[Jacob-list] mystery lamb

[Melody]

Tonight my yearling JacobXShetland ewe lambed.  I got out to the barn to
check on her just as she was cleaning up a little black ram in her favorite
corner of the barn..  She is coal black, as would be expected from such a
cross, and was bred to a Jacob ram.  Her little ram lamb is also coal black,
with a white stripe across the top of his head from ear to ear and a zig-zag
blaze on his forehead.   It appeared the lamb had just been dropped, as she
had not yet passed the afterbirth.  I put them in the "maternity ward" and
went on about my chores.  About 3 hours later, I did the final "sheep count"
for the night, and in the course of flashing my light around behind the barn
caught sight of something about 50 yards out in the back pasture.
Surprise--another lamb!  To all appearances it was about the same age as the
other, and of an identical size (tiny--about 3 lbs).  But--this one is
typical Jacob spotted!   I checked the only two ewes who haven't lambed yet,
both yearlings, one probably not due for 2-3 weeks and one of which I am
pretty sure is not bred.  Neither showed any signs of having lambed.  Is it
genetically possible for a cross-bred black ewe to have one black lamb and
one "Jacob spotted" lamb?  I had thought that all crosses would be solid
black.   But it has to be from that ewe, as no one else has lambed for
several days. ???????
Oh--the mystery lamb is alive--guess I should tell the whole story, huh?
despite his rough start in a very cold wind, and the fact that he showed no
signs of being cleaned up and was covered with dirt as well, he seems to be
doing all right.  He has been cleaned and dried and had a couple meals of
goat colostrum, and aside from shivering so hard he was shaking his whole
big box, appears to be in good shape.  A couple hours under a heat lamp here
in the house, and the shivering has subsided and "Oliver"  is sleeping
peacefully, with his bottle keeping warm in a container of warm water for
when he wakes up.   The black ewe showed absolutely no inclination to have
anything to do with him at all, so I guess I had better start looking for
someone who wants a pet wether..
Melody at CritterLand
Redmond OR