[Jacob-list] (no subject)

[Cheryl Terrano]

Sue wrote..."we can't spay our favorite pet ewes ( like we do Fluffy)"

I have spayed a favorite sheep to save her life following an impossible lamb birth attempt and loss of lambs. I also know of at least one other breeder who has done this very thing at least once.  Sometimes it isn't a matter of can't, but much rather an issue of 'wont'. Is spaying a sheep practical? No, not for everyone. But possible, yes indeed!

Totally agree with those other points, Sue, about the selection process. You nailed it! :)


Cheryl in WV 
http://www.paintedrockfarm.com 
http://paintedrockfarm.blogspot.com 
Visit the ETSY store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/paintedrockfarm

God longs to bring us to the place where we ache so much with His heart that to do nothing is simply no longer an option. (MATT REDMAN, The Unquenchable Worshipper) 

We will live as strangers and pilgrims on this earth, with sacrifice, commitment, tears and fasting, and touch the lost world with our lifestyle and commitment. (KP YOHANNAN, Founder, GOSPEL FOR ASIA) 

WHEN EVERYTHING THAT CAN BE SHAKEN IS SHAKEN, THE ANCHOR THAT HOLDS IS THE WISDOM OF THE CROSS. (Jason Upton, Key of David Ministries, from the CD 1200 ft below sea level). 

If you want to see God's power at work, you must get out of the church and into the world. Watch the extravagant lengths which God will go to reveal Himself to people who don't know Him. Then you will learn how truly awesome our God is. (Author Unknown)



-----Original Message-----
From: Susan J Martin <stcroft at ptd.net>
To: Sheep E-mail List <jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>
Sent: Fri, Sep 17, 2010 9:11 am
Subject: [Jacob-list] (no subject)


You said it well, Neal.  And BTW, we missed you at the AGM.
 
In a recent email conversation with someone in Britain involved with Jacobs it was mentioned to me that they think our Jacobs are ugly - I had asked for an opinion on our philosophy of maintaining primitiveness and he graciously responded with frankness that I appreciated -- but as the old cliché states, "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder."  We are the country that fought for independence from taxation w/o representation, our early ancestors raised beef on the open range with a "survival of the fittest" mentality, our early ancestors settled this country living in unimaginably crude conditions, we generally don't like being told what to do, and as Jacob breeders we like a sheep that can take care of itself w/o all kinds of intervention.  Do we still make color, horn, fleece, etc. selections as breeders....you bet we do.  But we should always make those selections secondarily to hardiness, lambing and mothering abilities, parasite resistance, thrivability, etc.   We also are a country today that is obsessed with physical appearance to the point of being OCD......if we keep a ewe based entirely only on her good looks and forget the health issues, we are making a mistake.....which brings to mind another old cliché -  "you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover."  And if we are going to view our sheep like pets, like Fluffy the family dog, then we should also make sure that our pet sheep with less than desirable health traits do not procreate......we can't spay our favorite pet ewes ( like we do Fluffy) but we certainly can make sure they aren't bred if they don't have good health characteristics.  
 
Oh, on a lighter note.....yesterday I picked up a 2 horned wether, using one of my husband's work vans....we need a wether to keep our ram company during the times he is separated from the ewes.  We loaded the wether, and I was chatting with the breeder, when suddenly we heard a tremendous crash -- Mr. Wether apparently didn't care for the proposed mode of travel and jumped right through the window in the rear door of the van, literally flying through the air,  spraying glass everywhere - and he promptly ran down the road!!!  We were able to corral him and he wasn't hurt, not even a scratch,  and despite his best protests, found himself stuffed into a large dog crate for his trip home -- and my husband was very understanding about the broken window!  This morning Mr. Wether is calmly grazing with Sweetgrass Cooper and they are becoming best of friends.....don't you just love those primitive jumpers!!!
 
Sue
Stonecroft
 

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