[Jacob-list] New Booklet "Guide to Selection ofJacobBreeding Stock"

[Linda]

I breed giving markings a high priority, but don't cull white legged 
animals on that trait alone. I don't like all white hooves, but have a 
number of ewes with white legs and feet - but colored or striped hooves. 
I've had some darn nice freckled ewes (and still do). I won't cull a 
good ewe for freckles same as I won't cull a good ewe for white legs. 
One of the most freckled ewes I've ever had exhibited NO leg or feet 
markings at all. One of my ewes with lots of leg flash has no freckles. 
Another ewe with lots of flash has lots of freckles.  4Horn Farms Dune, 
who has lots of flash, is not freckled.
I'm agreeing that breeding for leg markings does not necessarily lead to 
freckling, but also wondering if we really want to cull some excellent 
ewes because of freckling.

Linda  .

On 8/12/2011 4:12 PM, Neal Grose wrote:

> The tidbit implying that repeatedly breeding for leg markings causing 

> freckling bothered me too. It simply is not the case in our 20+ years 

> of Jacob breeding consistently FOR leg markings. All-in-all, it was a 

> minor point and easily disproven. What I have observed is that 

> obstinate so-n-soes that breed these animals will do pretty much as 

> they please. Thank God.

> Neal Grose

> *From:* Carl Fosbrink <mailto:fourhornfarm at frontier.com>

> *Sent:* Friday, August 12, 2011 12:29 PM

> *To:* spotted_sheep at bluefrog.com <mailto:spotted_sheep at bluefrog.com> ; 

> peggy <mailto:mvanbeek7 at gmail.com>

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

> *Subject:* Re: [Jacob-list] New Booklet "Guide to Selection 

> ofJacobBreeding Stock"

> *        There are a lot of things in the guidebook that will be 

> helpful to our newcomers, but I must say I am very disappointed that 

> most of the sheep in it had white legs and the ones with black 

> muzzles, knee spots and black feet had negative comments with them 

> about freckling and other things. *

> *      While white legs and pigmented muzzles are perfectly acceptable 

> I prefer the black muzzles, knee and hock spots and black feet. *

> *      That is what the early imports had and my flock is mostly 

> marked that way because I like those markings.  I like them because no 

> other country has Jacobs with the knee and hock spots and they make 

> our American Jacob different along with it's primitive characteristics. *

> *     All four of my current breeding rams have the leg markings and 

> all are freckle free. My ewes are freckle free also with the exception 

> of some of the spots that occur with age and do not carry into the 

> fleece. It is not difficult to breed Jacobs with leg markings and no 

> freckling. It is just a matter of selection.*

> *      I would hate to see the new comers interpret the guide to breed 

> away from the leg markings when they were what the early imports that 

> came through the Chicago Zoo and from South Africa had and we are the 

> only country breeding Jacobs with the leg markings. *

> *      I don't know how much longer I will be able to continue to 

> raise Jacobs, but I hope there will be others that will step forward 

> and preserve the Jacobs with the leg markings and black muzzles.*

>

>     -----

>


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