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Wed Feb 2 07:52:04 EST 2005

My young early greyers went from black to salt and pepper in one year
(one shearing to the next).  Each year after that the grey was stronger.

My older girls will sometimes start greying around four, but most of
mine don't grey until 7 or eight with some 9 and ten year olds still
retaining their original color.

I have noticed two patterns to greying:  one is a "donut" greying.  This
is where the grey starts at the edge of the spot and works its way
towards the middle.  The other is a diffuse greying with grey/silver
showing up throughout the spot.

My early grayers tended to have the diffuse greying.  Not all spots are
affected in the same year.  Their spots on their sides tended to grey
first.

My older greyers tended to have the donut type of greying.  Each year
saw fatter donuts in the spots.  They tended to grey all over but not
necessarily all spots were greyed.

Please note that I am not talking about lilac.  My lilac ram lamb was a
very dark grey on all of his spots, including the eye patches.  No
silver and black mixed.

Kate Shirley
Humbug Farm

dave & katrina wrote:

> Love the mental image of your workaholic ram, Joan W.  Quite the sight
> even in my imagination. Here's a question I am sure has been discussed
> before on the list...early graying.  What it the average age for a
> sheep to gray?  Maybe that is a question for Mary Ellen.  I am sure
> most people would agree that gray by age one and two would fall into
> that category.  What about age 3?  or what about age 4 going from a
> dark brown to light gray at shearing time?  Any opinions or are these
> just gray areas...no pun intended.  I have a few sheep here I am
> watching for graying who are still coal black at age 2 while a few
> ewes I was not thinking about as possible early greyers have gray
> creeping in around their cape at the same age.  Do most people think
> of early graying as a change that happens fast rather than one that
> takes a few years?  Just a few thoughts....Katrina Lefever, Chicory
> Lane

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I consider it early greying if they start turning grey before age 4.&nbsp;