[Jacob-list] PRIMITIVE TRAITS

[Jacobflock at aol.com]

In a message dated 6/26/01 1:46:25 PM Central Daylight Time, 
Jacobflock at aol.com writes:

<< the purpose here is to try to think FIRST of possible 'primitive' traits 
of 
 sheep, THEN, which traits are observed in all Jacobs or other breed 
 (super-gene) or only in some Jacobs (certain lines) and thus arrive at a 
 working definition which may be important to conserving the Jacob and other 
 breeds, including its 'primitive' traits. 
 
 DOES ANYONE KNOW OF A 'PRIMITVE' LIST or CAN ADD TO A Jacob-List LIST or 
HAVE 
 IDEAS ON HOW TO BUILD A LIST OF PRIMITIVE TRAITS? 
  >>
 An historical note on primitive traits: I have been reading A history of 
British Livestock Husbandry 1700-1900.  What is rather striking about the 
period from 1750-1850 was the the "localization" of breeds and the meat 
demand created by the London market.  The demand for meat was so great that 
farmers in Scotland and Ireland were vegeterians and the farmland in Scotland 
so poor and rugged that the environment seems to be the controlling breeding 
objective.  One might think of there being two environments; the south with 
good fields, the north with mountains/hills and poorer pasture.

The flock must be able to fend for itself.  The ewe was in her prime at four; 
preferably a singles producer and selection for breeding stock seemed to be 
for singles.  Practically all Birtish sheep seem to be horned; the 'poled' 
condition was notable.  The fleece was often rugged; about 1750 the Scots 
begin shearing twice a year to save the fleece before it molts.  The 'native' 
sheep' seemed to be the shortailed Shetland.  In 1799 the Highland Society of 
Scotland described three types of these Shetlands: the 'kindly' sort with 
fine wool, the ''beaver" sort with wool intermingled with hair, and the 'dun 
faced' for imprecise varieties with black and russet fleeces some streaked.  
(A Lawrence 1809 and G Culley 1807 describe the origins to 'ovine surviors of 
a Spanish shipwreck.)

In 1841, Wallace and Watson add to the confusion by saying the four-horned or 
Caoirich Big type sheep has been added to the Scottish upland breeds.  "These 
horned sheep are usually white but there were some with black wool and some 
with grey.'  MacDonald 1810 describing the Hebrides sheep adds the 
'Norwegian': white in fleece and leg but it bore a blue grey, brown or russet 
and sometimes all of these meet in the same animal...'frequently carries four 
or even six horns'  It was however short-tailed.

As mutton animals, all the Scottish sheep were poor. As wool producers they 
had a good quality but a small clip.  The Scots kept their local breeds for 
their pasture; it only mattered if it adapted to season and diet.  There are 
interesting references to the Scots not following the 'direction' of the 
leading 'showman' of the day, Robert Bakewell (London), who was a pioneer in 
judging livestock (first comes flesh, second comes maternal prolificacy, then 
comes any other factors) was not taken seriously because the Scots did not 
have the stockyards of London.

Fred Horak