[Jacob-list] Horns and scurs

[Linda]

On the same topic, but a little off center - - Is a "scurred ewe" a ewe that has ONLY scurs or a ewe that has two strong horns plus scurs???  I've read the term "scurred ewe" in some literature and have never been quite clear on what is refers to.

Linda

On Mon, 14 Oct 2002 18:42:50 EDT, Jacobflock at aol.com wrote:
>"Scurred horns" might be an oxymoron.  Scurs are not horns.  Some
>scurs may
>look something like horns but the "plasticized" appearance and
>absence of the
>characterisitc fibrous keratin, shape, lack of growth and stubbiness
>often
>give them away.  Aberrant horns have the fibrous keratin but are
>thin, lack a
>real horn core, are extremely weak and often "fall" away.
>
>Horns and scurs are species specific, may even be breed specific
>within
>species and is only recently being explored.
>
>CATTLE: The horn gene in cattle was only confirmed as located on
>chromosome 1
>in the early 1990s.  Scurs, which are small "horn-like" growths but
>not true
>horns, and aberrant horns which might be described as "floppy, weak,
>diminutive" horns, have been described for over 100 years.  Until
>the 1990s,
>domestic animals with horns were thought to have a "horn" gene/or
>"poll" gene
>on chromosome 1.  The presence of scurs was also thought to be on
>chromosome
>1 (related to the horn gene) but there is now evidence it is not
>always there
>but 'somewhere' else.
>
>SHEEP: For many years it was assumed anything with horns had a
>"horn" gene on
>the same chromosome 1.  In 1996, the common theory that the sheep
>horn locus
>was also on chromosome 1 (like cattle, etc.) was dispelled by G.W.
>Montomery,
>et al. and placed at chromosome 10.  This reference can be obtained
>from your
>library: Mapping the horns locus in sheep - a further locus
>contrrolling horn
>development in domestic animals. Journal of Hered 87, pp 358-363.
>Montgomery
>et al is related to 2 horns.  Because there is a difference between
>two and
>four horn, Alderson proposes that the horn condition might be HO
>(two horn)
>or HMN (multiple horn).   Two and four horn location and dominance
>are still
>questions.
>
>Scurs are not horns, the Sc gene is PROBABLY at another locus, and
>there are
>two situations that must be considered <<or else it would not be
>confusing>>:
>(1) 2 horn sheep and (2) 4 or multi horn sheep.
>
>Scurs (Sc) are described as AN AUTOSOMAL LOCUS that includes scurs
>and
>aberrant horns in both rams and ewes.   Hornless (Hohl) is described
>as short
>scurs, long scurs and aberrant horns which IS SEX LIMITED and
>observed only
>in ewes.
>
>If the Jacob is "horned in both rams and ewes", short scurs, long
>scurs, and
>aberrant horns should not be present.  Very few breeders have
>reported
>polled, scurrrred and aberrant horn offspring from two horn
>parentage.  When
>born, they are culled without questioning the sire or dam and their
>pedigree.
>
>
>Four horn sheep are sometimes reported as having weak or scurred
>lateral
>horns; sometimes it is observed only after being registered.  A few
>Jacob-listers have reported apparent scurs and aberrant horn
>observations
>related to the lateral or drop horns of apparent four horn
>offspring.  These
>reports are not unequivocal and sometimes explained by trauma but
>most scur
>and aberrant horn observations seem to be limited to ewes.  This
>seems to
>suggest consideration of the Hohl allele which is sex limited  ...
>the Hohl
>interacting with the HNM (multiple horn) locus affecting four horn
>ewes.
>
>I put part of this year's collection of Hohl evidence in the mail
>before
>taking any pictures but several pictures of Hohl "jacobs" with scurs
>and
>aberrant horns are available in books (I. Painter), periodicals (JSC
>Journal)
>and video tapes (TN Public TV).  Pedigree sources for scurs may be
>found in
>the AMBC Jacob listings and registry flock books.
>
>Fred Horak
>
>
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Jacob-list mailing list
>Jacob-list at jacobsheep.com
>http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/jacob-list

Visit our Jacob flock at:
http://www.PatchworkFibers.com
Registered Jacob Sheep
Handspun Yarns