[Jacob-list] Polled ewes

[Neal and Louise Grose]

The phenotype difference between hornless and polled is that polled ewes will have an indentation at the poll or a small scur in the indentation (keratin only). Hornless ewes have a smooth head.  There should be no hornless rams. Rams from female-hornless breeds should have robust horns.

Genetically, polled is dominant in most breeds, recessive in American Polled Dorsets. I have seen polled crossbreds that produced 4-horned offspring.

I suspect that hornless is either recessive or incomplete dominance. This may explain why some ewes may have smallish, fragile horns. Hornless is typical in Shetlands. 

Hornless is probably a hold-over from the northern European piebald sheep that were mixed with Southern European Merino and/or North African derived piebald sheep to form the Jacob's Sheep Purebred that we enjoy today.

Quite frankly my dear Linda, your opinions are as good as most of my facts.

Neal
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Linda 
  To: aztreaz at earthlink.net ; jacob-list 
  Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2008 7:45 AM
  Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] Polled ewes


  This is the point where someone more knowledgeable than I am is supposed to jump and answer, before you (and I) start confusing my opinions with facts :-) 

  The difference between polled and hornless is genetic. Hornless refers to the gene for horned in males, hornless in ewes.  Polled refers to no horns in anybody.  It's a somewhat involved genetic interaction.  I have never had a ewe without horns, except for my first two meat breed sheep.  They were definitely polled, but that was back in '92 and I can't for the life of me recall what was top of their heads.  I'm pretty sure there was nothing inside their heads - one of the reasons I switched to Jacobs :-)  I haven't had a Jacob without horns.

  Again - need someone else to jump in.  Cathy and Gail are asking some interesting questions. 

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


  > --Linda wrote:
  >> It's more likely your ewe is hornless than polled.
  > ========
  > What is the difference?  I thought polled meant hornless.  Does it
  > have to do with the presence of horn buds?  BTW, Gail, interesting
  > you wrote about your friendly, easy to work with, hornless ewe.  I
  > now have 11 ewes and my favorite is and always has been my 11-yr-
  > old hornless or polled ewe.  Most of her offspring also are/were
  > friendly and they all had horns.  But the side horns never grew
  > more than an inch. Cathy Moscow, Idaho
  >
  >
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