[Jacob-list] "pure" Jacobs

[Linda]

It's not a secret that early on JSBA allowed registration of polled ewes and just recently disallowed totally scurred ewes.  It was important at the beginning of the work to preserve this rare breed that we gather as many sheep as possible into the database.  We are going to find scurs popping up every so often.  It's our responsibility as breeders to monitor our flocks, keep records of progeny and culling as necessary.  JSC does require progeny testing for unregistered animals, but since it only requires the progeny of two breedings and no progeny testing is required from the get of two registered parents, you are still going to get the lambs that neither JSBA or JSC are willing to consider "pure".  

Yep, we all have our idea of what is right.  I think a four horned ewe should have four horns (not 2 horns and 2 scurs).  Anything else (for me - and I am no geneticist) makes me think abit.  

As far as seasonal breeding - it would interesting to communicate with breeders of other seasonal breeds to see if the seasons vary depending on where you are.

Linda




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

> My ewes won't breed until mid-September making mid February to
> March babies.  Another breeder I know of here in Michigan puts
> their breeding groups together in early August and has mostly late
> December to January babies.  Am I concluding that this other
> breeder's sheep are "crossbred" based on breeding date?  Not at all-
> -many other factors could explain the difference.  (It just got me
> thinking, so I asked the question.)
>
> Is their a hidden message in "'pure" Jacob (whatever that is)?" 
> Not really.  It's only an admittion that we probably can't agree on
> what a "pure" Jacob is.  In fact, I'm not sure that we could all
> agree on what exactly "pure" and "crossbred" mean.  (But we all
> likely think our idea is the right one--maybe that's the hidden
> message.)
>
> -Dan
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