[Jacob-list] showing sheep with freckles?

[Neal and Louise Grose]

I don't think that they will pay much attention to tail docking at SAFF. By now, most people are aware that there is some controversy over tail docking. If not, this is an excellent opening for  'splainin' to 'em. I have shown several times at SAFF early on for the exact reasons you cite, and was chagrined when I had a ram top the medium wool class. Fortunately, the judge reassured me that he placed up because he exhibited Jacob type.

Now, as to the freckling, we have seen freckling significantly reduced in our flock over the last few years. I have not been particularly aggressive about culling for this trait. What we have done is close the flock and line bred. I certainly don't recommend this for everybody or even many breeders at all. We have done it to protect a given bloodline. Several of these bloodlines were separated for many generations and have developed unique characteristics. Linebreeding is the only way to preserve this uniqueness. 

We realized early on that there were some significant differences in the piebald genes (or in related traits) between the bloodlines. As the influence of the outcross rams has diminished, so has the freckling.

Neal Grose

PS: Hey, this is the twentieth anniversary of Louise and I purchasing the only Jacob Ram available on the East coast. "Ram-I-Am" had 5 wild horns, 75% black fleece, weighed 70 pounds wringing wet, and had a hogget fleece that weighed 3 pounds. Dad found out that he liked Little Debbie Spice cakes. He still represents the perfect Jacob sheep for us. See how much trouble that has got us in.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Linda 
  To: Neal and Louise Grose 
  Cc: jacob-list at jacobsheep.com 
  Sent: Friday, April 21, 2006 7:21 AM
  Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] showing sheep with freckles?


  When I received an email from a potential buyer and she mentioned that she preferred two horned Jacobs because she didn't like those little floppy side horns that four horned Jacobs have, I thought that presenting a four horned Jacob with strong laterals might give the breed a boost. 

  I docked the ewe lamb that I am considering showing, as I was thinking about this when she and two other show prospects were born.  But then I decided I didn't want to dock just on the off chance I might show one, so what I'd consider my best show prospect (as if I'd know :-0 ) is an undocked ram lamb.  He has type A fleece all the way to the end of his tail, though. 

  Can you explain?
  > All in all, though, I think that freckling is minor issue as far as
  > a authentic breed character is concerned. I have a sneaking
  >> suspicion that some forms of it arise due to a mis-match in
  >> piebald
  >> genes across bloodlines.

  Linda

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

  On Fri, 21 Apr 2006 05:46:47 -0400, Neal and Louise Grose wrote:
  > Linda, I think you are exactly right to look at this as presenting
  > the Jacob Breed.
  >
  > With what little showing I have done and seen, the judges are most
  > likely to give primary consideration to non-breed specific traits.
  > However, SAFF has a good track record of getting judges that are
  > familiar with, and give due credit to what they think are Jacob
  > breed character. I had a few Jacobs at the very first SAFF. One was
  > criticized for having "patches that touched". I got him back in the
  > ewe lamb class though. When he asked why she was not docked, I
  > explained that I had not been able to catch her to perform the
  > procedure. He not only accepted the explanation, but thought it was
  > worth mentioning when he went to the microphone.
  >
  > When I went to SAFF a few years ago, there was a huge "Jacob" ram
  > being shown that had a nearly level rump. Fortunately, he bottomed
  > the class, because  would have hated to walk out in the ring and
  > slap the judge.
  >
  > 
  >
  > Neal Grose



------------------------------------------------------------------------------


  _______________________________________________
  Jacob-list mailing list, sponsored by Swallow Lane Farm & Fiberworks
  Jacob-list at jacobsheep.com
  http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/jacob-list
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.pairlist.net/pipermail/jacob-list/attachments/20060421/bf838933/attachment.html