[Jacob-list] 4 horn ewe skulls

[Linda]

Are there single horned cows? I want one :-)
I've received a wide assortment of private responses to my question. We 
certainly are as individual as our sheep!
I have no experience with wethers, so can't add much to that topic. The 
few meat buyers I have want intact rams and added to the fact that I am 
lousy at banding means that our cull rams go into the freezer as rams. A 
friend of mine did have a wether (castrated by the vet, so I'm sure he 
was a real wether). Pokey had HUGE forward horns as a two year old - 
every bit as large as two year old ram. I think he was unusual.
I have two five horned ewes and one six horned ewe. I do consider a 
sheep with fused horns to have the number of horns that are fused - not 
the number of horns that are separate. I would consider your ewe with 
three separate on one side and two fused and one separate on the other 
to be a six horned. Unbalanced and undifferentiated is only a dq for rams.
You haven't posted in forever and it's fun to hear from you again - it's 
an interesting topic and thanks for "messing up" my brain :-)
Congratulations on Canada's first GC Jacob ewe! What does it mean to be 
Canada's first GC ewe?

Linda

ranchrat wrote:

>

> Heel low Linda & Sheepers:

>

> As far as I understand this, Jacobs are polycerate because they have a 

> gene the splits the horn core...just as a cow has horns, for example, 

> the only difference between having single horned cows and  

> multi-horned cows is this horn splitting gene.  People have enough 

> trouble having meat with horns and you'll find a lot want polled 

> cattle, no horns...meat with horns is harder to deal with.  LOL, that 

> is until they realize their pretty handy handles some times...or not! 

>

> I will go out on a limb and surmise that because rams have 

> testosterone and this amplifies the horn growth (and degrades fiber 

> quicker than in ewes...sigh!), you will note a more major split in the 

> horns...but basically, you have the same issue, a single horn that 

> becomes multi-horns.

>

> I see no difference in the horns of your four horn ewe and your four 

> horn ram...both look the same to me, but in the ram, more amplified 

> because intact rams have bigger horns than the ewes.  If he had been 

> altered, you would note horn growth really slows down, maybe to the 

> same rate as a ewe...that sounds like a FUN project to 

> investigate...alter a full sibling ram to a ewe and see if their horn 

> growth is any different...har har...keep feed and all other factors 

> the same...have fun with that one.

>

> Fused horns...it is hard to determine TRUE number of horns as in some 

> causes, I would probably lean towards a seam delegating the 

> "potential" to have caused more horns.  I tend to count the fused 

> horns separately, so have "five horned" ewes that would in some 

> person's opinions, be four horns and in the case of one ewe, we have 

> three separated horns on one side (no questioning that side) and her 

> other side, the top horn is fused with another completely separate 

> side horn, so some would say a "five horn," but we refer to her as a 

> SIX horn ewe.  Fused horns are frowned upon by some...hee hee...so 

> maybe it is safer to count a fused as one, but then you can fight with 

> the fact that it could make a Jacob have unbalanced horns...that too 

> is a negative for some.

>

> Hee hee...too many interpretations...makes nobody completely happy.  

> Sure is fun messing up your brain over tho.  Thanks Linda, sure helps 

> pass the time cleaning out barns and gearing up for shearing...oh the 

> tedious tasks of spring and other whatnots.

>

> Doggone,

>

> Tara Lee Higgins ~ Rat Ranch -- Alberta

>

> Home of Melody; Canada's 1^st Grand Champion Jacob Ewe -- Lilac FOUR 

> horn...or FIVE horn??  Hee hee

>

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>

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-- 
http://www.patchworkfibers.com
Registered Jacob Sheep

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