[Jacob-list] breeding for polycerates

[gordon johnston]

I would like the advice of those breeding 4 horned Jacobs please.  It has
been suggested to me that for good strong horns it is better to use a heavy
horned 2 horned ram over 4 horned ewes ; has anyone tried this and what are
the results ? The theory is that 2 and 4 horned animals have the same horn
mass, divided between however many horns they have, but that 4 horned sheep
tend to gradually loose that mass, so to keep strong horns, especially in
females, fresh mass should be introduced from a 2 horned sire.
We have always bred 4 to 4 horns in our Jacobs, but now we wish to improve
the horns on our Hebrideans (which are a small black primitive Scottish
breed, and come in 2 or 4 horned versions like Jacobs, also occasionally
polled, top-knotted or many-horned) , which tend to have weak horns in the
females, and the experience of Jacob breeders will be invaluable.
By increasing horn mass, are we likely to lose the space btween the 4 horns
in males? (Hebrideans are smaller than Jacobs so have smaller heads to carry
the horns)
The other aspect to consider is the hornset itself ie the position of the
horns. Forward-pointing horns are undesirable in that in rams they can
impede grazing, but equally horns which curl backwards are unsightly,
unimpressive and can eventually turn into the back of the head or neck. What
we are seeking is good straight horns - would using a 2 horned sire decrease
the control over hornset ? Have you found that the hornset is highly
heritable, and if so is the female influence greater than the male (or vice
versa)?

Juliet in Scotland