[Jacob-list] fused 4 horns

[Mary Hansson]

Juliet and all,
 
I love 4-horned Jacobs.  The fact that both parents have nothing remotely resembling a seam front or back on either of their horns suggests that they are both 2-horned.  It is good to know that there is a post-mortem close analysis of a sheep that does show multi-horns that never display as even a slight seam.
 
The dam is a product of me breeding 2 4-horned animals together.  In my usual "luck", I wind up with the 25% chance (when both parents are heterozygous multi-horned) that offspring are 2-horned.  
 
The sire was a ram lamb that came off the coast of Maine a year and a half ago, so parentage on him is unknown.  He has a typical hornset seen in fully-fused 4-horned rams, and I have looked countless times hoping to see a seam.  In fact, I wouldn't have made the trek back to Maine this past spring had he been a 4-horned boy (although the trip was fabulous and I wound up with several nice animals from the trip).  His offspring last year didn't suggest that he was anything but a 2-horned ram.  I happen to like the boy, so won't do any post-mortems on him anytime soon.  I will have to check my breeding sheet to see if he was bred to any other ewes with 2 horns this past fall (the girls self-selected their boyfriends for the season).  I will be watching them closely.
 
Mary Ellen




Mary Ellen Hansson, MEd, RD, LDN
ISeeSpots Farm
Jacob Sheep:  Lambs, adults, wool
www.iseespots.com
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