Fw: [Jacob-list] Re: Fw: Color woes

[Dan Kennedy]

I am on the Executive of our Provincial Exhibition and I also coordinate the
sheep show at the Exhibition so I feel a lot of pressure to support the show
by showing sheep.      The first two years that I was involved, I entered
Jacobs in the pure bred classes.     Because of the small number of breeders
in each breed everyone competes in open classes.      Obviously this makes
it tough to judge.      The Jacobs ended up at the bottom of the pile along
side the Texels and the Dorset Horns.      The Romanovs are now getting
similar treatment.    The judge had no idea of what a Jacob should look
like, nor do I believe that he cared.      The size (and height for some
reason) of the animal seemed to be the only thing that really counted and
horns don't belong on sheep it seems.      The judges locally try hard but
their vision of a perfect sheep is based on what will produce a better
market lamb rather than which animal conforms must closely to a breed
standard.      The subsequent years I've taken Jacobs to the Exhibition and
put them on display with signage about the breeds and used them strictly to
educate the public about rare breeds and the need to preserve them.
This has worked really well and the sheep have been covered in the papers,
radio and T.V.      This has been much more satisfying and useful than
competing against NC Cheviots that are taller than some ponies I know.
Dan Kennedy
Killorglin Farm
Prince Edward Island
Jacob & Dorset Horn Sheep
www.attcanada.net/~dankennedy
----- Original Message -----
From: Dr. David R. Lincicome <wheaten at bellatlantic.net>
To: Mark and Cathie Williams <williams at jacobsheep.com>
Cc: <jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2000 1:05 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: [Jacob-list] Re: Fw: Color woes


> 1153 hrs/Thursday 13 April 2000
>
> It would seem wise to me that both Jacob organizations adopt a policy of
> no-showing.  Most Judges are commercially oriented and are not trained to
judge
> Jacobs.  Showing tends to reinforce breeding to please judges and win
ribbons,
> and that is certainly not what we want with our Jacobs.
>
> I am concerned how many breeders worry about slipped eye patches, whether
there
> is enough spotting on the legs or body.  If we give in to personal
preferences
> or personal aesthetics to guide our breeding programs to preserve and
conserve
> the primitive Jacob, then we are lost.  All of us must strive to know the
whole
> of the genomic expressions of this primitive sheep in order to preserve
it.
>
> David Richard Lincicome, Ph.D.,PAS, DACAP
> Guest Scientist, USDA
>
> Mark and Cathie Williams wrote:
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: WenlochFrm at aol.com <WenlochFrm at aol.com>
> > To: creagchild at monad.net <creagchild at monad.net>;
jacob-list at jacobsheep.com
> > <jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>
> > Date: Wednesday, April 12, 2000 6:52 PM
> > Subject: [Jacob-list] Re: Fw: Color woes
> >
> > >Right on, Tom. I couldn't agree with you more. There are two things
that
> > are
> > >worrisome to me, the first being overstandardization of the breed, and
the
> > >second is the impact the show ring will have on the breed as showing
> > becomes
> > >more popular.
> > >
> > >Joan Franklin
> > >
> > >
> > >In a message dated 4/11/00 5:19:53 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
> > >creagchild at monad.net writes:
> > >
> > >>
> > >>  >
> > >>  >I think you raise a very important issue concerning registration,
one
> > that
> > >>  >perhaps will never go away.
> > >>  >
> > >>  >The American Livestorck Breeds Conservatory has suggested that
there
> > are
> > >>  >really four different categories into which breeds may fall:
> > >>  >
> > >>  >Standardized (a predictable set of features developed by
human-directed
> > >>  >breeding programs)
> > >>  >Landrace (a variable set of features within parameters as a result
of
> > both
> > >>  >human and natural selection)
> > >>  >Industrial ( standardized "to the max")
> > >>  >Feral  (one of the other three which has returned to the wild;
often
> > >>  >cross-bred, except where geographically isolated).
> > >>  >
> > >>  >While the Jacob is considered "Standardized," I think it's
important to
> > >>  >point out that many folks will point to the distinct difference
between
> > >the
> > >>  >American Jacob (which the ALBC considers rare) and the English
Jacob.
> > >>  >
> > >>  >The English Jacobs are clearly more standardized, being popular as
> > "park
> > >>  >animals" gracing the lawns of country estates.
> > >>  >
> > >>  >American Jacobs seem far more variable, leaning a little more
towards
> > the
> > >>  >Landrace end of the spectrum.
> > >>  >
> > >>  >Which of the styles you prefer is, of course, completely up to your
> > tastes
> > >>  >as a breeder, but I do think we should recognize that English
Jacobs
> > and
> > >>  >American Jacobs have departed on precisely this point of the degree
of
> > >>  >standardization.
> > >>  >
> > >>  >My own, purely personal approach is to avoid a high degee of
> > >>  >standardization.  Jacobs existed as north african sheep long before
> > they
> > >>  >graced British estates, and my own personal preference is to permit
the
> > >>  >variations that would evidence themselves in the less restricted
> > >>  >environment.
> > >>  >
> > >>  >Again, this is just my approach to life (sorry, I'm  a Celtic
> > mystic!) -
> > >>  >even my chickens are free-range, and I refuse to artificially light
> > their
> > >>  >quarters in the winter to force more egg-laying.
> > >>  >
> > >>  >In most animal shows, conformity to the Breed Standard is
important.
> > As a
> > >>  >matter of personal taste, i think I would prefer the least
restrictive
> > >>  >standards possible, within the parameters of what actually
constitutes
> > the
> > >>  >breed - especially when the gene pool is limited and the breed is
rare.
> > >>  >
> > >>  >But that's just me.
> > >>  >
> > >>  >thom
> > >>
> > >
> > >_______________________________________________
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> > >Jacob-list at jacobsheep.com
> > >http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/jacob-list
> > >
> >
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>
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