[Jacob-list] Graying & Ticking

[Linda Bjarkman]

Is there an environmental effect on freckling and/or ticking?  For instance, many 
sheep around here have faces that get progressively darker (we used to have sunshine 
around here!) but do not exhibit any progressive ticking on the body.  Also some 
sheep will show a blanket sort of ticking pattern that is predominately along the 
spine.  Is this possibly something that is either a result of the sun or something 
that is accelerated by the sun?

What about so-called age spots?  Would these be caused by the same factors as 
ticking or are they genuinely just a sign of age?

For clarity - I am using the term "ticking" to refer to a progressive darkening of 
the fleece, not the "freckling" that is apparent at birth.

Linda
in Mudville, Georgia


On Thu, 10 Apr 2003 22:37:01 EDT, Jacobflock at aol.com wrote:
>Graying may be genetic (GG or Gg), or environmental, e..g. diet
>copper deficiency or "fading" from UV rays at the high end of the
>spectrum.
>
>Genetic graying may be in lilacs or black and white Jacobs.
>
>The true premature graying that appears about age two is the
>"premature graying" gene.  The non-gray is the recessive gg.
>
>When we put our gray matter to it, many black and white issues turn
>out to be gray.
>
>Fred Horak


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