[Jacob-list] fused 4 horns

gordon johnston gordon at westergladstone.fsnet.co.uk
Tue Feb 22 07:27:30 EST 2005


At a talk Marshall Watson gave here at New Lanark in Scotland last Sunday,
he described a 2 horned Shetland ram bred by Peter Hardman.  This ram had
thrown 4 horned progeny as you describe.  After slaughter, the horns and
skull were examined closely and the core was found to have a slightly
divided appearance at the base.  This suggested that the animal had the
'splitting gene' but with only the slightest expression, not affecting the
outside of the horns at all.  Apparently, the splitting gene can be
expressed from this smallest degree , through what we all recognise as
normal 4 hornedness, on to include split eyelids and finally to complete
splitting of the skull from the horns down through the upper jaw.

So one of either your sire or dam could be carrying 4 hornedness without you
being able to detect it without performing a post mortem examination.

Why don't you like 4 horned Jacobs ?

Juliet in Scotland.



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