[Jacob-list] showing sheep with freckles?

[Linda]

Thanks for the input, Cheryl and Royal

I may decide to take a couple of lambs to SAFF this year.  I am more interested in presenting Jacobs to the public than actually winning anything.  Seeing a forward horned, scurred lateral ewe there one year as the only representative of the breed didn't really present a good public image of the breed (in my very humble opinion). 

Personally, I find heavily freckled fleeces, no matter the quality, to be less useful to me as a hand spinner.  The majority of my fiber related income comes from handspun yarn sales, with the best seller (by far) being a yarn with areas of bright white, deep black, and gray.  Plain gray yarn does sell, but not like the yarns with discrete color areas.  That said, my flock does and probably always will include some freckled sheep.  The easiest fleeces for me to process and spin are the ones that are very light or very dark.  But, since I prefer something in the middle, I just have to work a little harder sorting :-).  I just rent a bunch of movies and sit and sort and sort and sort while watching movies.  Not really a bad job.

Linda
 
www.patchworkfibers.com
Registered Jacob Sheep, Angora Rabbits, Handspun Yarn

On Thu, 20 Apr 2006 06:43:22 EDT, Paintedrockfarm at aol.com wrote:
> Linda,
>
> My experience has been with judges who are putting more emphasis on
> overall sheep quality, horn structure and soundness as well as
> fleece quality.  As physically sound and conformation correct sheep
> -- one who is not cow hocked, sickle hocked, parrot mouthed, roman
> nosed, etc. -- that has a nice presence, carries himself/herself
> well and has the mind to handle the publicity showing requires, is
> one I would show.  I could care less about horns in a show provided
> the number the sheep has is sound and well-balanced.  I also could
> care less about minor freckling in a show sheep - thus far, the
> judges have agreed.  I would concentrate first on selecting an
> animal that meets or exceeds the breed standard in as many areas as
> possible and remembering there are not perfect sheep. 
>
> Freckling, in my opinion, does NOT discount the overall fleece
> quality when comparing sheep.  Of course, it is a less desired
> trait but I think way too much emphasis is placed on the freckling
> issue as a whole.  I'm certain much controversy will arise there
> but, to each his own.  Our show sheep selection concentrates more
> on overall fleece quality and consistency throughout the wool -- to
> me this is much more important than a few freckles.  If the sheep
> is young (lamb, for example) AND heavily freckled, I would think
> hard on him/her as a show prospect.
>
> Yes, I want as little freckling as possible and no, I would most
> likely NOT use a heavily freckled ram.  I do, however, have more
> fleece sales of those who are freckled and our spinners locally
> love it!  Again, they are looking at fleece quality -- the
> freckling makes the whole blending thing much simpler for
> processing.  Judges are in a league all their own when you are not
> dealing in a Jacob show.  Sometimes the same is true when you are
> showing in a Jacob class! :)
>
> Good luck at SAFF!
>
> Cheryl
>
>
> Mike & Cheryl Terrano
> Painted Rock Farm
> Route 4 Box 726
> Buckhannon, WV 26201-9205
> (304) 457-6620
> paintedrockfarm at aol.com
> Breeders of Registered Jacob Sheep & French Angora Rabbits

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