[Jacob-list] lamb color

[Linda]

The "white cap" coloration is generally considered an indication of cross breeding on one side or the other.  The lamb has the Jacob dominant black gene, but not the spotting gene.  It's quite possible for a sheep to look like a Jacob and not produce true to type.  This is where good records and progeny testing become even more important so that you have the information to begin to isolate the "guilty" party.   Shel, you mentioned that you are not really sure if your ram is the sire.  Were there other breeds at the farm?  If you really want to be sure, you can do a dna paternity test on the lambs.  Do you have other lambs by this ram?  Other lambs by this ewe?  Check out the breed standards at: http://www.jsba.org and http://www.jacobsheepconservancy.org and see if either the ewe or the ram are "iffy" in any other area.

JSBA and JSC both have open flock books, which means that if a sheep meets the standard it can be registered in JSBA or certified in JSC.  JSC also requires progeny testing for animals from unregistered parents to pass registration, but you'll find that JSBA breeders are also doing their own progeny testing.  You have a pretty flock and one odd birthing is just another puzzle.  

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





> You can not necessarily blame the ram, can you.  Could it not be

> that while the ewes look good, they could have something else in

> the background that skipped their generation, but is exhibiting in

> the young?  I am not a geneticist, but sure find it fascinating. ---

> -------------------------------------------------

>

>> From : CARL FOSBRINK

> To : Gooch , jacob-list at jacobsheep.com Subject

> : Re: [Jacob-list] lamb color Date : Tue, 6 Mar 2007 13:33:10 -0800

> (PST)

>

>> Hello Shel,

>>

>> I would say your lambs will stay about the color they are now.

>>

> While your ewes look like purebred Jacob ewes of good quality your

> lambs were not sired by a purebred Jacob ram. The lamb on the left

> that is almost all black is typical of what a crossbred Jacob lamb

> looks like. The other lamb is not a lilac it just is not the

> typical cross color. This does not mean the lambs will not serve a

> purpose, just that they are not registrable Jacobs.

>

>>

>> Regards,

>> Carl

>>

>>

>> Gooch wrote:

>> When do you know what color a lamb will stay?  I have twin lambs

>>

> born 05Mar07 that are black- one is almost all black, the other is

> black but "frosted".  Would the second lamb be considered lilac?

>

>>

>> Here's a picture to them & mom:

> http://www.flickr.com/photos/asylumfarm/412880351/

>

>>

>> Shel

>>

>> ~*~*~*~*~*~

>> ~ Goochland Acres ~

>>

>> ~ Asylum Farm ~

>>

>>

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>>

>> Carl and Judy Fosbrink

>> www.4hornfarm.com

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