they are growing
> >lambs at the expense of their own wool, so the rise is particularly
pronounced
> >- a very noticable layer of very weak wool that hand shears just zip
through.
> >If a ewe is stressed by illness during pregnancy, this weak layer is so
weak
> >the the fleece can just fall off. With tups (rams) and gimmers the rise
is
> >minimal and can be hard to discern in places. Makes shearing accurately
more
> >difficult.
> >
> >I hope that is reasonably clear
> >
> >Gordon with 2 more sheep to shear.
> >
> >
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