[Jacob-list] symetrical horns

[southwindfarms at frontiernet.net]

Message: 1
Date: Wed, 13 May 2009 05:26:17 -0400
From: "Neal and Louise Grose" <nlgrose at yadtel.net>
Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] 4 horn ewe skulls
Cc: <jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>
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4 horn ewe skulls"Are there single horned cows? I want one :-)"

Now, ya just know I had to reply to that. 
I think the only way to get a single horned animal without surgery is to have one that is horribly deformed. Two polls are a result of symmetrical division of the whole animal. The polycerate gene works on the poll position itself. I have even seen an instance where a Jacob crossed with a polled sheep produced a polled offspring, and that sheep went on to produce a 4 horned offspring (she also had a split eyelid).

I do not think that I have ever seen a 3 horn individual, they are two fused horns on one side and separate on the other. There is a separate gene mechanism for symmetry from one side to the other. Oddly, one of our best rams early rams for siring symmetrical horns was one that had fused horns on both sides and looked like a massive two horn.

Neal Grose


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Linda 
  To: ranchrat 
  Cc: jacob-list at jacobsheep.com 
  Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 8:15 PM
  Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] 4 horn ewe skulls

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Message: 2
Date: Wed, 13 May 2009 13:36:33 +0100
From: "BlackSheep" <westergladstone at btinternet.com>
Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] 4 horn ewe skulls
Cc: <jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>
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Neal wrote: <<Oddly, one of our best early rams for siring symmetrical horns was one that had fused horns on both sides and looked like a massive two horn.>>

That is really interesting and worth a bit of experimenting.  We have a 4 horned ram lamb with horns which will be like that as he grows but we had not considered using him.  Perhaps we'll give him a try after all !

Wether horns - I think their size depends on the age at which the lamb is wethered.  The only wether we kept to any age, Fred, had horns just like a ewe and he was ringed at a few days old. We kept him for about 5 or 6 years for his lovely fleece.

Juliet in Scotland UK

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Neal wrote "Oddly, one of our best rams early rams for siring symmetrical horns was one that had fused horns on both sides and looked like a massive two horn.

That is interesting, the ewe which is one of my most consistant producers of four horned lambs with great hornset has three fully fused horns on one side.  The other side has two seperate horns.  Her sire was 2 horned.  Now I wonder if he wasn't a fully fused four horn.