[Jacob-list] Primitive?

[Linda]

So, there is no "primitive" body type?

Jacobflock at aol.com wrote:

> The term "primitive" referring to sheep can have a variety of 

> meanings depending on one's orientation, e.g., a divergence from a 

> commercial standard or a divergence from a breed standard or a breed 

> that is relatively unimproved.  When "primitive" is used to describe 

> the Jacob breed the term might be better applied, not to a particular 

> sheep but to a breed's performance.  My frame of referemce  for this 

> term has always been "Guide to the Primitive Breeds of Sheep and their 

> crosses on Exhibition at the Royal Agricultural Society's Show, 

> Bristol, 1913 with notes on the Management of Park Sheep in England 

> and the Possible Advantages of Crossing Them with Improved Breeds" by 

> John Elwes.  (The book is only a little longer than the title)

>  

> He describes his dozen years of breeding some of the original breeds 

> (primitive breeds) still surviving in England in the early 1900's: Old 

> Horned Wiltshire, Norfolk, Shetland, Manx, Soay, Hebridian, and 

> "Spanish" or Piebald Sheep, Fat Rumped sheep, Welsh Sheep, Black-Faced 

> Highland, Siberian and Orkney.  The name Jacob given by Earl 

> Fitzwilliam to the Spanish Sheep fifty years earlier still hasn't 

> caught on and won't until fifty years after this work by Elwes.. 

>  

> Elwes describes these primitive, unimproved, breeds as having certain 

> common traits: "Firstly, breed capable of enduring extremes of wet, 

> cold and heat ... Secondly, they must be able to winter on grass alone 

> without suffering from lameness.... Thirdly, to produce and suckle 

> their lambs without the shelter of a ewe pen and without the 

> assistance of a shepherd... Fourthly, to get a fat lamb in July or 

> August without any more artificial food than is necessary to prevent 

> the ewes from scouring ... or if lambs are kept over winter to make a 

> small carcass of high-class mutton, not exceeding 40-50 pounds dead 

> weight at 18-20 months old off the grass. Fifthly, to produce as far 

> as possible a flleece of fine soft wool ..."  Elwes will keep his 

> sheep in park with his deer, observing the sheep's slower pace to 

> maturity, all requiring little management.

>  

> If one jumps ahead to the founding of the Jacob Sheep Society, the 

> conservation of the breed takes a course based on "commercialization" 

> of the breed, voices to conserve the primitive type were not widely 

> heeded. After a relatively few years the Jacob is standardized and the 

> typical Jacob is 10-20% heavier.  Some of these improved types might 

> be represented by the Jacobs Ladder line as Todd's purpose was to 

> import good stock to commercialize the Jacob in the US. (The Importing 

> Woes Were Worth It by Todd Hescock).   Some might argue the primitive 

> type might be represented by Tony Turner's flock which preceded 

> Hescock's flock by several years.  A comparison of the appearance of 

> these two types adds some but not compelling evidence of the 

> difference between primitive and improved.  However, primitive, as 

> first used in reference to Jacobs, really goes to performance and no 

> evidence, other than Todd's article, has indicated a size 

> or performance difference.

>  

> Fred Horak 

>

>     ----- Original Message -----

>     *From:* Laura C Frazier <mailto:farmgirlarts at triad.rr.com>

>     *To:* jacob-list at jacobsheep.com <mailto:jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>

>     *Sent:* Tuesday, November 03, 2009 9:41 PM

>     *Subject:* [Jacob-list] Primitive?

>

>     I'd like to have some clarification about the

>     characteristics/traits of the "primitive" Jacob sheep. I've

>     heard/read of some individuals being referred to as "primitive",

>     including my ram, and I'd just like to better understand this.

>     Less black? Finer bones? Smaller in stature? 

>

>     Thanks!

>     Laura

>

>     Laura C Frazier

>     FarmGirl Arts

>     (336) 971-3834

>     Kernersville, NC

>     http://home.rr.com/farmgirlarts

>

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

>

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-- 
Patchwork Farm Jacob Sheep <http://www.patchworkfibers.com>
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