[Jacob-list] New Booklet "Guide to Selection of Jacob Breeding Stock"

[Heather Hettick]

I really like the booklet and wish something like that had been available
when I started with my Jacobs.  It would be nice to read before selecting
breeding stock as well as help to make keep/cull decisions.

I think it also helps to go to AGMs, meet other breeders and see their sheep
and find out what other people are doing with their sheep.  I made it to the
one in Michigan two years ago for the first time and wish I had gone to one
much sooner. I got my first Jacob sheep in 1997.

I'm sort of winding up my last year breeding purebred Jacobs.  I still have
two pretty 4 horned ram lambs left who will probably be going off to market
with my culls soon as they don't have buyers and they are starting to act
up.  I'm keeping two Jacob ewes - Lavender the bottle lamb and Cotton, who I
just like for her longer wool and friendly personality. If I don't sell the
2 2011 ewe lambs and 2 yearlings I still have, I'll just cross bred them
with my Icelandics.  I'm keeping an Icelandic ram lamb who carries spotting
so we may at least still have some spotted lambs for next year.  

My son will be showing a 75% Jacob (25% Tunis) in a 4H  market lamb class in
September - if he makes weight of 90# - he was 68# at last check.  If not,
he really looks like a solid, but short little market lamb, except for the
spots.  He is actually polled, which helps, but some people still mistook
him for a goat at lamb tagging and since he got shorn, he looks like a
little Holstein calf.

Heather Hettick
Moonstruck Farm
Creston, OH
www.moonstruckfarm.wordpress.com