[Jacob-list] 4 horn ewe skulls

[Neal and Louise Grose]

4 horn ewe skullsI've seen enough heads and skulls to say that there are probably no true 3 horn animals; but, I have seen 5 well separated horns (3 = 2) with no evidence of fusing on the 2 side. My guess is that there is a "stop" button for the polycerate but the "stop" button varies.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Linda 
  To: Neal and Louise Grose 
  Cc: jacob-list at jacobsheep.com 
  Sent: Wednesday, May 13, 2009 2:41 PM
  Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] 4 horn ewe skulls


  What about five horned? I don't remember ever seeing or hearing about a 3 horned either, but I have two 5 horned ewes at the moment. Without dissecting them, I can't be sure that they aren't six horned, but I believe not. 

  Linda

  Neal and Louise Grose wrote: 
    "Are there single horned cows? I want one :-)"

    Now, ya just know I had to reply to that. 
    I think the only way to get a single horned animal without surgery is to have one that is horribly deformed. Two polls are a result of symmetrical division of the whole animal. The polycerate gene works on the poll position itself. I have even seen an instance where a Jacob crossed with a polled sheep produced a polled offspring, and that sheep went on to produce a 4 horned offspring (she also had a split eyelid).

    I do not think that I have ever seen a 3 horn individual, they are two fused horns on one side and separate on the other. There is a separate gene mechanism for symmetry from one side to the other. Oddly, one of our best rams early rams for siring symmetrical horns was one that had fused horns on both sides and looked like a massive two horn.

    Neal Grose


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