[Jacob-list] condition

[gordon johnston]

I forgot to say - I don't think Jacobs score as 'primitive' in the way they build up and store fat. Ours certainly put on some fat on their backs and in the muscle, rather than in the abdomen as with, say, Shetlands. All our hoggs for slaughter are reared together, with a shared trough for any concentrates offered, but from any one group, if we have overdone the concentrates, it will be the Jacobs who show fat in the meat. This might be because they are bigger/pushier and therefore actually eat more, or it might be a genetic difference in how they store fat. I know the feeding of corn and concentrates was thoroughly discussed recently - our grass does not grow here for 4-5 months of the year, and we cannot grow enough hay to be their sole diet for all those months, so as well as the hay we do grow, we also feed them neeps (swedes/rutabaga) and bought-in rough mix. This week we also gave all the sheep some large twiggy ash tree branches, after pollarding the trees for firewood. They love them, and all the breeds except the Soays (surprisingly) happily chew away at the bark, from which they must surely derive some vitamins and calories.(When they've finished we shall claim back our firewood!)
Juliet
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